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The combination of ecological beauty and fragility in these unique islands makes them worth visiting—and protecting.

Tracing the life of a Portuguese poet becomes a way into the local culture.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we went back in the AFAR archives to honor some of our best storytellers.

Here are 10 of the very best Cuba cruise options, covering all styles and sizes, durations (from quick hits to full-on immersion), and budgets—so hop on board, the mojitos and cigars are just a sailing away.

Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean, has no shortage of postcard-perfect shores, from family-friendly snorkeling spots to standout black-sand beaches.

Strolling sandy beaches, fishing deep waters, watching the sun go down with a margarita in hand:

Rahawa Haile grew up surrounded by the beauty and kitsch of South Florida. Now she returns and wonders what happens when the places we love start to disappear.

We’re looking forward to checking in to these 10 new hotels in the new year.

In Portugal, novelist Charmaine Craig searches for the ghost of her hero, goes on a high-speed chase for delicious pork, and ponders the mystery of a writer’s trunk.

Before she lost her to cancer, an AFAR editor spent five days in Rome with her mom, learning how to live a fuller life.

On the gritty industrial outskirts of Milan, Miuccia Prada, Rem Koolhaas, and Wes Anderson have dreamed up the contemporary home of Fondazione Prada.

AFAR chose a destination at random and sent writer Danielle Henderson on 24 hours’ notice to a casino capital with hidden charms.

While traveling to Portugal, I decided to plan about five days on Madeira Island. Madeira has been called “The Pearl of the Atlantic” because of its lush beauty. When we arrived, I could see just why this little bit of heaven was given that title. The abundance of gorgeous flowers and foliage, the bright blue sky, the clear shimmering sea all added up to a stunning visual treat. There are so many things to do and see there. You can sail, swim, surf, fish, or dive. There are informative museum, city and island tours. When you think of Madeira you also think of hundreds of flowers, the world renowned Madeira wine, toboggan rides, and fresh seafood. We made Funchal, the capital, our home base. Funchal is said to be the cleanest city in Europe. We visited the Chafariz Plaza and the flower stalls. The women flower sellers wear the traditional regional dress and sell a huge variety of tropical native blooms such as Bird of Paradise (the island’s symbol), roses, orchids, and lilies. I enjoyed the visit to Blandy’s Wine Lodge (founded in 1811). It is located in the center of Funchal. The historic tour took about an hour as we were shown the process of making Madeira wines. A visit to Camara de Lobos where Winston Churchill painted showed us a small peaceful fishing village. I mentioned toboggan rides. Well,the Monte Toboggan is a one mile ride (10 minutes) as you glide down in a wicker basket on wooden slats. You’ll love this striking island. info:www.madeira-web.com

This square is located in the oldest and one of the most typical neighborhoods in Lisbon. Yes, typical houses, old cafes, and grocery shops can still be found here. If you hear hollering out a window, don’t worry, probably it’s just someone calling a neighbor, it isn’t a fire; it’s just how things are done in the daily life of the Alfama locals. If you’d like to know more about Fado (Portuguese folk singing), visit Fado Museum. If you feel like trying to sing it, just choose one of the narrow streets and look for an old tavern. In these taverns, after some cups of aguardiente (Portuguese brandy), everyone sings Fado—usually Fado Vadio (sung by non professionals) or Desgarrada (between two singers, improvising verses that tell a fun story). Don’t expect great voices, as probably everybody is out of tune!

A Ginjinha was the first establishment in Lisbon to commercialize the drink called Ginjinha. Ginjinha is a liqueur made with ginja berries, aguardiente (Portuguese brandy), sugar, water, and cinnamon. Francisco Espinheira, a Galician friar of the Church of Santo Antonio, put together all these ingredients, and the result was this sweet and very good liqueur. In Óbidos, the drink is served in chocolate cups, about the size of shot glasses. (They make a very nice gift.) You can eat the cup after drinking the liqueur, or just pour more into the cup. Before having a drink, visit São Domingos Church. It’s worthwhile.