Chile's premier beach resort is only 10km north of Valparaíso, and is popularly known as the Garden City because of its manicured subtropical landscape of palm and banana trees. Horse-drawn carriages trot past attractive turn-of-the-century mansions on both river and beach frontages. Other attractions are the white-sand beaches, numerous parks and notable museums housed in restored mansions. The town is also the home of Chile's national botanical garden, comprising 61 hectares of native and exot
Vieques Island is found in the northeastern Caribbean, roughly 8 miles east of the Puerto Rican mainland. Its beaches are commonly acknowledged as some of the Caribbean's best. The Bioluminescent Bay is especially alluring given the undeveloped nature of the island.
Brasília may be a World Heritage Site, but it is only of interest to town planning and architecture students, and those keen to witness the folly of man on a metropolitan scale. It must have looked good on paper, and still looks good in photos, but in the flesh, forget it. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, urban planner Lucio Costa, and landscape architect Burle Marx, the city was built in an incredible three years between 1957 and 1960.