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There’s no shortage of great eateries in the New Zealand capital—reputedly Wellington has more cafés and restaurants per person than New York City—and Field & Green is a popular option for the city’s discerning diners. With a versatile menu bylined European Soul Food, it promises ever-changing weekly dishes that could include house-made pasta with wild mushrooms and blue cheese, or baked eggs with spicy lentils and mint yogurt. These hearty but sophisticated flavors are the ideal sustenance for daytime explorations of the city’s harbor attractions, and the good-value, Wednesdays-to-Saturdays three-course supper menu can be partnered with local Wellington craft beers or New Zealand wines.

There’s a reason this Punta Arenas picada (like pica, a term for venues where food is both good and inexpensive) is almost always teeming with locals. Since opening in 1932, the soda fountain has been serving up classics in ways residents and visitors agree is perfect. Patrons sing the praises of the banana milkshake and Roca’s choripanes, sandwiches with housemade sausage. The decor is far from fancy but then, so are the prices. (The entertaining banter between staff and customers about the latest soccer match is included free of charge.)

Set on a hill some 2,000 feet above Papeete, with impossible views of the sea and Moorea beyond, O Belvédère is the place locals take visitors for thrilling sunsets and good food. The restaurant and bar have the air of a tree house—the outdoor terrace is even built around the trunk of a tree. An inviting swimming pool on the hill below and occasional live music add to the already strong appeal. Arrange for a 5 p.m. pickup from your hotel to reach the restaurant in time for a celebratory sundown cocktail. The fondue is highly recommended.

As of May 2018, El Conquistador Resort and Las Casitas Village are closed indefinitely, due to damage sustained during Hurricane Maria.

Situated atop a 300-foot bluff on the eastern tip of Puerto Rico, El Conquistador Resort, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, spreads across 500 acres overlooking the converging waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. A stay at El Conquistador is a transformative experience. Guests can relax at the Eucalyptus steam room, enjoy exotic cocktails while gazing at the El Yunque Rainforest, or even kayak around a private island. Guestrooms and suites are divided into five villages, and feature ocean views, 23 restaurants, an 18-hole golf course, a state-of-the-art aquatic playground/water park for families, and the resort’s private island, Palmino Island, featuring water sports and white sand beaches.

The big advantage of Topo, on the sixth floor of a shopping center on Martim Moniz Square, is its top-level location with views of the castle, Mouraria neighborhood, and more. Outside on the terrace, grab one of the wooden benches and linger over a cocktail accompanied by tasty Portuguese appetizers.

Sicily has a long tradition of puppet shows, and they’re not intended merely to amuse the kids. These are elaborate theatrical works that tell complex stories through beautifully crafted marionettes. Palermo’s International Museum of Marionettes Antonio Pasqualino (its full name) honors the art as it’s performed in Sicily and in other cultures around the world. The 3,500 puppets on display come from Sicily, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia and parts of Africa. You can even watch marionettes in action in a theater on the top floor; check the schedule to see what’s playing during your visit.

In Melbourne, coffee is king. As part of a long love affair with the caffeinated brew, the city has perfected the processes that go into producing a consummate cup of joe, making it one of the best places to hone your own coffee-making skills. Everyone from espresso amateurs to budding baristas are welcome at the Collingwood Coffee College, where the experts behind Proud Mary Coffee lead everything from two-hour introductory courses to latte art lessons and fully accredited barista trainings. If you’d rather just put your taste buds to the test, the school also holds free weekly cupping sessions, during which you can sip your way through a range of seasonal blends.

Of all New York’s boroughs, the Bronx has had the hardest time shaking the reputation left over from darker periods in the city’s history. The South Bronx is not, however, the lawless, crime-ridden neighborhood you might imagine if you have watched too many Al Pacino and Robert De Niro movies of the ‘70s. Adventurous travelers are crossing the Harlem River to visit long-established destinations like the area’s Antiques Row and new additions like the Bronx Brewery. A good way to start or end a day of exploring the district is with a meal at Charlies Bar & Kitchen, a lively local favorite that serves comfort-food favorites like barbecue ribs, burgers, and mac and cheese.

Run by the affable Mauro Lorenzon, himself as much a Venetian institution as his wine bar, Enoiteca Mascareta has been a neighborhood favorite for decades now. It began as a wine bar with some light fare but today serves a full menu, although locals will tell you it’s best to avoid the peak dinner hours and come for the wine before 8 p.m. or after 11 p.m. The wine-by-the-glass menu changes daily and is posted on a chalkboard on the wall, and nearly always features mostly regional wines from northeast Italy, many of which are organic. If you don’t like any of the specials on the wall, a glass from any bottle on the wine list also can be ordered.

If the variety is too much, ask Lorenzon or one of his friendly staff for their suggestion. The food is also very good, and the entire atmosphere is relaxed with a local feel to it. For a true Venetian neighborhood-style drinking experience, this is the place to go.

Wind through the Santa Monica Mountains to Malibu Wines, a grassy garden retreat with gorgeous views for picnicking and sipping wine with friends. The space is accented by Instagrammable features like the metal WINE sculpture that emulates the iconic LOVE sculptures by artist Robert Indiana that are found in cities around the world. Entry is free; just order wine from the farmhouse-style tasting room and enjoy the live music and festive atmosphere on the weekends. (Weekdays are more mellow.) Table reservations, including one inside a vintage school bus, are recommended for groups—but if you’re more flexible, simply bring a blanket and some food, find a spot to spread out on the lawn, and explore the grounds.

Fly fishing may not be top of mind while walking through San Francisco’s Financial District, but fantasies of casting in crystal clear rivers and commencing the day around a campfire are sure to materialize once you step inside Lost Coast Outfitters. The upscale sporting goods store specializes in top-of-the-line fly fishing gear, but shop owner George Revel has an eye for provisions that tug at the inner outdoorsman in all of us, such as indestructible Yeti coolers, leather-trimmed duffle bags from Filson, and classic Simms flannels in timeless red-and-black check. The grand historic Beaux Arts building only adds to the appeal, as does the 300-plus-bottle whiskey collection hidden behind a wall of waders and waterproof booties. Pro tip: Inquire about joining the exclusive Tin Cup Society to gain access to speakers, casting clinics, expeditions, and curated gear packages.

Booze Cooperativa is “a brain hub of tribes and nations in creative disruption.” That certainly sounds like millennial trendspeak, but the Cooperativa—a three-story neoclassical textile mill repurposed in 1989 into spaces for art, music, and people-meeting, and eating and drinking, has been promoting local artists, providing community for artists of all sorts (many of whom co-work, or play chess with their friends, at the six-meter-long—almost 20 feet—table by day), and acting as a nighttime watering hole ever since. Booze isn’t just about booze at all, but you can smoke here—its owner registered the building as a political party headquarters to get around the Greek indoor smoking ban.

This Cuzco corner presents a notable juxtaposition between ancient Incan and Spanish colonial architecture. Since the Incas worshipped their sun god, Inti, above all others, this temple in their imperial capital was the most important of the entire realm. It was here that they brought the idols of all peoples they assimilated, to offer them representation as they demanded allegiance in Cuzco. When the Spanish arrived, they tore down much of the temple and built a monastery on top of it. However, the walls that do remain provide stunning examples of pre-Hispanic engineering, particularly the rounded outer wall that can be seen from Avenida del Sol.

Set on 4,200 secluded acres of hillocks, ponds, and gardens at the foot of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, this award-winning resort, a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux brand, is awash in genteel luxury, from its splendid spa to its exquisitely appointed rooms, suites, and cottages. But make no mistake, the family-owned property takes the “farm” in its name to heart: Its James Beard Award–winning restaurant, The Barn, as well as the more informal Dogwood restaurant, were early leaders in the farm-to-table movement, welcoming guests who come to pay homage to the inn’s self-described foothills cuisine.

In addition to several gardeners, the farm employs its own butcher, cheese maker, and beekeeper, along with a preservationist who makes pickles, jams, and jellies. The staff raise their own sheep, pigs, and chickens, and forage the land for mushrooms, berries, ramps, wild crab apples, and muscadines—which you’ll share at the table with other guests (all meals are included in your stay). Thankfully, a roster of on-site activities—including cycling, wakeboarding, archery, paddleboarding, hiking, fly-fishing, swimming, tennis, and golf—allow you to indulge without feeling guilty.

The choice of whether to build a church following a Gothic Revival or neoclassical design involved more than just aesthetics in 19th-century Québec. The former tended to be associated with Protestantism, and so the construction of the Catholic Basilica of Notre-Dame in that style raised eyebrows. When the St-Jacques Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1852, the architects who designed a new church for the site, the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, opted for the neoclassical style that was more typical of Catholic buildings. Constructed from 1874 to 1895, it is a quarter-scale version of St. Peter’s in Rome, complete with coffered vaults and twisting columns in imitation of those of Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin in the Eternal City. The building’s green copper dome makes a statement, too, looming as it does over the largely Protestant neighborhood. The stucco crucifix by sculptor Philippe Hébert is one of most important works of art in the church.