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A visit to Little Water Cay offers the best chance of spotting the endangered Turks and Caicos rock iguanas that were once prolific throughout the islands. Local conservation efforts at this small islet have helped revive their population. Two boardwalks allow visitors to take an easy stroll and look for the lizards. You can visit Little Water Cay as part of an organized boat trip, or simply rent a kayak and paddle there from the Leeward Marina area on Providenciales. There is a visitor center on the island where you can pay the admission fee.

Nestled on a side street off Telok Ayer in Chinatown, this unassuming 40-seat restaurant with exposed-brick walls and funky local art earned a Michelin star in 2017 for its creative and very modern Australian fare. The ethos is simple: straightforward ingredients and surprising presentation. Take the signature Duck & Waffles—confit duck smothered in a spicy caramel sauce on top of crispy waffles. The wild venison with wasabi and zucchini is something wonderfully different, and so is the cuttlefish roasted pigeon. Beets with goat cheese, barramundi with leeks, and funky desserts like coconut with laksa-leaf ice cream make an indelible impression on foodies who think (and eat) outside the box.

While filming And God Created Woman here in 1956, French superstar Brigitte Bardot made Ramatuelle’s Pampelonne Beach a summer icon. Today, the beach and neighboring St. Tropez continue to draw celebrity jet-setters like Elton John and Kate Moss, who arrive in luxury cars and yachts to see and be seen on 100-euros-per-day loungers at Le Club 55. More adventurous visitors can tour the coast with a pair of wheels from Vélorama, or a kayak or stand-up paddleboard from Pep’s Spirit (which may be the smarter choice given the endless traffic along the local roads).

The Reykjavík Art Museum comprises a trio of buildings that have been constructed around the collections of three of the city’s most famous artists: the painters Erró and Jóhannes Kjarval and the sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson. The museum often exhibits other works (contemporary art, paintings, sculptures, installations) by established local and international artists as well. Erró’s work is showcased at downtown’s Hafnarhús, which is the most central spot and offers the biggest range of temporary exhibitions. The Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum and the Kjarvalsstaðir museum are worth visiting not just for the rich examples of their namesakes’ works but for their lovely gardens also.

Smart tourists shamelessly copy locals. Westpunt, or Bándabou in Papiamento, is the Curaçao native’s go-to beach escape. Follow the road lined with giant cacti to the turquoise waters that are the turquoise-iest you have ever seen. (Beaches this beautiful warrant the making up of new words.) Playa Kenepa, also known as Kleine Knip, is probably the most stunning of the beaches: Its natural beauty is totally untouched, except for a few mobile vendors selling fried pastechi stuffed with Gouda cheese. Head to the cove at Playa Lagun to check out the coral reef, and get ready to don geeky snorkeling gear at Playa PortoMari.

According to local legend, this little hideaway off Pine Island inspired Jimmy Buffet to write his famous “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” To get to the 100-acre Cabbage Key, take a private boat or water taxi from Pineland Marina. Then, head straight to this charming restaurant, where you can sit by the marina for Gulf shrimp cocktail, Key lime pie, or, you guessed it, a cheeseburger. Paradise found, indeed.

Oro enjoys the dual honor of receiving a Michelin star in a new phase of its history as well as during a new phase in the career of its chef, the famed Felipe Bronze. In this second version of Oro—the first iteration was a source of much delight—Bronze has added a twist to his notions of avant-garde cooking, using foreign textures and flavors in conjunction with local traditions. There are two tasting menus: Creativity, which features main courses, and Affectivity, which is just snacks and sweets, served without utensils. You may also want to go a little crazy when it comes to recommendations from the sommelier, who is none other than Bronze’s wife, Cecilia Aldaz, originally from Mendoza, Argentina, and a noted expert in the field.

Located a few steps away from the Ponte Vecchio in what was at one time a medieval palace, this restaurant serves a traditional menu of dishes made with regional ingredients. Their beef is sourced from a farm in the Maremma countryside and the wine list highlights Tuscan producers. Even the restaurant’s name is a nod to the local culture—orafo means “goldsmith,” and this neighborhood was where gold workshops were once located. Start with Tuscan white beans drizzled with olive oil, with a serving of fennel salami, then move on to the pasta course. (The taglierini ai piselli freschi, pasta with fresh peas, is particularly good in season.) For dessert, try the pear slow-cooked in wine or cantucci cookies dipped into vin santo, a strong sweet wine.

Did you know that only 25% of French people buy their cheese from a fromagerie? And of that 25, only 3-4% go to an affineur (cheese refiner). Both are the sad realities of a dying tradition in France of sourcing provisions from neighborhood artisans. Young affineur Baptiste Yapar doesn’t let the disheartening takeover of corporate food business dull his passion. The firebrand cheese master focuses his energy on running his shops Au Coeur du Marché (at the Marché d’Aligre) and educating the public. At La Cuisine Paris cooking school, he takes a small group through a complete background of cheese (it didn’t begin in France!), methods of production and the various designations and families of cheeses available. A copious tasting of 7-10 different cheeses (with wine) follows the contextual debut and is, as my friend and I agreed by the end, the closest thing approximating cheese heaven on earth. It is a fascinating two-hour experience that will not only inform how you consider the nuances of cheese in the future but will have you excited to seek out your nearest independent cheese shop for more.

There isn’t much to do in Laborie, but the colorful spot on the southwestern coast offers visitors the experience of an authentic St. Lucian fishing village. The point is to slow down to local speed. Enjoy the views of the white-sand shore lined with pirogues, the traditional fishing canoes. Walk around the village, where plywood homes and ancient churches exist alongside newer structures. Whet your appetite with a trip to the open-air market, where you’ll spot green figs (bananas) and cassava bread for sale. Settle in for a grilled lobster lunch with a side of breadfruit at Mama Tilly’s. Then walk north along the water to Rudy John Beach Park, a shaded stretch of sand ideal for an afternoon nap and sunset.

Also called the Party Zone, this block along Cancún’s main boulevard pulsates with lights, music, and gaudy signs inviting partyers into nightclubs lining the street. From smaller open-air clubs like La Vaquita and Congo, to internationally renowned nightspots such as Dady’O and Coco Bongo, this strip was once just for spring breakers but now features shopping centers, restaurants, and markets that draw in locals and low-key tourists for walks on the not-so-wild side, too. For late-night snacks before or after the clubs, peek into El Callejón de los Milagros, an alley behind Dady’O, once seedy, now replete with souvenir shops and restaurants serving up authentic tacos and other Mexican favorites.

San Sebastián is a bike friendly town: bike paths (called bidegorris) run through the entire city, and locals gather several times a year to cheer on professional cyclists that pass through in droves. It makes sense, then, that there are several bike shops in town. Miner is one of the oldest, family-owned yet still totally relevant thanks to the newest generation that is at the helm. Everything a modern biker could want: single speeds, Adidas Country kicks, Fuga cargo bags, bells and bike seats in every color and pattern...it’s impossible to enter and not feel inspired, even if you don’t have a bike. Make sure to check out their selection of vintage style jerseys, downstairs.

The Grand Hotel Tremezzo has been the summer home for Europe’s jet set since opening in 1910. Over the past five years, the Como-based De Santis family, which has owned the lakefront hotel since 1975, has ushered the grande dame into the modern era by building eight rooftop suites, expanding the spa, and adding a hammam. Marble bathrooms and champagne-stocked minibars make the rooms feel fit for aristocrats, but the hotel is far from buttoned up. Guests can splash around in one of three pools, including one that actually floats on the lake. Locals join guests at Saturday beach parties. From $420. This appeared in the October 2015 issue.

Though primarily known as a family-friendly resort, this beachside getaway is equally popular with kid-free travelers who love the location, service, and long list of amenities. Tucked among the hills of the Son Tra Peninsula, overlooking the East Sea, the resort is home to 197 guest rooms and 22 suites, each with modern Vietnamese-inspired decor, an oversize bed, and a rain shower; suites and villas also have indoor/outdoor lounge spaces, butler service, and in some, private pools. (Another reason to upgrade: Suite and villa guests have access to a dedicated airport lounge, complete with mini-spa.) If you do have little ones in your party, drop them off at Planet Trekkers, the signature children’s club, where activities encourage cultural connection through workshops, arts and crafts, and outdoor playtime. Adult fun can be found by the pool, in daily diversions like tai chi classes, and at the award-winning Harnn Heritage Spa, where holistic treatments complement the Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio, created by French celebrity pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez. The resort’s dining and drinking spots include La Maison 1888, the domain of Michelin-darling chef Pierre Gagnaire, and Buffalo Bar, where you can top off a perfect day with vintage bubbles and hand-rolled cigars. Three UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located a day trip’s ride from the resort—that is, if you can tear yourself away.

Take a hike into the cool confines of an underground cave system on Middle Caicos Island. Conch Bar Caves is the largest nonsubmerged system in the region, featuring a type of cave that is created by the karst process in which rain water slowly erodes subterranean channels through limestone. Exploring the interior will reveal chambers with tidal pools, rock formations, and four species of bats. Some instances of graffiti within the caves are over a century old, left by guano miners during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Visitors must hire a local guide to enter the caves.