Search results for

The ancient Greeks called Folegandros “iron hard,” but this Cycladic island has a mellow soul beneath its edges. The northern part is the wildest, where locals still scrabble a living making cheese from their goats, threshing grain with mules, and fishing off translucent bays. At homestead tavernas (like Eirini’s grocery-cum-eatery in Ano Meria), the owners rear or grow everything they serve. The main village, Chora, is huddled on a cliff 650 feet above the sea, but the emerald water below is so clear you can count the fish swimming by. The tangle of lanes all lead to three interlocked squares lined with tavernas and bite-size bars, where evenings drift by as you drink shots of rakomelo (warm grappa with honey).

Established in 1919, O’Keeffe’s favorite café and grocery store still has pride of place in the center of Abiquiu. Stock up on supplies (they have everything from top-shelf liquor to handmade local soap) or dine on New Mexican staples like a green chile cheeseburger, posole soup, or a smothered enchilada. Georgia O’Keeffe biographies are also available. —By Edmund Vallance

Once the center of commerce in Charleston, the City Market is now the heart of tourism. Although its location near the cruise terminal can make it feel like a kitschy open-air market in the Caribbean, the tackiness is part of its charm. Yes, you’ll find Christmas ornaments painted with Rainbow Row and enough cutely packaged pralines to give you a stomachache, but you’ll also see Gullah artisans weaving the finest examples of sweetgrass baskets available. Peak season brings 140 different merchants, and weekends include live music and food vendors. The market’s a requisite stop for any visitor and a one-stop gift shop for loved ones back home.

If shopping is on your agenda, be sure to stop at Mongoose Junction, at the north end of Cruz Bay where North Shore Road heads out of town. The open-air mall is small but attractive, made of local stone and mahogany and landscaped with tropical plants. Mongoose Junction is packed with art galleries, restaurants and boutiques selling locally made clothing and jewelry. Before you leave, check out St. John Scoops, which makes almost 100 flavors of ice cream and sorbet (like mango, passion fruit and salted caramel) and serves them up in hand-rolled waffle cones. Delicious superfood smoothies are on the menu, too.

The sight of the little yellow streetcar rumbling across the top of the Lapa aqueduct’s arches, making its way uphill to the neighborhood known as Santa Teresa, is a city classic. An accident had it shut down for five years, and the new bondinho may lack some of its former authenticity (for one thing, there used to be more locals aboard); yet the tropicalized Lisbon flavor of the neighborhood’s streets is still in place. Visitors can access points of interest such as the Parque das Ruínas aboard the trolley, then wander the district’s streets on foot till they reach the famed Selarón stairs that go back down to Lapa.

Among all the odd-shaped mountains that adorn the Rio horizon, Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar in Portuguese) stands apart for its majesty and fortuitous placement. Sugarloaf is part of a single landmark along with sister peak Urca, to which it connects via a now-century-old cable car locals call the bondinho. When you reach the top of the rounded outcropping, 1,300 feet up, it’s hard to decide what to look at: You’ve got 360 degrees of Rio from on high. The recommended (and most sought-after) visiting hour is sunset. Yet there’s no hurry to descend before night falls. Seeing the lights come up in the cidade maravilhosa is well worth a tarry.

Chef Pedro de Artagão went from fresh-faced promoter to celebrity chef at Irajá, where instead of trying to take things more haute, he gathered traditional—maybe even disdained—Brazilian ingredients and transformed them into something spectacular. The restaurant’s mansion setting requires guests to squeeze past the kitchen to the dining room, on a high-ceilinged loggia, framed by a vertical garden. Locals marvel at what Artagão does with once-lowly cassava, now stylishly presented as high-toned aipim (whole fried), farofa (fried meal), mash, or tapioca. Regulars and out-of-towners alike enjoy sampling ingredients from the Amazon, such as tucupi (manioc juice), jambu (a Brazilian guava), and tacacá (a spicy seafood, pepper, and jambu stew).

Continue hundreds of miles south of the main island of Tahiti and you’ll come to the Tropic of Capricorn and the five-island Austral Islands chain. There are plenty of ways to connect to nature here. Take a cue from the locals and join them as they beach-hop and ride bikes through the villages and along the shore (with very little traffic on the islands, biking is a breeze). Then delve into the lush interior of Rurutu island during a horseback excursion. If you time your visit between July and November, you’ll also be able to spot majestic whales in the waters around Rurutu.

Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, which hugs the perimeter of the city, is so popular that the line for the cable car to the top can be longer than a queue for a Disneyland ride. But why stand in line when you can put your feet to use? There are several routes that lead to the top of the 3,562-foot, flat-topped mountain, including the two-mile Platteklip Gorge trail. Yes, it’s steep, but startling views of the city and the Atlantic await. Trek, get hungry, then picnic on local provisions—crackers, Dutch-style Gouda, and biltong, the thick-sliced South African jerky—before riding the cable car back down.

The always-packed third outpost of the much-heralded Uchi (after Austin and Houston) continues the tradition of serving authentic, beautifully presented Japanese dishes in a simple, refined setting. The menu changes four times a year, based on the season, but always includes sushi and sashimi options, makimono hand-rolls, grilled yakimono dishes, tempura, and a six-course omokase tasting. It’s all crafted with products that are sustainably and responsibly harvested, from the fresh produce from local farms to the seafood that’s flown in daily from the Tsukiji and Fukuoka fish markets in Japan. A full vegetarian menu is also available (including for the omokase), as are Sake Social happy hours. Snag a seat at the counter for a front-row view of all the kitchen action.

A neoclassical building in Plaka thoughtfully renovated into a boutique hotel, the ZIllers has ten guest rooms and a rooftop restaurant and bar. The building was designed by Ernst Ziller, a German architect whose work can be seen all around Greece, notably at Athens’ National Theatre, Presidential Mansion, and the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art. The original high ceilings, wood floors, and wrought iron-balconies have been retained and refreshed with a modern minimalist decor. While value priced, rooms with atrium views can be dark and Acropolis views are worth the upgrade. Rates include breakfast served in room or on the rooftop, book ahead for dining at other times as it is popular with locals. The contemporary Greek menu might include shrimp with buffalo milk couscous or sea bass in a dill and lime foam, plus innovative desserts like Greek coffee mousse with olive oil jelly. Location is also faultless, overlooking the Athens Cathedral, and a five-minute walk from Monastiraki or Syntagma Square.

A visit to Hong Kong isn’t complete without a ride on a sampan. Head to the Aberdeen Promenade along the southwestern shoreline of Hong Kong Island and hop aboard a sampan, one of the small local boats operated mostly by elderly Tanka and Hoklo women who hail from the traditional boat-dwelling seafaring community. For the equivalent of about $10 per person, get a 30-minute ride around Aberdeen Harbour, under Ap Lei Chau Bridge, and past the other junks, houseboats, trawlers, fancy yachts, and even giant cargo vessels and cruise ships. For a voyage with a bit more emphasis on sightseeing, try one of the two popular red-sailed junks—the historic 36-passenger Duk Ling and the replica 80-passenger Aqua Luna—that can be boarded either from the Tsim Sha Tsui Piers or Central Pier 9.

This local favorite is known for its global fusion fare and jam cocktails (yep, jam cocktails—surely Queen Elizabeth would approve). Stir blueberry jam into a gin-citrus libation, or warm up with pepper jam and tequila. It’s all so delicious There now has a Denver location as well.

There are certainly flashier beach clubs on Capri, but Torre Saracena is a relaxed place with killer views of the Faraglioni rock formation and a terrific restaurant that locals love. For the beach part of the equation, swim in the transparent aquamarine waters and lounge on the narrow beach of white pebbles or the wooden deck built over the water and set with chairs and umbrellas. For the restaurant part, head to the terrace over the beach. The food there is extraordinary. Try tiny, pepper-flecked sautéed shrimp, cold octopus salad, and pasta e piselli, a comforting mix of basil, peas, cheese, and spaghetti. (To call the food “locally sourced” is an understatement: Beside the kitchen door, some shallow saltwater pools are filled with live oysters, clams, and lobster.)

Chef Daniela del Balzo is full-immersion Roman, and she shares everything she knows at this intimate cooking school on the Aventine hill. For travelers who love Roman or even Neopolitan cooking, nothing beats a personal lesson from a local, and del Balzo will customize each recipe for your palate. A morning lesson includes appraising produce at her market, then preparing and savoring lunch in her nearby home. Learn how to make dishes like fried zucchini blossom, Roman lamb cacciatora, and maritozzi (Roman buns with whipped cream). Reservations required.