Lagos sits on the southern edge of Portugal’s Algarve where a lively old port town meets wide Atlantic skies. Just a short stroll from the heart of town, the coast drops away into a spectacle at Ponta da Piedade, where golden sandstone cliffs rise out of the Atlantic and have been shaped into stacks, natural arches and grottoes over millennia. At the top, the Ponta da Piedade Lighthouse watches over this dramatic shoreline and offers a great backdrop for photos as the sun sets into the ocean.

Ragusa, located in southeastern Sicily, is a city steeped in history and Baroque beauty, often overlooked but truly a gem for travelers seeking a unique and authentic Italian experience. Divided into two distinct parts—Ragusa Superiore and Ragusa Ibla—the city showcases a dramatic contrast between the new and old.

Stretching over 4,200 kilometers along the southwestern coast of South America, Chile is a country of dramatic contrasts and hidden surprises. From the world’s driest desert in the north to the icy fjords of Patagonia in the south, Chile offers a landscape that constantly reinvents itself. Visitors can walk through the Atacama Desert, where NASA tests Mars rovers, or gaze at the clearest night skies on Earth from the high-altitude observatories near San Pedro de Atacama.

Zion National Park, located in southwestern Utah, is known for its massive sandstone cliffs, narrow slot canyons, and unique desert ecosystems. Established in 1919, it was Utah’s first national park and continues to attract visitors with its dramatic elevation shifts and striking rock formations. The park’s most iconic feature, Zion Canyon, stretches for 15 miles and reaches depths of up to 2,640 feet, carved over time by the Virgin River.

Rarotonga, the vibrant heart of the Cook Islands, offers visitors a chance to experience island life with striking scenery and rich tradition. This volcanic island is only 32 kilometers around, making it easy to explore by scooter or bicycle in a single day. From the lush mountains of the interior to the lagoon that wraps around the coast, Rarotonga feels intimate but never short on discovery.