Tikal is one of the most extraordinary ancient cities in Guatemala, hidden deep in the Petén region’s tropical forests. Once called Yax Mutal by its Maya builders, these ruins reveal thousands of years of history in carved stone stelae and towering limestone structures, some of which rise more than 60 meters above the jungle floor. Today, visitors can walk among the Great Plaza and gaze up at the Temple of the Great Jaguar and the Temple of the Masks, reminders of the city’s long legacy.

Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, grew from a modest colonial port into a city shaped by trade, migration, and independence.

Granada, Nicaragua, founded in 1524, is one of the oldest European-established cities on the mainland of the Americas where visitors can explore cobblestone streets lined with brightly painted facades. The mustard-yellow Granada Cathedral dominates the central park and provides an easy reference point for those navigating the city on foot or by traditional horse-drawn carriage.

Lead’s Main Street reflects its long history with places that invite people to explore local life beyond mining. The Black Hills Mining Museum offers displays of mining tools, machinery and a simulated underground mine experience that brings to life how miners worked the Black Hills over generations. Along the same street, galleries, cafés and historic buildings make for pleasant stops between deeper dives into the past.

Who would have thought, back in the tumultuous coup and counter coup days of the 1970s, that Burkina Faso would become the cultural darling of West Africa? Unlikely as it seems, Burkina Faso has become the Utah of West Africa, hosting a biennial film festival that rivals the Sundance Film Festival for cultural clout. When it's not hosting film festivals, it's busy organizing its other biennial cultural festival.