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San Miguel is known as a community of artists, but to fully appreciate that understatement, every traveler should get closer to the city’s arts community. This village is a place where many have reinvented themselves as the next Picasso or Basquiat. First stop? The art galleries at Fábrica la Aurora, where visitors browse, shopping to add to their collections, with choices from the genres of painting, drawing, and sculpture. Longtime local favorites include Peter Leventhal—whose Rubenesque nudes adorn many a wall across the globe—and his wife, multimedia artist Terra Mizwa; abstract artist Merry Calderoni; and Annie Evans, whose sculptures of devilish women are mesmerizing. Art galleries also abound in the Centro and nearby San Antonio district. Events calendars detail monthly art walks.

If you’re a fan of Chianti—or Italian wine in general—this is sacred ground. Winemaking has been in the Ricasoli family for centuries (some say this is the oldest winery in Italy, and one of the oldest in the world), and it was the 19th-century Baron Bettino Riscasoli—known as the Iron Baron—who invented the formula for Chianti at Brolio Castle in 1872. It’s worth a visit here for many reasons, including the sheer beauty: The castle is surrounded by nearly 3000 acres of valleys and wooded hills, and is home to 580 acres of vineyards and 64 acres of olive groves. The long list of tours and tasting experiences incorporate both the landscape and the history. Choose from a short Classic Tour, with a bit of background and some tastings, or from several options that take you into the vineyards, the ornate castle, and/or the manicured gardens. There’s also an active vineyard trekking experience, a sunset tasting, a private tasting/lunch inside the castle, and a progressive picnic that takes you to three scenic spots.

This cenote’s name, which means “Two Eyes” in Spanish, refers to its two separate pools that lead into a large cavern of incredibly clear water. At more than 40 miles long, Dos Ojos is the largest underwater cave system in the state and among the most popular and adventurous dive spots on the entire Riviera Maya. Snorkelers of all ages are welcome to take in the amazing scenery and gaze at divers as they explore far below. The cenote lies just a few minutes north of Tulum, a little over a mile off the main highway.

If the eyes are the window to the soul, they should be well framed. Choose your new pair from Italian names like Persol and Bulgari, or from the family-run shop’s own in-house designs. Even Pope Francis gets his specs here.

Brandywine is just one of half-a-dozen provincial parks that surround the Sea to Sky Highway like a fir wrap. A trailhead located just 12 miles south of Whistler leads to a 15-minute walk through the mixed hemlock forest to a 200-foot cascade. The falls overview is merely a picturesque appetizer for the fantastic wilderness beyond. The Lava Lake trail provides a marvelous meander through the forest, and if it’s a hot day, you might want to hike all the way to Swim Lake. You can also access the Sea to Sky Trail and head north to the Whistler Train Wreck then hike to the Valley Trail through Whistler and beyond. The park tripled in size in 2010 to fully enclose the habitat of the endangered red-legged frog, so keep an eye peeled for peepers.

The Gold Souq: Located in downtown Doha, next to the central bus station and Al Fardan Plaza, this gold market offers anything from very affordable imported bangles and chains to locally made bridal jewelry sets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most of the gold available is 22-carat, although white gold, silver and platinum pieces are also available. The main attraction of this souq is that the jewelry is strictly regulated and all gold and precious gems sold here are weighed in front of the buyer, and have been previously tested and hallmarked, thus guaranteeing the purity of the metal. The must-buy accessory for tourists and expats is the necklace with the person’s name written in Arabic. These are made in just about every jewelry shop at the souq for a very reasonable price. Needless to say, haggling is mandatory.

Founded in 1979, the mission of this institution is clear—it’s committed to preserving, presenting, and interpreting art created after 1940. Its methods, however, are ever changing. Three distinct venues in the city shine a spotlight on forward-thinking artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Start at the Grand Avenue location, arriving right at the 11 a.m. opening for a chance to contemplate Mark Rothko’s emotional color studies in peace. After exploring work by such artists as Robert Rauschenberg, Joan Miró, and Nijideka Akunyili Crosby (who created the mural that wraps around the building), grab lunch from Lemonade café to enjoy in the Sculpture Plaza. One mile away, the same general admission ticket gets you entry to the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, which opened in Little Tokyo in 1983 after a renovation of a former police car warehouse by Frank Gehry; today, it hosts the museum’s more experimental exhibits. Architecture aficionados should also visit the third location, the MOCA Pacific Design Center, about 10 miles away in West Hollywood. (A fourth MOCA location, called Double Negative, requires much more of a detour—it’s a work of land art by Michael Heizer in the middle of the Nevada desert.) Art talks, screenings, and live music alongside food trucks make MOCA Grand and Geffen as much social venues as they are cultural ones. Pro tip: For an in-depth look at the collections, book the completely customizable educator-led tour (request a couple weeks ahead). For a livelier experience, visit on a Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m., when admission is free.

Pack your bikini and a bottle of cold Ticinese rosé and head to the campanile-spiked hills above Locarno. In Switzerland’s sunny and steep-sloped Italian-speaking Canton Ticino, locals and visitors alike love a bracing dip in the cool mountain water—and there’s no better place to witness this than at the historic Ponte dei Salti (Jumping Bridge), a double-arched bridge across the Verzasca River where bronzed young Ticinese plunge into the river’s lustrous emerald depths. From the city of Locarno, the intense hike to the ancient Roman relic hugs the Verzasca River and passes through chestnut groves, vineyards, fragrant pine forests, and the iconic Contra (or Verzasca) Dam where scenes from the James Bond thriller GoldenEye were shot. If your time is limited, take the 45-minute PostBus to the bridge (included with a Swiss Travel Pass) and walk down. Or take the bus all the way to the end of the road in the Alpine village of Sonogno, where a jade-colored waterfall pool, the river’s source, awaits.

The popular Gros Islet Fish Fry, also known as the Jump Up, is one big neighborhood party. The narrow streets of Gros Islet fill up with locals and tourists by 7 p.m., and by then the food shacks are busy: Hungry patrons shout out their orders and wait impatiently as the seafood steams and fries. While you wait for your food, grab a seat at a picnic table and throw back some Piton beers. Dance it all off after dinner as DJs blast soca, reggae, and international music. Whether you’re a dancer or not, stop here for your Friday dinner and some Saint Lucian vibes.

Chullpi is a top choice for haute cuisine Peruvian-style. Its chefs insist on Cuzco-adjacent ingredient sourcing that supports local economies, at the same time keeping traditional dishes like cuy (a regional guinea pig species) relevant through contemporary iterations. The flavors are fabulous and the presentation winningly incorporates local history, such as using a serving dish carved to look like the circular terraces at Moray or presenting a pressed guinea pig on skewers over a small fire made of palo santo, a local incense. Portion sizes can be small—the perfect excuse to order more.

A 40-minute drive from Dubrovnik, past panoramas of the Adriatic and green Konavle fields, brings you to this fertile valley, the region’s agricultural backbone. At Đivanović Mills, you can learn how flour was milled 500 years ago. Follow the forest path to the nearby restaurant of Konavoski Dvori for a taste of their famous trout dish and for the cool breeze off the Ljuta River. (Calling the mill in advance is recommended.)

Most people recognize Eugene, Oregon as the home of the “Oregon Ducks” because of the sports programs at the University of Oregon. But Eugene is so much more. Take for instance the Inn at the 5th, a luxury boutique hotel built and owned by the Obie Company who developed the 5th Street Public Market next door. The hotel reminds me of the “Little Engine That Could” an endearing 1930’s children’s book teaching the value of hard work and optimism. And the Inn at 5th presents those core values to guests in a stylish and polished package.

The Great Wall of China runs more than 21,000 kilometers (over 13,000 miles), not as one continuous wall but rather as fortified wall sections. Some of the sections date back more than 2,500 years, though only 8.2 percent of the existing wall is original. The Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the more accessible portions. Hike (because that is what you’ll be doing, even on the wall itself) up the Great Wall, then slide down the side of the mountain on a toboggan. Alternatively, explore the Simatai Great Wall, which retains a more authentic feel—save, of course, for the fake water town at the bottom. Even more remote is the Jiankou section, which is largely unrestored, so book with an experienced group like Beijing Hikers or Wild Great Wall.

One of Canada’s most iconic hotels, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is cradled by the Rocky Mountains, its grand, castle-like structure surrounded by towering peaks and the pristine, protected wilderness of Banff National Park. The hotel was founded in 1890 by Cornelius Van Horne, the general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who envisioned creating a refuge for “the outdoor adventurer and alpinist.” What began as a one-story log cabin ended up helping to kick-start tourism in the Canadian Rockies, launch the Canadian mountaineering scene, and draw a host of notable names to the region, from Marilyn Monroe to Queen Elizabeth II.

Today, guests arrive in a grand lobby outfitted with imposing chandeliers and sweeping staircases. Common areas are decorated with old-timey photos from the hotel’s past, while the 552 spacious rooms and suites are all about showcasing views of the stunning turquoise lake and snowcapped Victoria Glacier. There are plenty of activities to enjoy year-round, from canoeing, hiking, fishing, rafting, and horseback riding in warmer weather, to skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and snowmobiling in the winter. In between, savor everything from European alpine dishes, authentic Italian fare, and Canadian comfort food to a large selection of bourbons and whiskeys at the seven dining outlets, or head to the spa and health club for a pampering treatment or dip in the indoor heated pool.

On the west side of Arenal Volcano, this 900-acre tropical reserve was a labor of love for owner and architect Jaime Mikowski, who spent years planting acres of native plants and coaxing the land’s natural mineral springs into a river that now flows throughout the property, spilling over into dozens of waterfalls and pools that range from 72 to 105 degrees. Spacious rooms have marble floors and streamlined furnishings; splurge on a suite, which features a private terrace and a Jacuzzi tub—a little superfluous considering all the other options for soaking in warm water here, but who’s complaining? There are also five swimming pools, one with a swim-up bar and waterslide, and a spa comprising 12 bungalows with treatments that all include, you guessed it, a dip in a thermal spring-fed tub. While the property is also open to day trippers, guests of the resort have exclusive access to Shangri-La Gardens, an adults-only lounge area with pools, cabanas, and a folliage-filled bar.