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A day out with Salty Dog Sea Kayaking among Australia鈥檚 Whitsunday Islands
(Photo: Riptide Creative)
A day out with Salty Dog Sea Kayaking among Australia鈥檚 Whitsunday Islands
A day out with Salty Dog Sea Kayaking among Australia鈥檚 Whitsunday Islands (Photo: Riptide Creative)

The World’s Top 10 Tropical 国产吃瓜黑料s


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With winter approaching, we rounded up ten irresistible warm-weather locales around the globe to escape to


New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! .

As the cold settles in, we’re thinking about those places we know will have sun, blue skies, warm turquoise waters, and amazing adventures all winter long. Start dreaming and maybe scheming. We’ve made it easy for you by choosing the top 10 places to go, along with the best things to do there. See you on the beach.

Hiking along El Camino de Costa Rica in the Brunque帽a range
Hiking along El Camino de Costa Rica in the Brunque帽a range (Photo: Courtesy Urritrek Costa Rica)

Hike Coast-to-Coast in Costa Rica

Since Costa Rica became the spokesmodel for ecotourism in the 1990s, its natural treasures鈥攖he cloud forests of Monte Verde, the gently active Arenal volcano鈥攈ave attracted millions of visitors every year. But you can still escape the crowds. a 174-mile trail stretching between the Caribbean and the Pacific, was completed in 2018 and showcases largely untrodden parts of the country, like the coffee-growing region of Tarraz煤 and the Indigenous territory of Nairi Awari.

Funded by the nonprofit Mar a Mar Association, the 16-stage route spans four provinces and half a dozen or more microclimates; borders protected areas; and passes through remote villages, Native lands, and more than 20 towns that receive little benefit from conventional tourism. Trekkers can eat with locals in their homes and sleep in family-run lodges, campsites, or boutique hotels set on farms with hot springs.

Expect to hike between four and twenty-four miles per stage, cross rivers, and do plenty of up and down鈥攎ore than 70 percent of the route is hilly, with a peak elevation of upward of 19,000 feet. If you push the pace, you can complete the whole thing in 11 days. But if time permits, allot 16 days so you can tack on experiences like whitewater rafting the Pacuare River or visiting the Pacuare Nature Reserve鈥檚 turtle hatchery.

You could technically go it alone, but given the trail鈥檚 isolation, a guide is advisable. Five local outfitters, including Urri Trek and Ticos a Pata, operate group and individual trips, and their naturalist guides will school you in the unique flora and fauna, like purple tibouchina flowers, massive guanacaste trees, glasswing butterflies, and broad-billed hummingbirds. 鈥擩en Murphy

The Whitsundays鈥 Shute Harbour
The Whitsundays鈥 Shute Harbour (Photo: Courtesy Salty Dog Sea Kayaking)

Camp on Australia鈥檚 Whitsunday Islands

If you had to be a castaway, you couldn鈥檛 pick a more idyllic place than Whitsunday Islands National Park. This archipelago off the central coast of Queensland is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and encompasses more than 90 white-sand isles surrounded by a pale-blue sea. a soup-to-nuts tour operation run by the husband-and-wife team of Tim and Sarah Vickery, lets you feel marooned in paradise while providing all the essentials (a dome tent, a camp stove, cookware), boat transfers, and toys like kayaks and snorkels.

The company鈥檚 22-passenger barge, Scamper, will ferry you and your mates to 14 national-park campsites (from $85 per person) on seven islands. The choice, then, becomes where to go. Crayfish Beach on Hook Island fronts a coral-filled bay ideal for snorkeling and kayaking (rental $15), while hikers may gravitate to South Molle Island, which boasts over 11 miles of trails.

On Whitsunday Island, Cairn Beach is a pelagic-fish hot spot that attracts casting enthusiasts (climb the Cairn Lookout trail beside camp for epic vistas), while Whitehaven Beach is considered the jewel of the island group, with over four miles of talcum-powder shores that after midday are reserved solely for overnight campers. From there it鈥檚 a 4.3-mile paddle to Hill Inlet, a dazzling aquamarine cove with swirls of sand like long brushstrokes of white paint.

Prefer to paddle from island to island? The Vickerys can set you up with single or double kayaks through their partner, Salty Dog Sea Kayaking, which will also arrange food and water drops鈥攖hink of it as Survivor light. Two-person camp kit, $100 for the first night and $35 each additional night 鈥擩.惭.

A healthy start at El Pretexto, in Puerto Rico
A healthy start at El Pretexto, in Puerto Rico (Photo: Ghost Edits)
El Pretexto also has fun pop-up dinners.
El Pretexto also has fun pop-up dinners. (Photo: Rafael Ruiz Mederos)

Feast on Farm Food in Puerto Rico鈥檚 Mountains

The most delicious meal in Puerto Rico is served high up in the lush Cayey Mountains at a small farm and humble bed-and-breakfast an hour鈥檚 drive south of the coastal capital of San Juan. The name El Pretexto translates to 鈥渢he excuse,鈥 and trust me鈥攄ishes like dumplings stuffed with golden ta铆na pumpkin and goat cheese or heirloom-tomato soup are a heck of a good reason to venture into this country鈥檚 wild interior.

Crystal Diaz, a local entrepreneur, opened four guest villas here in 2018 after the previous year鈥檚 devastating hurricanes, which she viewed as a wake-up call to invest in the local food culture rather than rely on imports. Residents from the community of Cayey help Diaz maintain the 3.5-acre farm and run the kitchen and accommodations.

El Pretexto serves a farm-to-table dinner ($75) every Tuesday and Saturday; the evening begins with a tour of the orchards and garden and concludes on an enormous deck shaded by foliage from the surrounding forest. The array of dishes might include robalo (snook) over taro mash with butter and sage. Diaz also hosts periodic pop-up meals (from $125) in collaboration with some of Puerto Rico鈥檚 best chefs. But only overnight guests are treated to a breakfast of homemade sourdough topped with local goat cheese, tomato pesto, and eggs straight from the coop.

The culinarily curious can sign up for a seven-day immersive food experience with cooking classes, visits to fishing villages and coffee farms, and meals from established chefs and home cooks alike. Beach time, yoga sessions, and rum tastings are sprinkled into the itinerary. From $245; weeklong culinary experiences from $4,800 鈥擩.惭.

The Bligh Waters boast some of the most vibrant coral reefs in the world.
The Bligh Waters boast some of the most vibrant coral reefs in the world. (Photo: Courtesy Volivoli Beach Resort)

Dive the Bligh Waters in Fiji

Unhurried, uncrowded, and untrampled by package-tour outfits, the northeastern coast of Viti Levu is a world removed from the big-brand resorts on the other side of Fiji鈥檚 main island. You can shop in open-air markets for fresh pineapple and kava, buy Spanish mackerel straight off the boat, and explore quiet paths surrounded by sugarcane fields and epic views across an endless Pacific Ocean. Just offshore, the Bligh Waters abound with marine life, including some of the most vibrant soft coral on the planet.

Named after the overthrown commander of the HMS Bounty, this stretch of ocean between Viti Levu and the next-largest island, Vanua Levu, about 100 miles away, is home to more than 80 named dives, the most spectacular of which explore reef formations within Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park. During a week of daily three-tank dives, our group spotted just three other vessels鈥攁nd two were locals spearfishing for dinner. Below the surface we saw turtles, reef sharks, giant moray eels, barracuda, and a curious manta ray that followed two of our divers up to our hull.

But the colors are what we鈥檒l remember most: neon-blue damselfish, rainbow-hued parrotfish, schools of canary-yellow angelfish, and a kaleidoscope of pink, purple, blue, and golden coral. Book a villa at Volivoli Beach Resort (from $400 per day for a one-week stay, meals included), a tranquil family-owned outpost with a top-notch dive shop and an all-inclusive meal package featuring fresh seafood, fruit, and veggies (including seaweed and other saltwater greens).

The weather is balmy year-round, but the best time for diving is May through November, when visibility can exceed 150 feet. You can also fish, kayak to smaller islands, hike to a waterfall, and see a monument to Udre Udre, a powerful 19th-century chief and cannibal who consumed his foes. 鈥擩onathan Dorn

A mountain-bike trail near Playa Escondida at Rancho Santana
A mountain-bike trail near Playa Escondida at Rancho Santana (Photo: Courtesy Rancho Santana)
The outdoor scene at Rancho Santana
The outdoor scene at Rancho Santana (Photo: Courtesy Rancho Santana)

Bike Hero Dirt in Nicaragua

The Emerald Coast, a 30-mile stretch of Pacific shoreline about 80 miles south of the nation鈥檚 capital, Managua, has long been considered a surfer鈥檚 paradise, thanks to its consistent swell and diverse waves ranging from long, mellow lefts to big barrels. Now a resort community with a 17-room hotel, aims to put the Popoyo area on the map for something else: mountain biking. The terrain at the 2,700-acre property comprises clay, decomposed granite, and loam; with a touch of moisture, the latter turns into what riders call hero dirt. This Goldilocks of soil conditions鈥攏ot too muddy, not too dry鈥攑rovides some of the best grip on the planet, says Devin Lynn, a trail builder from San Juan Capistrano, California, who was recently hired to develop the resort鈥檚 expanding network of singletrack.

More than 30 trails cover 25 miles, and an additional 15 miles are set for completion by August 2024. Lynn refers to Rancho Santana as Sister Pisgah鈥攁 smaller-scale version of the mountain-biking mecca of Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. Most trails here are designed for beginner or intermediate riders (Lynn loves taking newbies on Puma, a fun, flowy trail that crosses five bridges), but a handful of the lines鈥攑articularly the Flor de Avispa Trail, with its 135-foot descent鈥攚ill test the mettle of experienced bikers.

For now, Rancho Santana鈥檚 magical dirt isn鈥檛 exclusively for hotel guests. Its 16 Specialized bikes鈥擫evo SL carbon e-bikes and analog Stumpjumpers鈥攁re available for rent to anyone staying in the area (half-day rentals, $50), and every Wednesday at 4 P.M. Lynn hosts a group ride that ends at the pool bar, with a special $10 burger-and-beer deal for cyclists. If that isn鈥檛 reward enough, there鈥檚 always a post-ride dip in the pool or the Pacific, just a few steps away. From $390 鈥擩.惭.

Rhythm and Sails guests on Morpion Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Rhythm and Sails guests on Morpion Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Photo: Mike Arzt)

Get On Board for the Caribbean鈥檚 Best Concert

Think of as Yacht Week meets the Telluride Bluegrass Festival: an entourage of three 50-foot catamarans hosting ten or eleven people each, including guests, staff, and musicians, who perform jam sessions at daily ports of call over the course of a weeklong marine adventure. Each boat has four double-occupancy cabins with en suite bathrooms, along with a full crew and chef.

The company鈥檚 newest trip plies the crystal-clear waters of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, including smaller isles like the reef-ringed Bequia and Mayreau. The cruise鈥檚 music director, Anders Beck of the jam band Greensky Bluegrass, curates the lineup, which currently includes Travis Book of the Infamous Stringdusters and Mark Morris of Rapidgrass. Performances, mostly acoustic, take place on deck, at island beach bars, or over lobster barbecues on deserted patches of sand. Between shows, use the boats鈥 snorkeling gear and paddleboards, or head to shore to hike, golf, and sip cocktails at funky watering holes. May 4鈥10, 2024; $7,970, all-inclusive 鈥擩.惭.

Private pools are integrated into the landscape of Hotel Terrestre.
Private pools are integrated into the landscape of Hotel Terrestre. (Photo: Jaime Navarro)

Go Off-Grid in Mexico on Oaxaca鈥檚 Coast

The antithesis of the manicured, resort-lined shores of Mexico鈥檚 Riviera Maya and Cabo San Lucas is Oaxaca鈥檚 Pacific coast, which remains delightfully wild. For decades the powerful, pounding waves of Playa Zicatela have lured intrepid surfers to the laid-back town of Puerto Escondido. And in 2014, the region popped on the radar of international trendsetters with the opening of the Mexican artist Bosco Sodi鈥檚 Casa Wabi, a sprawling nonprofit arts center and artists鈥 retreat within 20 miles of Punta P谩jaros. This off-grid swath of jungle and sand 40 minutes north of Puerto Escondido has quietly blossomed from a compound into a hip eco-development with amenities like a stellar Japanese omakase restaurant, a small-batch mezcal bar, rental villas designed by leading Mexican architects like Alberto Kalach, and a handful of intimate boutique hotels.

The latest, the brutalist-inspired features 14 two-story brick-and-cement villas with private pools and hammock-strewn terraces. Run off solar power and devoid of air-conditioning, this minimalist property attracts guests seeking refined simplicity deep in nature. Check out the fortress-like vaulted steam room, a nod to the temescal (sweat lodge) used for ancient ceremonies; dine at the hotel鈥檚 restaurant, which hosts chef residencies with culinary stars like Drew Deckman, a Michelin winner; and fall asleep to the soft lapping of waves.

Staff can arrange horseback or surf adventures or a tour of the art galleries and sculpture garden at the adjacent Tadao Ando鈥揹esigned Casa Wabi compound. As you find with the best remote getaways, there鈥檚 no direct flight from the U.S. The extra 80-minute flight from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido鈥檚 tiny airport is well worth the time. From $500 鈥擩.惭.

A snow-covered Mauna Kea, Hawaii Island
A snow-covered Mauna Kea, Maui (Photo: Courtesy Hawaii Forest and Trail)
The view from a beachfront suite at Kona Village
The view from a beachfront suite at Kona Village (Photo: Courtesy Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort)

Give Back in Hawaii

The effects of the unprecedented wildfires on Maui over the summer have been felt across Hawaii. Tourism generates nearly a quarter of the state鈥檚 economy, and the devastation on Maui鈥檚 west side has resulted in canceled visits throughout the chain. Now the state鈥檚 tourism authority is encouraging visitors to return to Maui and the other islands, and do so with a sense of kuleana, or responsibility. And there are more opportunities than ever to weave this tenet into your vacation.

On the Big Island, the outfitter recently added a give-back element to its popular Mauna Kea Summit and Stars trip: before the sunset dinner and guided stargazing excursion at 13,803 feet atop Hawaii鈥檚 highest peak, you can help collect native seeds in critically endangered dry-forest habitat on the dormant volcano鈥檚 lower slopes; those seeds will be used by the nonprofit Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative for future plantings, to help create a self-sustaining native-dominant forest (from $275).

On the island鈥檚 Kona Coast, at the storied now managed by Rosewood, a team of cultural advisers were brought on to help ensure ancient petroglyphs and Native burial sites were preserved during construction. New additions like Ayasa, a spa set on a lava flow, and Shipwreck Bar, a poolside cocktail spot, are purely sybaritic. But simple activities like fishing have been re-created with purpose. Guests can now cast for invasive tilapia in a natural lagoon, and their catches go to feed monk seals at a local marine rehabilitation center. From $2,500 鈥擩.惭.

Seafood paella at Blue Apple Beach House, Tierra Bomba
Seafood paella at Blue Apple Beach House, Tierra Bomba (Photo: Courtesy Blue Apple Beach)
An aerial view of the resort
An aerial view of the resort (Photo: Courtesy Blue Apple Beach)

Chill Out on a Colombian Island

Cartagena鈥檚 bougainvillea-draped colonial mansions and dramatic domed cathedrals can distract from the lure of the archipelago just off its coast. Many visitors merely glimpse the dazzling Caribbean from the city鈥檚 Unesco-listed 18th-century ramparts. But getting to those spectacular beaches and turquoise waters is actually easy. From Cartagena鈥檚 port, it鈥檚 a 25-minute boat ride to the seven-square-mile island of Tierra Bomba.

Its hippest hotel, the has an Ibiza-inspired beach club whose day pass costs as little as $25 and includes boat transfers (book ahead on Blue Apple鈥檚 website; you can also take a public boat or arrange your own), plus the use of paddleboards, access to a pool and beach volleyball, an excellent bar, and a restaurant known for wood-fired paella. Once a month, DJs spin Latin and Afro-Caribbean tunes poolside. Looking for a quieter stay? Take advantage of the on-site dive center, snorkel excursions to the Rosario Islands, and horseback and moto-taxi tours of nearby villages.

But this property offers far more than a great beach party. A certified B Corporation, Blue Apple Beach House directs over 85 percent of its revenue back into Colombia. Furnishings and decor in the 11 rooms and cabanas have been custom-made by Colombian carpenters and craftspeople; the kitchen, which is 85 percent waste-free, sources ethically raised meat from area purveyors and uses sustainably caught seafood; and a dedicated community fund helps provide a neighboring village with school supplies and sports sponsorships.

Blue Apple was also one of the first mainstream venues in the country to host LGBTQ+ events regularly. These laudable efforts attract like-minded visitors鈥攏ot to mention artists drawn to the place鈥檚 residency program, which has welcomed musicians, environmentalists, and chefs to share their talents in exchange for free stays. From $159 鈥擩.惭.

Nay Palad Hideaway is barefoot heaven.
Nay Palad Hideaway is barefoot heaven. (Photo: Courtesy Nay Palad Hideaway)
Catching a wave with the Tropicsurf program
Catching a wave with the Tropicsurf program (Photo: Courtesy Nay Palad Hideaway)

Surf Epic Waves in the Philippines

Ross Phillips, Australian founder of the surf-guiding company has spent more than three decades setting up operations near some of the world鈥檚 most coveted waves, from Fiji to Indonesia. Of the company鈥檚 40-plus outposts, the newest, located on the secluded southeastern tip of Siargao Island in the Philippines, stands apart for its dreamy location, insane variety of surf spots, and barefoot-luxe base, Nay Palad Hideaway. After more than a yearlong closure due to damage from Super Typhoon Rai in December 2021, the ten-villa resort, which is nestled between an ancient mangrove forest and a white-sand beach, reopened in June 2023 with a whimsical look.

A massive tree house serves as a hangout zone, enhanced with spaces ranging from a hidden rooftop lounge to decks with giant swinging daybeds. Villas are inspired by those in Indonesia, with soaring nipa-palm-thatched roofs and bamboo-and-wicker furnishings. Best of all, everything鈥攆rom massages and sea-to-table meals to surf excursions鈥攊s included in the rate.

Surf鈥檚 up from September through April, and fall is prime time for big waves. Cloud Nine, the island鈥檚 legendary right-hand tube, is a short drive away and should be on any expert surfer鈥檚 bucket list. If you鈥檙e still fine-tuning your wave-riding skills, Tropicsurf is known for its ten-level Better Surf coaching progression, and the resort鈥檚 three speedboats can access more than 20 rarely surfed breaks suited to varying abilities. On the rare chance the swell isn鈥檛 pumping, you can mountain-bike to local villages, picnic on a deserted island, or just chill by the palm-shaded pool. From $890 per person 鈥擩.惭.

国产吃瓜黑料 correspondent splits her time between Hawaii and Colorado. is 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc.’s Chief Entertainment Officer. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.