A tiny village with two miles of pure white sand and fabulous conditions for swimming, Uvita might become your favorite place in Costa Rica. It's part of the Marino Ballena National Park (Whale Marine Park), named for humpback whales who meet and mate here every winter and spring. Take a boat ride to Caño Island, a nature reserve with incredible marine life.

Families with kids of all ages will love this mountain village, located just two hours from Panama City. Whether you’re up for active sports such as hiking, biking, horseback riding and ziplining through the rainforest—or sightseeing adventures such as the El Nispero Zoo and Serpentario (a snake habitat), you’ll find it here. El Valle de Antón is home to the world’s second-largest extinct volcano—but you’ll still find more modern pleasures here, such as its well-known Sunday Market and elegant spas such as Casa de Lourdes.

Named the "quintessential New England village," the town of Woodstock is chock full of charming Americana, including a covered bridge smack in the center of town and a village green surrounded by restored Georgian, Federal Style and Greek Revival homes. Spend a day wandering under the shade of 400-year-old hemlock trees at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and then revitalize yourself at Sugarbush Farm, where you can taste maple syrup or 14 varieties of cheese for free.

Ogunquit's three-mile stretch of beach is one of the longest in Maine, and also one of the least rocky. The water may never warm up, but it's pristine, and this quaint New England town's attractions make it a perfect, picturesque seaside destination.

Elko brings the drama of the high desert to vivid reality with its unspoiled nature, its breathtaking vistas on the rugged beauty of the Ruby Mountains and its rich Western history. Whether hiking the rocky trails, taking a chance at one of the casinos, visiting one of the museums or taking a tour to see firsthand one of the area’s many Gold Rush ghost towns, visitors have no shortage of activities to choose from.