Aguas Calientes, officially called Machupicchu Pueblo, sits in a narrow valley below the ruins of Machu Picchu, shaped almost entirely by geography and access.

Anuradhapura, located in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the island’s capital for more than a millennium, beginning in the 4th century BCE. Today, its vast archaeological complex spans several square kilometers and includes some of South Asia’s most significant Buddhist monuments.

On Greenland’s west coast, Ilulissat (once known as Jakobshavn) welcomes travelers with astonishing ice scenery and a sense of scale that feels almost otherworldly. The town sits beside Disko Bay, where immense icebergs drift silently past, glowing pink and gold in the Arctic light. The name “Ilulissat” means “icebergs,” and it could not be more fitting. Here, every turn toward the sea offers a fresh view of towering ice forms, each one sculpted by nature into something fleeting and beautiful.

Situated on the coast of Tuscany near the Tyrrhenian Sea, Livorno, Italy, is a popular stop on Mediterranean cruises and an important commercial and industrial port. It was founded on a former auxiliary Pisan port between the late 16th and early 17th centuries on the orders of the Grand Duke Cosimo I, who made it Tuscany's main outlet to the sea.

Barranquilla sits near the mouth of the Magdalena River on Columbia's Caribbean side. It is a major seaport and a center of commerce, but everyone breaks loose for four days in February for one of the liveliest carnivals outside of Rio.