Bacalar sits on the tranquil shores of Laguna de Bacalar in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico, and has been a meeting place for people and cultures for centuries. Its name comes from the ancient Maya phrase Sian Ka’an Bakhalal, meaning “where the sky is born,” a reminder of how deeply this place figures in regional history and identity.

This is the most Moorish part of Portugal, the rich plain south of the Serra do Caldeirao, scalloped by the beaches and headlands of the Algarve. It is where, in early spring, blossoming almond trees carpet the still-brown hillsides with drifts of snow-like flowers, and the plain white facades of little houses are topped by intricately pierced chimneys that look like ice-cream cones.

Symi, a charming island in the Dodecanese, Greece, offers a picturesque escape with its striking neoclassical architecture and vibrant Mediterranean colors. The town of Symi, a designated protected cultural heritage site, is renowned for its beautifully preserved pastel-colored mansions that line the harbor.

Liberia, republic in western Africa, bounded on the north by Sierra Leone and Guinea, on the east by Côte d'Ivoire, and on the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean. Liberia has an area of 99,067 sq. km (38,250 sq. mi.). Liberia was founded in the early 1800s by freed American slaves. Monrovia is the capital and largest city.

Guadeloupe's major center is Pointe-à-Pitre, a conglomeration of old and new buildings clustered around the bustling harborside market. Pointe-a-Pitre is Gudeloupe's most popular city--explore the beaches of Grand-Terre and the French fort ruins and volcanic mountaintop of Basse-Terre.