Coquimbo is a historic port city on Chile’s north-central coast, where maritime tradition and everyday life revolve around the Pacific.

Palm Beach, located on Aruba’s northwest coast, is the island’s most famous stretch of sand: a two-mile ribbon of soft white shore lined with turquoise waters and a lively resort scene.

Nature is never far in Helsinki. Locals swim in the sea, walk forested trails, and gather mushrooms or berries all within city limits. One popular local habit is heading to the sauna, and the city offers several open-to-the-public options. Löyly, located on the waterfront, combines traditional wood-burning saunas with a sleek, modern design. In winter, visitors can even pair a sauna session with a quick dip through a hole cut in the ice for an experience both shocking and strangely calming.

Gijón sits on Spain’s northern coast in Asturias, shaped by its long relationship with the Cantabrian Sea. From its origins as a Roman settlement to its later growth as an industrial and port city, Gijón has balanced maritime work with civic life.

Uyuni, in southwestern Bolivia, is best known as the gateway to the world’s largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni. Once a humble railway town, Uyuni has grown into a base for travelers drawn to this surreal landscape, where an ancient dried-up lake has left behind a vast expanse of glistening salt crust.