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Overshadowed by its larger and more well-known cousins, Palenque and Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal (“Oosh-mahl”) is the ruins of an ancient Maya city located near present-day Campeche. In its heyday, Uxmal was one of the largest cities of the Yucatan peninsula with a population of about 25,000 Maya. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ancient Maya architecture in this part of Mexico is referred to as Puuc architecture, and Uxmal is a prime example of this style. Though there are some Puuc structures in Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal is unique in all of Mexico. Puuc design is most notable for buildings with a plain lower façade and a richly decorated upper façade. Carvings most commonly found include serpents and latticework. Uxmal is dedicated to the Maya rain god, Chaac, and you can see his image everywhere. On the day we were here, it was blisteringly hot and humid; I could’ve used some rain! When I first laid eyes on the four buildings that make up the complex known as the Nunnery Quadrangle, I thought they were the most elegant Maya ruins I had ever seen. The clean lines of the buildings give them a modernity that is surprising considering Uxmal was built more than 1,000 years ago! The carvings on the upper facades are just spectacular and give the entire structure a very delicate feel. Uxmal is located close to Chichén-Itzá, so if you go to Chichén, consider going a bit further to visit Uxmal. You won’t regret it!

We’ve all been there. You get back from a trip and you’re desperate to describe to your friends that life-changing sunrise, to explain how impossibly charming that little cafe was - to casually upload a striking photo album to Flickr or Facebook that will leave your co-workers in awe. But you realize with disappointment, as your photos upload to your computer screen, that your captured images just don’t do justice to the place. Foto Ruta aims to banish the boring vacation album - in fact, this street photography organization isn’t about producing an album at all, but promotes the concept of taking pictures as a way of ‘creative seeing.’ If you’re a pro with a digital SLR and a backpack full of lenses, let the guides lead you to some of the city’s lesser-known intersections with the half-day street photography excursion. If you’re just an inexperienced iPhone-toting traveler, no problem - Foto Ruta offers the innovative ‘iPhoneography’ excursion that helps you harness your phone’s built-in technology and improve your technique while discovering some of Buenos Aires’ edgy street scene. Adventurous types like the Saturday tour, a scavenger-hunt style photo workshop and self-guided tour that ends with a the group coming back together, looking at each others’ photos over a glass of wine. Like the best travel experiences, it’s a moment you can’t quite describe later - regardless of how beautiful your photos turn out.

We kicked off our Marrakesh holiday with a visit to Maison MK’s Gastro MK restaurant for its five-course tasting menu. The riad‘s Moroccan chef cooks up a delicious, visually stunning Moroccan-French fusion menu whose highlights included fried quail eggs perched atop an almond and chicken pastilla, and an exquisite asparagus and tomato tart. Dinner begins with canapés on Maison MK’s rooftop terrace and moves downstairs for meal service. Feel free to take your mint tea or coffee up to the terrace to end your evening and enjoy nighttime views of the Koutobia Minaret. Reservations are a must, as there is a single dinner seating and space is limited for those not staying at the riad.

Possibly one of the most recognized malbec wine labels by the American market, Bodega Norton is one of Mendoza’s most prolific wineries. Founded in 1895 by the Englishmen Edmund James Palmer Norton, the winery has grown significantly under its Austrian management since 1989. Each year, Bodega Norton continues to garner serious accolades for its wines and talented winemakers. During the harvest season, Bodega Norton offers a variety of experiences for wine lovers to get their hands dirty in the vineyard. You can harvest the grapes, picking them off the vine and tasting the flavors of the different grape clusters. You can also choose to be a winemaker for the day, creating your own “blend” of wine, combining varietals and discovering their aromas, textures and complexity. Both experiences require 24-hour advance reservation. Ruta 15, km 23.5, Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza; +54 261 490 9700

Make time to stop at the boutique winery La Azul for a tour with the winemaker and lunch at their parrilla-style restaurant right next door. You’ll enjoy the hospitable service, gourmet cuisine, and spectacular views. Pair your meal with a bottle of Azul Reserva, which is a blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon that’s been aged for 15 months in French and American oak barrels. Ruta 89, Camino a Tupungato, Tupungato, Mendoza; +54 0262 242 3593

Bodegas Salentein is one Mendoza’s oldest, largest, and most famous wineries located in the Uco Valley. The 5,000 acres of land where Salentein sits was once cultivated by Jesuit missionaries. Bodega Salentein strives not only to carry on the Jesuit tradition of winemaking, but also preserving a spirit of service to the community in which it operates. The winery’s stunning architecture is built in the shape of a cross. Its inspiring design is enhanced by the cultural and spiritual offerings on property. Bodegas Salentein’s cultural center, Kilka, exhibits a permanent collection of Argentine art and classic 19th and 20th century paintings by Dutch artists. The Kilka Gallery showcases contemporary artwork from various international artists that are available for purchase. An absolute must-see is the winery’s Gratitude Chapel, which was built as a tribute to nature using sustainable materials and a rural stonework technique native to the area. Posada Salentein is a an exclusive estancia located on the winery grounds that has 16 double rooms, an outdoor pool and a cozy fine dining restaurant that’s open to the public. Wine tastings are held among Bodegas Salentein’s 5,000 french oak casks in the wine cellar, where classical music events are also performed. Winery and art tours must be reserved in advance (Tuesday-Sunday). Ruta 89 S/N, Km 14, Los Árboles, Tunuyán, Mendoza; reservas@killkasalentein.com; +54 0262 242 9500 ext. 3200

Finca de Las Lechuzas specializes in horseback winery tours through the scenic vineyards of Agrelo in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza. You can choose a morning, afternoon, or evening ride with a gaucho guide. The tours take you through the stunning countryside visiting 2-3 wineries with tours and tastings in each. There is also an option of lingering for an afternoon winery lunch. Some of the wineries you can visit include Viña Cobos, Decero, Belasco de Baquedano, Septima, Ruca Malen, Melipal, Cruzat (sparkling wine), Norton, and Terraza de los Andes. You can also nibble on homemade goat cheese with a visit to the goat farm Casa Cortegoso. Ruta 7 and Costaflores, Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza; +54 261 562-8223

El Dorado is a favorite in Salinas. The seafood is fresh and plentiful, and the menu boosts some unique twists on classic Puerto Rican dishes. This restaurant is located along the Ruta Gastronomica which has many restaurants each with their own special “mojo” sauce used to create delicious fish specials. Not into fish? That’s okay, there is plenty more on the menu!

If you want to try Puerto Rico‘s take on seafood, then this is a perfect place to experience it!

You don’t have to be a guest at El Fenn’s hotel to relish the eclectic surroundings of its gallery and boutique—all ruby red tadelakt around a gleaming silver bar, with a chest-high fireplace and a trompe l’oeil of strutting pink flamingos. As spaces go, it’s a work of art in and of itself. Put it on your list for lunch, dinner, or drinks so that you can also delight in the frequently changing exhibits of contemporary Moroccan and international artworks. Recent highlights featured a showcase of the best of Essaouira art naïf painters and the late, great photographer Leila Alaoui’s moving portraits entitled simply The Moroccans. Peruse the boutique for a carefully curated selection of made-in-Morocco housewares, fashion, and gift items by local designers and artisans before heading upstairs for a long, lazy lunch of market-fresh salads and grilled meat and fish served family style on the rooftop. If it’s too cold for dining alfresco, grab a perfectly crafted negroni from the bar and snag a spot by the fire for an intimate tête-à-tête.

Guavate, a section of Cayey better known as the Ruta del Lechon (“Pork Highway”), bursts into a rush of food-infused ecstasy every Friday and Saturday. People from all parts of the island come to watch someone roast a whole pig over the open fire before chopping it with a machete. Side dishes abound. I recommend sorrullos (corn sticks), bacalaitos (cod fritters), alcapurrias (fritters made of plantain dough and stuffed with meat), and rice with different types of beans. The blood sausage is not for me, but my father and boyfriend devour it every chance they get. Here in the mountains, shacks of all sizes let you pick your poison—beer, piña colada, or mojito (made from lime, mint leaves, rum, and sugar)—and drink to the beat of salsa and reggateon music. This creates the euphoric atmosphere for which Puerto Ricans are so famous. The cherry on top of the piña colada: Guavate lets you absorb the laughter, music, and food for a reasonable price. If you want the pig, but not the rambunctiousness, take your food to El Yunque National Forest and eat it by a waterfall (see my “Swimming Under a Hidden Waterfall” highlight). To find it, get on Luis A. Ferre Expressway, take the exit toward PR-184, and follow the signs for Guavate. You’ll start seeing pork soon after you take PR-184, but wait about fifteen minutes (until you’re around km 27) before you stop to get all the real action.

We hung out at La Biznaga Restaurant a few times while in Oaxaca. We ate dinner there twice—the main courses were a bit too big, so I’d steer anyone who’s asking toward the delicious appetizers. They’re also open all afternoon and they have interesting beer on tap and a good selection of mezcals. They make a crazy spicy michelada. They’re on García Vigil 512, near Santo Domingo.

Just down the street from where we stayed in Oaxaca there was a mezcal bar called Mezcaloteca. It was staffed by one woman, very studiously sharing her love of mezcal. She poured us a tasting of three different mezcals into the little gourd cups: an espadin, a madrecuixe, and a tobala—all different agave plants, different producers. She told us how to warm up our mouths with the spirit, how to rub a little bit between our fingers to get the aromas. She didn’t need to tell us how to drink it; that we knew. Reforma No. 506, Col. Centro, Oaxaca de Juárez, C.P. 68000

Set deep in the jungle—about an hour from Cancún and far from the usual beaches and resorts—this adventure park boasts the region’s most impressive ziplines, designed for daredevil travelers in search of real adrenaline rush. Fun-loving guides glide heels-over-head through exuberant foliage along each circuit, from canopy-rope courses and traditional ziplines to a bungee swing and Superman-style flying above the tree line. You can even book packages that include a swim in a nearby cenote, complete with high-dive platform, or a (be forewarned, very dusty) ATV ride.

This museum is housed in a restored 18th-century mansion and contains the private collection of pre-Hispanic art of Oaxacan artist Rufino Tamayo. He collected these objects on his travels through Mexico, and he wanted to be sure that this heritage remained in the country and that it be on display for the general public to see and appreciate it.

Tamayo selected the pieces based on their artistic, rather than archaeological, value. The exhibits are not grouped in chronological or geographical sequence but rather according to overarching themes. The collection contains around one thousand pieces, all of them interesting, but a few of them are exquisite, such as a ceramic model of the Mesoamerican ball game.

Txakoli. It’s not as hard to say as it looks, and it’s really easy to drink. This slightly fizzy white wine is unique to the Basque Country and is made (officially, at least) from the local Hondarribi varietal. Many of the bodegas in the D.O. Getariako are open for public visits, and some of them will even prepare you a mini feast to accompany the wine while you feast your eyes on the gorgeous scenery.