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The Mercado Agrícola de Montevideo is a must-see for both architecture- and culinary-minded travelers. The majestic cast-iron structure is one of the most elegant buildings erected in the early 20th century in Montevideo. And while the Mercado del Puerto has been converted to a home for upscale restaurants, the Mercado Agrícola remains a working market. A walk through its food hall provides a chance to sample the best of Uruguayan produce as well as sauces, jams and sweets. The market also regularly hosts musical performances.

Elevate the normally mundane experience of shopping for medicine-cabinet basics like soap and toothpaste with a visit to one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. In this 13th-century chapel with early Renaissance frescoes, Gothic carved wooden cabinets, and crystal chandeliers, most items are still crafted according to formulas originally created by Dominican monks. A small museum displays equipment once used to make Santa Maria Novella products, as well as a collection of beautifully painted ceramic jars that held the herbs and powders. Linger a little longer in this fragrant world by ordering a pot of herbal tea or a small glass of one of the historic liqueurs in the tearoom.

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.

“For those folks who enjoy camping, Hix is the Four Seasons. And for those who stay only at the Four Seasons, at Hix they will think they are camping.” So goes the saying of the owners of Hix Island House, located on remote and beautiful Vieques Island. Puerto Rico’s first sustainable lodging facility, the hotel caters to guests who know that going green and living luxuriously are not mutually exclusive. Rooms come with See Design bedding as well as Frette robes and towels. Solar panels provide power, and wastewater from each room supplies the lush gardens. Canadian architect John Hix is responsible for the hotel’s striking concrete exterior, which stands in stark contrast to the surrounding hills, yet provides guests with both privacy and sweeping views out to sea.

Also known as the 36 Streets (though it’s made up of more than 36 streets), this neighborhood is a warren of alleys and lanes that was, according to some legends, home to 36 artisans’ guilds; streets here were named after the artisan items that were once sold on them (Hang Bo was the location for bamboo products; Hang Ma was where paper objects were sold). Each road today still specializes in a particular category, with some still related to the traditional item. Streets especially popular with tourists shopping for souvenirs, as well as those in search of photo opportunities, are Hang Bac (silver goods, now also filled with gift shops), Hang Ma (religious paper wares, then and now), and Hang Dau (oil products, though currently a center for shoe vendors). Among these timeworn businesses, visitors will also encounter outlet stores selling Gap, Banana Republic, and North Face clothing—some authentic and some fake. The quarter is also packed with hotels, hostels, restaurants, and bars, making it a busy destination at all hours.

Despite multiple trips over countless years going to New York City, it wasn’t until a year ago today that I encountered this sandwich — the one that left me drooling until I could enjoy it again. Katz’s quickly went from a one-stop place for me to a traditional stop, regardless of my city plans. Katz’s Delicatessen is located in NYC’s Lower East Side and has been a proud resident since 1888. That fact alone should be enough to persuade you to pay it a visit. While there may be many options for food, the only thing I ever ordered is the pastrami on rye. It’s thick-cut, perfectly seasoned, stack of meat with mustard on rye. Did I mention I don’t even like mustard? This is the only sandwich where I will eat it. Served with a side of pickles, you really can’t go wrong. I convinced a visiting group from California to try it as I was enjoying mine when they claimed seats nearby — and they agreed with my impression of this NYC staple (4 of their 6 party members had ordered this sandwich) Be warned: I have yet to visit the deli when it isn’t packed full of people, so don’t plan on this being a quick stop. The lines may be out the door, and it may feel like chaos inside (think sardines in human form), but once you start eating you will forget any of the “trouble” had while waiting. The best way to order is to fall in line, don’t be shy, and talk to those behind the counters. They’ll share their stories and give a free taste while you wait. Don’t forget to tip them!

At the eastern end of Stradun, Sponza Palace survived the great 1667 earthquake and is a rare example of the Gothic–Renaissance style in Dubrovnik. Formerly used as customs house and storage, as well as the Republic’s mint and armory, Sponza today is home to Dubrovnik National Archives. The rooms around its open-air atrium host an exhibit of copies of the Archive’s most relevant documents, some as old as the 11th century. The Memorial Room of Defenders from the 1990s conflict pays a powerful tribute to the victims of the town’s recent war.

The Riviera Maya’s most beautifully styled adventure park begins with a reception area inside a natural cave. Tours here include Latin America’s highest zip lines over the tropical forest, amphibious vehicles you drive through caves and jungles, and swimming and rafting through underground rivers. Though Xplor is a family-friendly attraction, it may be better suited to teens and adults because of the physical activity required. If you don’t have all day, book Xplor Fuego, the nighttime admission: Temperatures are cooler, torchlight adds an exotic touch, and you soar over the trees by moonlight.

One of the most luxurious Western guest ranches, opened in 2005, Paws Up Montana, in Greenough, sprawls over 37,000 acres of classic Montana landscape: elk-filled meadows, rocky peaks, and ponderosa pines in the Blackfoot Valley, with the river of the same name running through it all. The most sought-after accommodations are the “glamping” tents on the banks of the Blackfoot or along Elk Creek that are available May through October and organized into five separate camps, taking just six guests each. The camps combine a Western lifestyle with an African safari formula: canvas suites with private baths, a communal dining pavilion with fireplace and fire pit, private camp chef, and butlers to help organize guest activities. Families and friends who prefer four walls between themselves and nature stay in enormous wood-and-stone villas with heated hardwood floors, fireplaces, leather furniture, huge flat-screen TVs, and panoramic windows; some of these homes come with outdoor hot tubs and tented bedrooms for kids.

All guests have the opportunity to hike, rappel, canoe, play paintball, take cooking classes, and more, but the main action is on-site fly-fishing and horseback riding for all levels on 100 miles of private trails or in a 23,000-square-foot equestrian arena; adults and kids 12 and up can help move small herds of Black Angus cattle on sample stock drives. If parents want private adventure time, kid wranglers entertain young’uns. In the evening, communal entertainment takes place in a renovated barn that serves as stock sales venue, dance floor, and movie theater. Despite the busy activity menu and flow of golf carts transporting guests to and fro, the ranch is large enough, and accommodation so widely spaced that guests can survey the landscape and not see anyone.

Charco Azul, in the north of the island in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, is one of the most well known swimming holes on the island, and accessible by a short path from the parking area. The hole is 15 feet deep in places, and ideal for swimming while enjoying the small waterfalls that feed into it.

The beauty of the island doesn’t get more mesmerizing than this! Bring lunch and plan to stay for a while.

Note that the bathrooms have not been repaired post Hurricane Maria.

A Hawaiian fantasyland on Oahu’s more remote leeward coast, about 40 minutes from Waikiki, Aulani is so seductive—for all ages—that many guests are loath to leave the property at all. And who can blame them? The beach is an idyllic cove (albeit a man-made one) stocked with kayaks, boogie boards, and everything else little beach bums could want. Then there are the three pools, including one for adults only and one filled with tropical fish for snorkelers-in-training, two impressive waterslides, and the biggest crowd-pleaser of them all, a 900-foot-long lazy river where guests, big and small, splash around on inner tubes as they meander around a faux-rock grotto. Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, and the rest—all in their vacation outfits—make occasional cameos at the breakfast buffet or by (sometimes, in) the pool. But while Aulani is most assuredly every kid’s dream, it is not every parent’s nightmare. The resort decor is more traditionally Hawaiian than obnoxiously Magic Kingdom; the lobby is built to recall an old canoe house, on a grand scale, and is covered in murals, painted by local artists, depicting island life. Hawaiian storytellers gather around a fire pit at night, and rooms have warm woods, with a single subtle reference to the Mouse King—a wooden carving of Mickey with a surfboard and ukulele that doubles as a desk lamp. Perhaps best of all, the Aulani has an outstanding, supervised kids’ club that’s free to guests ages 3 to 12. Babysitters are available for kids as young as six weeks old.

The most important public building in the time of the Ragusan Republic, the Rector’s Palace was home to Dubrovnik’s ruler during his one-month mandate, the period when he was separated from his family to focus solely on matters of state. An inscription above the doorway to the meeting room says it all: “Forget your private concerns when working for the public.” Today, the magnificent Venetian-style palace is a cultural history museum.

Old San Juan is known for its atmospheric and historic hotels, but none quite match the Gallery Inn for personality and creativity. Composed of six intertwined town houses, this endlessly fascinating hotel beckons guests to wander through its nine interior gardens and patios, and seven parlors and porticos. Dating to the mid-1700s, the oldest building, La Cueva Del Indio, is located above Old San Juan’s north walls, meaning the views out to sea are the same ones that captivated the conquistadors.

Owner Jan D’Esopo, is a well-known sculptor and her works dot the hotel’s meandering interior, which has enough comforts and homey character to avoid feeling like a museum. Equally unique are the 25 rooms, decorated with everything from silk screens and watercolors to sculptures and paintings. Some even feature elegant, four-poster beds and balconies with views of the ocean. Just don’t expect to watch TV—one, there are no TVs, and two, the views out over the old fortress walls are better than anything on Netflix.

True, it’s not much to look at, inside or out, but this humble shop produces the best handmade sandals in all of Puerto Vallarta. Samples of the various styles of leather sandals, or huaraches, hang on white pegboard; choose one you like and try it on for size. If it doesn’t fit, don’t worry; the resident zapatero can make a pair custom fitted to your feet.

When famed chef and restaurateur José Andrés opened this Mexico City restaurant in 2015, it was his first franchise outside of the U.S. and Puerto Rico. J by José Andrés is located inside the W Hotel in the upscale neighborhood of Polanco, and the interior design would be a satisfying experience even if the food wasn’t absolutely fantastic. All reds and yellows and just short of over-the-top elements (e.g. dozens of tassels) evoke Spain and bullfighting, but in a way that’s totally contemporary and delightfully playful—much like Andrés himself. (If you really want to play, there’s a foosball table in one of the rooms in the restaurant.) Thankfully, the food is fantastic, too. Like the decor, the menu evokes Spain, with classic recipes like ham croquettes alongside dishes that incorporate Mexican elements. Think traditional paella, but garnished with squash blossoms.