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Long lunches on sun-dappled terraces, wine tastings in rolling vineyards, dinners created around the freshest possible fish: The Dalmation Coast is blessed with a bounty of local products – peppery olive oil, Istrian ham, artisan cheeses, and of course the seafood – and the perfect setting to enjoy them in.

If you have the cash, chances are whatever you’re looking for can be found in Barcelona. Luxury shoppers can max out their plastic on Passeig de Gracia. Hipsters can search for indie designs in Raval, Gracia and Borne. Foodies will love mom-and-pop style bakeries, charcuteries and cheese shops. Bargain hunters can barter for second-hand steals at Els Encants, or hop a bus to La Roca Outlets for deals on high-end brands.

You can find the best of the best in Milan. Whether you’re in the market for iconic and hand-tailored Italian suits, fashionable bicycles, or a ballet flats, there are artisans and boutiques in this city that will present you with treasures. And design? From haute couture to interior, industrial, and architectural design, some of the world’s most amazing designers, homegrown and international, have set up shop in Milan to showcase ingenious products and style. Come to the market and prepare to be knocked out.

Start by seeking out the country’s beer-brewing monks.

A journey into Morocco’s Berber territory, where tradition and modern life meet.

A compelling reason to be in Cape Town on a weekend morning (especially Sunday, if you want to eat your way through the food-focused Oranjezicht City Farm Market, too) is the dynamic Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in up-and-coming Woodstock. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., hip locals and tourists alike weave their way through what can only be described as an abundance of all things artisanal—edible, wearable, and otherwise. The most jam-packed part of the market is usually the massive tent lined with vendors specializing in mushrooms, bread, paella, pizza, honey, cakes, cheeses, and craft brews. It’s a veritable smorgasbord, so wear your stretchy pants, and work it off afterward by strolling the other section devoted to micro-merchants selling baby moccasins, brightly colored swimwear, offbeat home accessories, recycled brass jewelry, and more.

The Artisan, inside the Stonebridge Inn, serves modern American cuisine, using locally sourced ingredients in a refined and relaxed setting. Sound pretty much the norm? The Artisan is blessed with a charming setting: There’s a lovely stone fireplace in the main dining room and then, up some steps, bar seating and tables in a solarium with mountain views. Outside the solarium, deck seating means dinner with fresh-air mountain views. Set the tone for a great meal by ordering the grilled artichoke heart appetizer, garnished with a truffle aioli and lemon zest. The recommended entree: a New York strip steak, topped with a bourbon, peach, and cherry salsa, and served with cashew rice and scallions.

Artesanías de Chile is a joint effort between the Chilean government and over 2,000 artisans from north to south to support their craft with three stores in Santiago now: Bellavista, Moneda Government Palace, and SCL Airport. The pieces are unique and made with first class quality ranging from hand-thrown clay pots (greda), ornaments made with “crin de caballo” (horse tail), Mapuche earrings and weavings, alpaca shawls, and wooden bowls among others. Every sale directly supports the artisans along with government initiatives to train them in their craft. Bellavista 357, Bellavista Phone: 56 (2) 2235 2014

For the arrival of Peninsula Hotels in Europe in 2014, many millions of euros were lavished on an Avenue Kléber landmark a cobblestone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe. Born in the Belle Epoque as the Hotel Majestic, the historic property where George Gershwin wrote “An American in Paris” was transformed by the country’s finest artisans—including the company of tassel-makers who decorated the Paris Opéra.

At Mopa Mopa in Oranjestad, local handicrafts aren’t just souvenirs—they’re decorative art. The gallery specializes in carved wooden figures, crafted lovingly in the traditional mopa mopa, or barniz de Pasto, style. To finish each piece, artisans paint them with vegetable dyes and resin-based lacquer, making for one-of-a-kind keepsakes. Visit the gallery to shop and speak with the artisans themselves, who will gladly answer questions and demonstrate their intricate techniques.

Peru hotly contested a UNESCO recognition of Mexican food as cultural heritage, arguing its cuisine was equally worthy. While diners wait for that second designation to be made, they can drop in at San Miguel’s La Parada—literally “The Stop”—and enjoy a local taste of the Andean nation. Owner Juanito is best known for his ceviche—seafood cured in citrus juices—but also offers Los Fresquitos, coastal dishes served tapas-style; romantics should order the arroz afrodisiaco, accompanied by an artisanal Peruvian cocktail, such as the most authentic pisco sour in town. Visitors dining in large groups often go for the whole tapas menu.

Pueblito Los Dominicos, an artisan village in eastern Santiago, is named after the church bearing the same name. This quaint center offers many quality handicrafts, from leather goods to lapis jewelry, Mapuche silver, and textiles. The setting is picturesque and if the hunger overcomes you, there are tasty empanadas de pino (beef empanadas) to hold you until dinner. Apoquindo 9085, Las Condes (Metro Los Dominicos)

Not far from Kelowna driving along Lakeshore Drive and passing aging vines of lush with grapes for harvesting, sits the goats of the Camelis Alpine Goat Cheese Artisan. Exiting the vehicle you hear the playful singing of goats in the distance sensing the arrival of someone new. On a fall day the blue Okanagan Lake and the autumn colours create a visually robust cornucopia and you can’t do anything but drink it in. The gift shop is similar to an old fashioned western candy store as the entire building is a converted farmhouse. To my right is a display of local olive oils and vinegars. To my left is an enticing display of house made goat cheese gelato and before me is an array of goat cheeses that I didn’t know existed. From goat cheese with delicious ribbons of mouldy blue, a goat cheese that mimics a camembert and a yogurt cheese ideal for spreading there is a cheese to match all tastes. Open from May 1st - October 31st.

Pescheria Mattiucci is a fish store by day that transforms itself into a small standing-room-only restaurant a few nights of the week. Mattiucci is an old family operation, but this place is the brainchild of a young son, Luigi Mattiucci. Luigi speaks to me from behind the counter as he preps plates of fish. “There’s a tradition of eating raw fish in southern Italy,” he says. “But it wasn’t a restaurant thing. It was something fishermen did because they couldn’t store all the fish they’d caught.”

He passes me a plate of raw red shrimp with the heads still on, slices of Sicilian tuna, and some amberjack, all of it topped with only a spray of lemon juice and some thick grains of sea salt.

Mattiucci has expanded his family business, which began as an outdoor fish stall in the Quartieri Spagnoli. (Everything artisanal in Naples seems to originate from there, probably because only a poor neighborhood like that could supply the child labor that was the foundation of old-school artisanal culture.) Mattiucci expanded from that original location into this store in posh Chiaia and also bought fishing boats in Sicily so they could eliminate the middleman. He serves me a dish of baby calamari stuffed with friarelli, a distinctively Neapolitan bitter green. Then he offers me a sample of a new dish: the same seafood stuffed with sprigs of spring vegetables, just now in season. Mattiucci, I realize, is someone who’s taking an artisanal approach to the very traditional, and non-artisanal trade of fishmongering. He’s already expanded his restaurant to London and Milan, but Naples is still where he cooks himself. “The fish is freshest here,” he says.

After a cotton krama, a colorful lacquered elephant by the artisans at Theam’s House has become the must-buy Siem Reap souvenir. Cambodian artist and designer Lim Muy Theam was the creative director of Artisans d’Angkor, the organization responsible for the revitalization of traditional arts and crafts in Cambodia, before leaving to open his own crafts atelier and art gallery in his beautiful home. Theam exhibits his own art in the gallery space near the entrance, and shows exquisite objects he has collected, from Buddha statues to antique musical instruments, in the small salas and main showroom. Most visitors are here to buy Theam’s modern takes on traditional Cambodian arts and crafts, including lacquerware, painting and sculpture. Wander through the various rooms and you’ll see artists and artisans at work out the back, doing anything from painting canvases to carving. Amongst other things, they’ll be painstakingly painting and sanding the elephants that have become Siem Reap’s must-have souvenir. Avoid buying the bad copies you see in the market - not only are these poor quality reproductions but they represent a loss of income to Theam and his artisans. Theam now has a couple of shops and his objects can be bought from other stores, but it’s a real joy to visit Theam’s House, where you might just find the artist at home. Tip: it’s tricky to find. If your tuk tuk driver doesn’t know it, call Theam’s House and they’ll explain or they’ll send you a driver.