Surf, dive, snorkel, beach comb, horseback ride, bicycle, or relax in a hammock in Dominical. Take a stress-relieving yoga class at Bamboo YogaPlay. Enjoy beach restaurants serving up everything from East Indian curries and Italian pastas and pizzas to local gallo pinto and shots of anise-infused sugarcane liquor. Savor lonely beaches populated by pelicans, frigate birds, brown boobies, and hardy surfers here for the waves and good beachfront food at reasonable prices. When you’ve caught up on your sleep and feel relaxed, take the family on a hike to the double-cascade waterfall at Nauyaca. Perhaps the family would be up for a horseback gallop on the beach, or a trot to a smaller waterfall like Pazo Azul, whose plunge pool is popular with local kids. There is always boogie boarding at Playa Dominicalito. Or beachcombing and dolphin-watching at Playa Dominical. Guided bird-watching, and mangrove estuary and rainforest tours are always educational. Charter a fishing boat. Catch and release big sailfish like marlin in the deep sea, or keep some tasty dinner fish like red snapper, yellowfin tuna, snook, wahoo, and dorado. In Marino Bellena National Park, humpback whales migrate south towards Dominical to escape the Arctic cold. December to April is the humpback whale mating season in Ballena (Whale) Marine National Park. May to November is the nesting season, when Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles do their nocturnal egg-laying on the beaches. Low tide beach combing walks can take you out to Punta Uvita Tombolo island. Snorkel, dive, and explore mangrove habitats. Or just sit with the family on the gold and white sands watching green marine iguanas sunbathe between dives into the rocks and corals to feed on marine algae.

With equal efforts dedicated to wildlife preservation and a beach-getaway atmosphere, Manuel Antonio has surely earned its reputation as one of Costa Rica's most gorgeous locales. A lively resort town sits just north of a national park, where a rain forest teeming with monkeys resides.

Quepos, a small town in Puntarenas province, is located on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast and is undoubtedly one of the best places in the world for big game sport fishing. However, Quepos also offers vacationers a wealth of other activities to do as well. The nearby plaza has many fine restaurants, art galleries and souvenir shops, most within a short walking distance of your beachfront vacation rental. Book an exhilarating canopy tour, go horseback riding, kayaking and rafting. Learn to surf or watch the surfers ride the waves; you’ll wonder at their athleticism.

Akumal means "Place of the Turtle" in the Mayan language, and if you snorkel here, you just might see one swimming alongside you. (Don’t touch it, though. That’s prohibited by law.) You’ll definitely see coral and beautiful fish in the clear, sparkling waters. This tourist-friendly little town is about an hour south of Cancun—but it seems light-years away.

A city trapped in time, Havana captures the imagination like no other. Faded glamour meets careful colonial-era reconstruction with a backdrop of irresistible colour. Walk El Malecón, the walkway bordering the ocean; visit Old Havana and the Catedral de San Cristóbal; and listen for salsa music, open-air bazaars and parties that last all night.

The history of St. Louis has been heavily influenced by Westward expansion and blues music. The big "must-see" in this region is the Gateway Arch, while other important sites include the Museum of Westward Expansion, the St. Louis Cathedral and the Anheuser-Busch factory tour. The city offers plenty for the whole family. Children will enjoy the local zoo and the Magic House, while family members will also want to unwind at Forest Park, home to the World's Fair almost a century ago.