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For many, Thessaloniki is a happy alternative to the chaos of Athens. Although it’s home to just under 400,000 people, it’s the second largest city in Greece. There’s a large student population here, and so you’ll find the city busy with cafes, pubs, clubs, and restaurants. Of noteworthy mention is the iconic White Tower, built in the Byzantine period and still standing guard over the waterfront. There are a number of other Byzantine monuments around as well, including the churches of Acheiropoietos and the Heptapyrgion castle. The Old Town is worth exploring as well, which has a classically Macedonian feel to it.

You’ll find branches of Emmerys, a popular bakery and café, throughout the city—there are more than 30 of them in Denmark, and the majority are in or around the capital. These bright, friendly places are perfect to pop into when you’re feeling peckish, and because they use 100 percent organic ingredients, you can have a hearty sandwich or salad—or indulge in one of their exceptionally tasty hazelnut chocolate croissants or brownies—with a clear conscience. The arabica coffee beans are also organic.

This dockside restaurant has a charming historic patina, as it is part of an actual fishing club headquartered in an 18th-century military Cartagena fortress, San Sebastián del Pastelillo. Sit at outdoor tables with views of the city, the bay, and the club’s private marina and pier (some of your fellow patrons arrive by boat!), and dine on freshly caught seafood. On weekends, live music—jazz, bossa nova, and flamenco—animates the scene.

Every year, the guys behind Hanoi‘s Club for the Appreciation of Music and Art (CAMA) bring some of the finest left-field musical talent from the region to the city’s American Club for a one-day shindig. The event usually takes place in May.

Cypress Point Park offers a relaxing nature escape in the city. Plentiful amenities include a children’s playground, a disc golf park, covered pavilions, and jogging trails.

Pronounced “ish-pu-ha,” this ranks among the most beautiful beaches anywhere on the Riviera Maya. With calm, very clear waters, it’s a popular spot for local families as well as travelers in search of a quiet afternoon. Despite the secluded location, south of Playa del Carmen, there are plenty of amenities for a comfortable day, like lounge chairs for rent, restrooms, snorkel-gear loan-outs, and a handful of excursions. You’ll also find restaurants and beach clubs famed for fresh seafood.

The Maya name for Laguna Bacalar means the Lake of Seven Colors, and spending a little time here will show you why it’s such an apt moniker: from turquoise to cobalt blue to jade green and everything in between, the colors of this fresh-water lake seem to shift and change against its white-sand bottom. When you’re ready to do something else besides admire the breathtaking view, you can go swimming or kayaking, enjoy spa treatments and yoga, or adventure off to a nearby cenote and fort. And there are plenty of comfortable hotels and good eats in the town of Bacalar. This oasis in the middle of the jungles of Quintana Roo is the perfect off-the-beaten-track destination for travelers ready to escape the touristy Riviera Maya madness. It is also a refreshing rest stop on the way to the ancient Maya ruins of Dzibanché, Kinichná, and Kohunlich.

As you approach Mina street, just south of the 20 de Noviembre market in Oaxaca, the smell of chocolate fills the air. There are several chocolate grinding shops along this street. One of the most popular is Chocolate Mayordomo, where you can almost always see cocoa beans being ground to make the Oaxacan chocolate that is frequently consumed here. The shop attendant puts the cocoa beans along with some cinnamon sticks and almonds in the top of the machine and out the bottom comes a thick, rich paste, which he mixes with sugar. This is the very simple process by which Mexican chocolate is made. It creates a somewhat gritty product which is more suited to making hot chocolate than to consuming on its own, but since they’re giving out free samples, you may as well have a few pieces while you decide what kind you want to purchase to take home with you.

This handicraft shop in the center of Oaxaca is run by a group of women artisans. It’s one of the best places in town to purchase well-priced handicrafts, and it’s satisfying to know that the profits go to the women who produce the pieces. Walk through the various rooms—don’t forget to look on the second floor—and make your selections, then make your way to the front of the shop to pay. The little tin magnets near the entrance always catch my eye. There’s a huge variety of designs, and they’re so inexpensive. What better way to keep the memories of your trip alive than with a fridge magnet? But there’s so much more to choose from—lovely embroidered blouses, rebozos, leather huaraches, woven handbags, pottery, rugs, tin work, and jewelry... they’ve got it all.

An iconic name in Portland retail—as well as among readers who have never been to the city—Powell’s has multiple locations on both sides of the Willamette. The downtown store remains the one best suited for visitors to explore, with miles of used reads, a tightly curated selection of books from the knowledgeable staff, and every Portland-themed book you could hope to find under one roof. A renovation in 2014 opened up the space and made it feel less like a warehouse of dusty stacks, an improvement that bodes well for the future of the business. Author appearances, even those at the satellite branches, are some of Portland’s best events for interesting discussions.

About 30 minutes from Oranjestad at the southern tip of Aruba is San Nicolas, the island’s second-largest city. In 2016, it became home to Aruba’s only mural district following the now-annual Aruba Art Fair. As part of the fair, exhibiting artists created large, brightly colored paintings on more than two dozen of the city’s buildings, gracing structures with everything from multi-colored lionfish and staring flamingos to native Arubans and surreal optical illusions. Today, visitors to San Nicolas can take an organized tour to see the murals, or just wander the streets to discover them on their own.

Also known as the High Test Deli & Sweet Shop, this local standby—situated just over the state line in Bryson City, North Carolina—has fueled hikers, area residents, and tourists for more than a decade. The signature Cuban is a best seller, but every sandwich is customizable, with more than a dozen bread varieties, nearly as many cheeses, and all the proteins you’d expect from a top-notch deli. Still, you wouldn’t be blamed for skipping the meats altogether and heading straight for the “frozen sandwich” section, where you can choose from a creative selection of ice cream sandwiches that will challenge even the most decisive sweet tooth.

Tucked into a former cobbler’s workshop, Boot Café is making a determined bid to be the city’s tiniest (and most Instagrammable) specialty coffee bar. In a robin’s-egg-blue storefront, the café pours lattes made with beans from the highly regarded Parisian roaster Belleville Brûlerie and foreign roasters such as Five Elephant in Berlin. It’s a tight squeeze but worth a visit for bagels, cakes, and expertly pulled shots.

Ali Baba and his 40 thieves would have thought they’d gone straight to paradise if they’d stepped into this mall dedicated to that most precious of metals—gold. As a local bride’s dowry is still paid out in gold jewelry, this souq plays an integral role in the continuation of marital rites in Bahraini culture. As a bonus, in the gold souq, where the gram is king, the craftsmanship is belash (free).

Most people come to the tiny town of Ioannina to cruise Lake Pamvotida -- the town’s most popular landmark. You’ll find yourself on a small island in the middle of a beautiful fjord, where the water is smooth as glass and your surroundings are spectacular. Ioannina itself is an intellectual city, known particularly for its university. Several famous poets and novelists call this place home, and the city often runs several arts-related events year round.