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Years ago when Mexico City’s southern neighborhoods were in fact small, independent cities, the quarter known as San Ángel Inn was a sylvan getaway for well-heeled urbanites. No longer an inn, the area’s namesake—a former Carmelite convent from the eighteenth century—persists as an iconic, country-club-style restaurant and lounge. Its venerable walls, gardens, and fountains call up colonial gentility and ward away the urban chaos just outside the door; strolling mariachis are the sole “disruption.” Sip what many believe is the city’s best margarita amid an impeccable, songbird-serenaded garden.

This used to be a hacienda, but it was turned into a restaurant almost 50 years ago. The food is phenomenal and the margaritas are famous—in fact, they’re my favorite thing on the menu. There is always a band or a pianist playing.

Casas del Bosque is an award-winning boutique winery just outside Casablanca where, besides tasting the vintages, you can also learn how to prune grapevines or even the basics of wine-making in one-day workshops. You can also tour the estate on bicycle, along with a picnic lunch. If you just want to walk through the vines, you’ll find everything at its prettiest in December and January. Tanino, the Casas del Bosque’s excellent restaurant, has a menu designed to showcase the wine.

Why we love it: A wellness-focused stay where relaxation comes first

The Highlights:
- A staff nutritionist who can create customized menus before your arrival
- Suites with outdoor clawfoot tubs for alfresco bathing
- Yoga mats available in every room

The Review:
If you’re dreaming of making your wellness fantasies a reality, Sanará checks all the boxes. In addition to minimalist white interiors that encourage meditation—or, at the very least, tranquility—the boutique resort offers daily morning and evening yoga sessions, vegan meals made with locally sourced produce, and organic bath products crafted on site. Even the mosquito spray is biodegradable (but don’t worry, the 17 guest rooms have air conditioning). Though there’s no pool on the grounds, the resort is steps from a white-sand beach kissed by lapping waves and dotted with shady loungers. If you’re in need of even deeper relaxation, Sanará’s five serene treatment rooms set the tone for crystal healing, Mayan-inspired remedies, and bio-magnetic therapy, as well as soothing facials and massages.

After a string of personal losses, a writer heads to Tamil Nadu seeking solace from her sorrows. It takes two temples, a palm leaf astrologer, and the driver of a velour-lined taxi to make her feel whole again.

When the neon lights come up in Sin City, everyone comes out to play. A 24-hour destination, there is no shortage of after dark adventures to be had in Las Vegas. Here we present some of our favorite bars, lounges, clubs, and shows in one of the world’s favorite party cities.

The warm, sunny Mission District—with Dolores Park and Mission Dolores as its cultural and physical center—is historically a Latino neighborhood (and before that, Irish). Now bodegas and taquerias sit cheek by jowl with carefully crafted cuisine and locally designed fashion.

From tiffins to appliances, steel is an essential part of most Indian kitchens. Sanath Nagar, a suburb of Hyderabad, is considered the heart of steel manufacturing. The shops are glimmering with anything and everything steel, including dishes, plates, cutlery, containers, and pots. Though unlikely you will return home with a new oven, you can find smaller and easier to pack items like platters and jars. Sanath Nagar is also known for green spaces, so pack a picnic in your shiny new tiffin and enjoy lunch in one of the municipal parks.

Atop towering Cerro San Cristóbal, there are two municipal pools where many families go to cool off during the summer: Tupahue and Antilén. Conveniently, these all have fabulous views of the city below. However, they do come with a price tag of US$12 for the lower-elevation Tupahue, and US$15 for Antilén, which keeps crowds to manageable levels in January and February.

A caveat: You’re not really going to Sanborn’s for the coffee. The regular drip brew is absolutely nothing to write home about, mediocre at best. But the setting and its historic value... now that’s a different story. Sanborn’s is the Mexican equivalent of Woolworth’s, a variety store and cafeteria-style restaurant that seems a throwback to the mid-20th-century. You can find Sanborn’s all over Mexico City, but this one, located in a historic building called “La Casa de los Azulejos” (“The House of Tiles”) is the one to visit. The 18th-century palace, located in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico, is a sight to behold, its entire exterior covered in blue and white tiles from the Mexican state of Puebla. The interior of the building is similarly stunning, featuring mosaics and murals, including some by luminaries such as José Clemente Orozco. The beauty is enough to make you forget that you even came for coffee in the first place.

Here are the best things to see, eat, and experience in the town of Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala.

Dozens of artists from a myriad of backgrounds and cultures—American, Texan, Mexican, Latin American—sell their work at the San Angel Folk Art gallery in San Antonio. The gallery is stocked with paintings, ceramics, paperwork, textiles, glass, and sculpture, and visitors can easily spend the better part of an afternoon viewing the exhibits and browsing the wares. With such a diverse breadth of art, there’s a piece to appeal to every collector’s tastes. Image of tin art by Chris Ake courtesy San Angel Folk Art.

Mexico City has no dearth of luxurious boutique hotels, but Las Alcobas is a special option. Designed by famed firm Yabu Pushelberg, the hotel is full of gorgeous details, from hand-stitched leather wall coverings to a spiral staircase that surges up from the lobby. Upon arrival, guests enjoy a welcome drink as a bellman leads them to their room; explains the technology that controls the light, sound and temperature; and offers them a selection of handmade soaps. Once settled in, they can lounge in plush robes on their goose-down comforters while sampling snacks from the minibar. For a heartier meal, Las Alcobas offers two excellent restaurants. Just outside the hotel’s front door, there’s also Presidente Masaryk, Polanco’s main avenue full of restaurants and high-end boutiques.

In the past few years, Las Terrenas has become a popular bohemian style destination alternative for those you are not into all inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The European expat community has infused an international flavor into the local hotel, b&b, and dining scene. Las Terrenas is a bit over 2 hours by car from the capital Santo Domingo on the new highway. Caribe Tours bus terminal in Santo Domingo has frequent buses to town of Sanchez, and from there one takes a local mini bus to Las Terrenas. This way it can take up to 4 hours. Pueblo de los Pescadores (Fishermen’s Village) is a small area of charming restaurants and bars close to the beach. Years ago, this cluster of new establishments used to be a fishing village. There are still many fishermen who use the area as a base for daily fishing. At night the area is a great spot to try some of the local Dominican cuisine, and fusion restaurants. For a nice breakfast, stop by French-owned bakery El Pan de Antes (Plaza Kanesh on Calle Carmen ) in the center of town for delicious croissants, quiche, bread, and strong tasty Dominican coffee. A small, cozy, romantic bungalow style hotel to stay at is Casa Robinson, located at Calle E Prud’Homme 2, a few steps away from the ocean. The atmosphere of the hotel is wonderful along with great staff and service. At the end of the day, walk along the beach around sunset time and watch gorgeous colors come alive.

Las Ventanas al Paraíso represents the epitome of luxury, with gorgeous, gigantic rooms featuring traditional crafts, handmade mosaic headboards, and classy furniture and accents. Balcony railings are awash in pink blossoms of bougainvillea. Some rooms take amenities further still, with private kitchens and wine cellars, as well as personal butler service. The property is set between the desert and the sea, and common areas, such as pools, have exceptional ocean views. Service is ultra-attentive, as one would expect at this price point, and guests rave about on-site restaurants and dining, especially in La Cava, the resort’s private wine cellar. Concierges can assist with planning a host of excursions and experiences, from cooking classes to whale-watching trips.

Unlike many national parks, San Antonio Missions isn’t just one location. Rather, the park comprises a chain of centuries-old Catholic mission churches snaking along the San Antonio River. A daylong tour introduces travelers to several of these structures and highlights what makes each one unique, from the architecture of Mission Concepción to the aqueduct at Mission Espada. Private vehicles can be arranged for the Mission Trail, but active guests may prefer to follow the Park Service’s map via bicycle. Check your hotel for local bike rentals or guided tour options before hitting the trail, and expect to pedal around 8 to 10 miles.