Once dominated by civil war, El Salvador’s capital city now offers a vibrant urban culture plus nearby escapes to towering volcanoes and Pacific beaches.

Its natural beauty and low-key atmosphere are still intact, but the island’s luxury factor has risen with a new swath of high-end hotels and more-refined dining options.

A fresh slate of restaurants, markets, shops, and bars sparks yet another heyday.

A new nonprofit business-development cooperative called Harlem Park to Park (harlemparktopark.org) is trying to pump some youthful energy into the area’s retail scene. We spoke to a few of its founding members.

A psychedelic art gallery, hidden speakeasies, and “pop-up” dinner parties make the Sonoma Valley town of Healdsburg more than just a wine destination.

Once dreary and dilapidated, the South of Market neighborhood today boasts reconfigured public spaces and the frontier of Bay Area dining.

The Colombian capital contrasts old-world Latin charm with contemporary shopping, restaurants, and revelry.

Just north of Puerto Vallarta is a surfer-friendly, wallet-conscious chic oasis with none of the crowds—or cheesiness—of its more famous neighbor.

Since the White City was named a UNESCO World Heritage site, gorgeous historic buildings from the Ottoman and Bauhaus era have been repurposed as fabulous hotels, eateries, boutiques, and design museums.

The cake’s been eaten, the Champagne’s been drunk. Now it’s escape time.