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Why we love it: A beachfront getaway with low-key vibes and high-design interiors

The Highlights:
- A cash-free policy that makes trips to the ATM virtually unnecessary
- The open-air La Popular restaurant and its chipotle-pineapple margaritas
- Regular talks and workshops led by local practitioners

The Review:
Tulum has gone from backpacker’s paradise to jetsetter’s getaway in just a few decades, but some of that gypsy spirit endures at Nômade. The beachfront property comprises 35 palapa-style casitas and tented suites, each featuring hippie macramé hangings, antique rugs, cozy beanbag chairs, and woven hammocks. Moroccan tray tables, lanterns, and poufs dominate the public spaces, which include a thatched yoga shala, a Bedouin-inspired meditation tent, and Macondo restaurant, where you can catch a live DJ set after sampling vegan fare and Yucatán specialties sourced from local fishermen (the chili stuffed with soft shell crab is a standout). Dinners are served at a communal table carved from a single tree trunk, offering equal amounts of physical and spiritual nourishment.

This casual, open-air restaurant sits above an untouched stretch of Laguna Beach—and capitalizes on that beautifully. Floor-to-ceiling windows encircle the dining room so it appears to be floating above the ocean, all the better to watch the sunset while eating hand-shucked oysters and sipping Rum for Your Life cocktails. Chef Rainer Schwarz’s menu centers around seafood, prepared with a range of international influences—Spanish octopus is grilled with chickpea puree and zahtar, and lobster stars in a spaghetti carbonara. The spot draws a stylish crowd not just for dinner but also weekend brunch, with a must-try version of eggs Benedict (made with Berkshire ham and blood-orange hollandaise, plus steak or crab). While waiting for a table, sidle up to the Stateroom Bar, the former home library of Old Hollywood actor Slim Summerville, for artisan libations heavy on fine bourbon and whiskey. Pro tip: Locals know best, and they can’t get enough of the whole fried branzino, served with roasted shishitos and ponzu sauce.

Interior designer and owner Denis Roy eschewed the palapa-inspired elegance employed by so many Costa Rican resorts in favor of a tropical take on European influences—Victorian architecture, French colonial touches, and Grecian columns among them—creating a resort like no other on the country’s west coast. Owing to its vantage point 1,100 feet above the entrance to the Gulf of Nicoya, the views of the rain forest, ocean, and sunsets are stunning, especially from the infinity pool. Rooms in the main building are fairly basic, but suites and villas offer more luxurious touches, such as Jacuzzis, private ocean-facing terraces, and plunge pools. The property has its own beach (with sun beds, showers, and a snack bar), but since it’s at the bottom of a steep hill, the resort provides hourly transfers. Retreat to the open-air yoga studio, then head to the bar atop the Greek amphitheater to linger over a martini at the nightly sunset happy hour.

The first thing guests notice as they approach the 600-acre Rio Perdido ecolodge is a large wood-and-steel rotunda that, from a distance, resembles a flying saucer, an award-winning design that houses the resort’s open-air restaurant, bar, and spa. The bungalows are just as stylish: 30 prefabricated cubes are suspended on seven pylons (no trees were cleared during the building process) and feature an airy, modern aesthetic, with twin rolling beds, brass fixtures, and terraces with hammocks sited for gentle breezes. Larger suites are moodier and more romantic, with walls of singed wood and volcanic-stone floor tiles. Soak in the property’s natural springs, which are heated by the activity of nearby Miravalles Volcano, then choose your own adventure. If you’ve worked up an appetite hiking, tubing, or canyoneering, the restaurant serves satisfying Costa Rican casados (rice dishes) and ceviches, which guests can arrange to enjoy from a platform that sits 160 feet above the river that gives the property its name.

Spain takes its food seriously. After all, it’s the country that gave birth to El Bulli and, as of 2015, has 169 Michelin-starred restaurants (11 in Madrid alone). So it comes as no surprise that a top hotel on a main boulevard in the capital should be home to one of these temples to gastronomy, the two-Michelin-starred Santceloni. But the Hotel Hesperia Madrid doesn’t content itself with just a world-class restaurant. No, this sleek retreat—decorated boldly by some of Spain’s top designers, including Pascua Ortega, Erico Navazo, and Mercedes Gonzalez López-de-Carrizosa—is devoted to the best of contemporary Spanish dining, with a total of three acclaimed restaurants and a sultry scotch bar attracting the most discerning palates in Madrileño society. In between decadent meals—and exploring the ritzy shopping and myriad sights just outside the hotel’s front door—work up an appetite at the open-air gym up on the rooftop, yet another of the Hesperia’s claims to fame.

Though not really a tropical island, the indoor resort called “Tropical Islands” outside of Berlin makes for a great (albeit unusual) day trip. Located inside a former Soviet air hanger, the building has been converted into a biosphere with a tropical climate. Inside the resort there is an artificial beach, swimming pools, saunas & a spa, water slides, a small rainforest and even a hot air balloon! To get there with public transporation, you can take a Regional Express train from central Berlin. Trains leave every hour toward Cottbus (depart at Brand-Niederlausitz). It takes about 50 minutes. From the train station, Tropical Islands offers a free shuttle bus for the 5-minute journey to the resort. If you buy tickets at the door, admission to the Tropical World or the Tropical Sauna & Spa complex is 34.50€ for adults and 27€ for children age 6-14. A Kombi-Ticket is valid for both areas and costs 39.50€ for adults and 27€ for children.

The hot-right-now Fierro Hotel bills itself as the ‘Hotel for the Gourmand,’ and it’s no wonder - the boutique hotel is famous on the foodie scene for hosting special events like ‘One Table,’ the biweekly TFIF Happy Hour brings in the talent of celebrity bartender Fede Cuco, and - drum roll, please - resident chef Hernán Gipponi and his restaurant were recently recognized at the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2013. To see what Gipponi - who honed his craft at Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain - can do, come for the nine-course modern Argentinian tasting menu, or splurge on his classy weekend brunch.

Standing in Plaza Congreso, you might find yourself staring up at the Moulin Rouge-like windmill adorning an Art Nouveau building on the corner. Approaching the door, you’ll see it’s covered in cobwebs - this architectural landmark, once a glamorous cafe where politicians had coffee and tea between meetings, has been abandoned for years. Confiteria El Molino (‘el molino’ means ‘windmill’) has been closed since 1996, though local activists keep pushing to fund its restoration. So far, it hasn’t happened, and the fairy tale-like building on the corner adds an eerie ghostly feel to the busy urban intersection.

Tucked away on the second floor of a courtyard building in the residential Recoleta neighborhood, the shoe store Comme Il Faut is a magnet for tango dancers. Customers provide their shoe sizes to cheerful saleswomen, and stacks of shoeboxes—in every color and heel height—emerge from the back.

Built in the 1920s by a Croatian businessman, Palacio Astoreca underwent two years of refurbishment and restoration before opening its doors as a boutique hotel in 2012. The work was carried out to a meticulous degree, maintaining the original parquet floors, and adding splashes of color with art deco furniture and modern art, including one piece by Switzerland’s Frédéric Clot. The stucco-and-brick mansion rises up from the streets of Chile’s port city, Valparaíso, like a piece of red-and-white confectionary.

A statement staircase winds up to the 23 rooms, some of which have stand-alone bathtubs. And the basement level is home to a small spa with an open-air, wood-fueled hot tub set alongside a living wall. The reception level and entrance hall open out onto a terrace where lunch, tea, and cocktails are served, allowing guests prime views over the hilly city and Pacific Ocean. There are quiet corners for those seeking a solitary moment, including a library and a piano bar, which comes to life in the evenings with live music.

One of the top properties in southern Bali, the Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay is laid out like a Balinese village that tumbles down to the sea. Villas are separated into clusters of 20 to 25 thatched-roof units enclosed by a courtyard wall, making the 156-accommodation property feel more intimate. Modeled after regional homes, they’re adorned with local artwork, traditional textiles, and hand-crafted furniture. Daybeds, private plunge pools, and ocean views are among the amenities, as are offerings such as lavish spa treatments, hands-on cooking classes, and twilight yoga. The resort is even home to a historic temple and shrine, which guests can tour with high priest Aji Ngurah. After a day of exploration or relaxation, there’s no better way to unwind than by enjoying a cocktail on the deck at modern Asian restaurant Sundara, where fire pits warm the air and waves provide the background music.

Mission Dolores Park, aka “Dolo”, is one of the most popular parks in San Francisco, especially when the sun is out, since this neighborhood is known for being one of the sunniest in the city.

On a sunny weekend, you’ll be hard pressed to find a patch of green to plant yourself on, but that’s what makes Dolores Park so much fun. Yes there is a playground for kids, and basketball and tennis courts, too. But the real sport here is people watching.

You’ll hear music booming between dog barks; people toss footballs, tightrope walk, and fling their Frisbees. Bodies slathered in oil glisten in the sun; ice cream melts down the arms of laughing children; the whiff of cut grass (and other questionable varieties) linger in the air. Vendors will also come around to sell a variety of snacks and drinks, and you’ll also encounter people collecting your cans after they’re empty.

The abundant restaurants and markets in the area (Bi-Rite and Tartine are two popular ones on 18th street, just a block from the downhill portion of the park) make make it easy to pack a picnic and fuel your day out. All you need to do is bring a blanket, plop down on a hill where the views reach to downtown, and chill out San Francisco-style.

Dolores Park is named for Miguel Hidalgo, a priest in Dolores, Mexico who urged his countrymen to overthrow their Spanish rulers in 1810, sparking Mexico’s battle for independence. A statue in his tribute stands in the center of the park.

There is never a dull moment at Covent Garden, a labyrinthine open space peppered with restaurants, vintage markets, craft stalls, and independent boutiques. There is festivity in the air. This is compounded by singers, magicians, and miscellaneous street artists performing at every corner. Explore the rich history of the area by visiting the London Transport Museum or the Royal Opera House. Pick up a unique gift at The Apple Market, which boasts of a variety of quirky craft stalls. For lunch, head to one of Leicester Square’s numerous al-fresco restaurants.

One of my favorite dive sites on the west coast of Puerto Rico is Crashboat in Aguadilla. This shore dive is easily accessible for all levels of diving, and you’re guaranteed to see something amazing on this artificial structure. Crashboat is named for this once Air Force based marina, where the “crashboats” would deploy to retrieve the crashed planes from training sessions of Air Force pilots. It was later abandoned and turned into a recreational area for locals and dive enthusiasts. Scout the pilings for seahorses, frogfish, octopi, and lionfish. At maximum depth of 30 feet, find a sunken base where bigger fish like to hide. Bring your flashlight to scope out the interior. Not a diver? No problem. Enjoy the sandy beaches, reggaeton music, and aromas of delicious Puerto Rican food all day long. One entire side of this recreational park is lined with street vendors selling food, handicrafts, and drinks. Want that true Puerto Rican vibe? Want to see how the locals relax on a weekend? Crashboat is your place. But if you’re not interested in the crowds, come here in the morning on a weekday. I dive here regularly, and I avoid crowds by diving early. Enjoy!

The most famous remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall gets its name from its location on the east side of the Spree River, as well as from its collection of political and satirical murals. Originally painted just after the wall fell, the murals were repainted (or in some cases painted over) in 2009 as a way of cleaning up the increasingly decayed originals and in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall. Today, a fence partly protects the gallery to prevent vandalism of the murals, but people throng here nonetheless, especially in summer. A museum at the site tells the fascinating story of the structure through interactive displays, original newsreel footage, and filmed interviews with Berliners who lived on both sides.