Valle de Viñales
A 120m-long painting, 4km west of Viñales village on the side of Mogote Pita. Leovigildo González Morillo, a follower of Mexican artist Diego Rivera,…
Must-see attractions in Americas
Sand Island State Recreation Area
Honolulu
A barely visited half-mile ribbon of sand hides in plain sight from much of Honolulu. Industrial Sand Island, sitting between the airport and the port, is…
Ayacucho
This former Inca stronghold was once considered the geographical center of the Inca empire. It was believed to have been a city constructed in the shape…
Lake Tahoe
DL Bliss State Park has the western shore's nicest beaches at Lester Beach and Calawee Cove. A short nature trail leads to the Balancing Rock, a giant…
El Petén
This ruin, deep in the jungles of Laguna del Tigre, has several important Classic-period structures and stelae. Carvings here have led archaeologists to…
Santo Domingo
The lush grounds span 2 sq km and include vast areas devoted to aquatic plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, palm trees, a Japanese garden and much more…
Kings Canyon National Park
More than 15,000 sequoias cluster in Redwood Canyon, making it one of the world’s largest groves of these giant trees. In an almost-forgotten corner of…
Puerto Maldonado
This dock close to the Plaza de Armas is a cheap way of seeing a little of the action on a major Peruvian jungle river (the Río Madre de Dios), which is…
Reserva Natural Laguna de Joyuda
Puerto Rico
The heart of Playa de Joyuda's 300-acre Reserva Natural Laguna de Joyuda is a sizeable saltwater lagoon with a depth that rarely exceeds 4ft. The…
Arequipa
If Arequipa’s cathedral seems too big, an interesting antidote is this diminutive Jesuit church on the southeast corner of the Plaza de Armas. Proving…
BC Sports Hall of Fame & Museum
Vancouver
Inside BC Place Stadium, this expertly curated attraction showcases top BC athletes, both amateur and professional, with an intriguing array of galleries…
Québec City
Part of the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site and open in summer, this park along the Old Upper Town walls was chosen as the site for 18th…
Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de Manantlán
Western Central Highlands
A 1396-sq-km swath of the jungle-clad limestone mountains northwest of the city of Colima is protected by Unesco as critical habitat. It is certainly…
Amazonas
Zacambú is one of the closest reserves to Leticia, about 70km away by boat. Its lodge is on Laguna Zacambú, just off Río Yavarí, on the Peruvian side of…
Colorado
With more than 100 railroad engines, a 500yd looping track, cabooses and rolling stock, as well as paraphernalia and regalia, this is a must-stop for…
Nova Scotia
Big Tancook Island (population 120) is a 50-minute ferry ride from Chester's government wharf. Settled by Germans and French Huguenots in the early 19th…
Carriacou
Getting here is a bit of a mission, but Anse la Roche is an idyllic stretch of soft sand backed by bush and flanked by headlands. Protected by cliffs,…
Los Angeles
Architecture fans gravitate to the block where Eric Owen Moss has turned a worn-out industrial compound into a hub of avant-garde architecture. Start with…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Radical ideals in the form of distinctive buildings make beloved SF landmarks; this standout 1894 example is the collaborative effort of 19th-century Bay…
St-Martin & Sint Maarten
This 1st-floor museum is the brainchild of makeup artist Nick Maley, whose role in creating Yoda of Star Wars fame garnered him the nickname 'That Yoda…
Philadelphia
This major historical building is the birthplace of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church and is the oldest piece of real estate continually owned…
Santiago de Cuba
While it's not as swanky as its modern Bermuda HQ, the original Bacardí factory, which opened in 1868, oozes history. Spanish-born founder Don Facundo…
Indiana
Founded in 1842, the University of Notre Dame is often touted as one of America's prettiest higher education campuses and its Fighting Irish football team…
Tabasco
Though most monuments from La Venta are at Villahermosa’s Parque-Museo La Venta, this ancient Olmec ceremonial site still fascinates as the largest and…
Cuernavaca
Opened in 2018, this contemporary art museum is comprised of off-white cubes squatting a few blocks west of the zócalo. Temporary exhibits have included…
New Hampshire
A traditional Shaker community from 1792, Canterbury Shaker Village maintains the Shaker heritage as a living-history museum. Interpreters demonstrate the…
New York City
Set in an 1899 brick building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, this distillery uses New York grain to create some mighty smooth craft spirits. Come on a 45…
Indiana
The Dunes, which became the USA's 61st national park in 2019, stretch along 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Swimming is allowed anywhere along the…
Kentucky
The largest producer in Kentucky, Heaven Hill makes Evan Williams, Elijah Craig and Larceny. There are two ways to immerse in the scene. The Mashbill Tour…
The Oriente
Near Limón Indanza, 112km southwest of Macas, a trail leads to the extensive Coangos cave system, where there are multiple caverns spiked with stalactites…
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Built in the early 1940s to provide power for America's industrial needs during WWII, Fontana is the tallest dam east of the Rockies. At 2365ft wide, it's…
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago
A world-class leader in technology, industrial design and architecture, the IIT owes much of its look to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the famed mid-century…
Sur Chico
The 80-hectare Parque Punta Curiñanco, 35km northwest of Valdivia in Curiñanco, is a unique piece of Valdivian rainforest featuring four types of…
Cochabamba
If you haven’t already had your fill of Simón Patiño’s legacy in Oruro and Cochabamba, you can visit Villa Albina in the village of Pairumani and tour the…
Caribbean Coast
On the north side of the lake, between Río Dulce and El Estor, this tourist spot is in an incredibly beautiful jungle setting. Here, a wide, hot waterfall…
Sucre
Next door to Sucre's cathedral, this museum holds one of Bolivia’s best collections of religious relics. There are four sections, ritually unlocked as…
Bryce Canyon National Park
The overlook at Swamp Canyon sits in a forested dip between two ridge lines that extend into the canyon as fins, dropping to hoodoo formations. From the…
Huaraz & the Cordilleras
In a scoop of a valley 8km above Huari and just inside the Parque Nacional Huascarán, this idyllic lake is well set up for day excursions, but is…
Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine
Malibu & Pacific Palisades
No matter your religious persuasion, any negative vibes seem to disappear while strolling through these uplifting meditation gardens. Paths meander around…
Joshua Tree National Park
Old West history buffs will delight in the 90-minute ranger-led tour of this ranch named after its builder, William Keys. He and his family built a…
