Alberobello in southern Italy’s Puglia region captures the imagination with its distinctive trulli houses. These structures were built using a dry-stone technique passed down over centuries, without mortar or cement, and their unique form comes from layer upon layer of limestone nestled from nearby fields. Alberobello’s trulli are so remarkable that in 1996 the historic center was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where more than 1,600 of these buildings still stand.

Visit the ancient city of Memphis and take in the wonders of the recumbent statue of Ramses II and the 80-ton Alabaster Sphinx.

Isla del Sol, or Island of the Sun, is one of the best-known islands in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, located in the lake’s southern section near Copacabana. The island is shaped by steep hills, stone terraces, small farming communities, and broad views across the high-altitude lake toward the Andes. At about 3,810 meters above sea level, Lake Titicaca creates a distinctive setting where cultivated slopes meet deep blue water and distant mountain peaks.

Pondicherry is a coastal town in southern India that still carries traces of its French colonial past. The French Quarter, or White Town, is filled with mustard-yellow buildings, iron-laced balconies, and streets with French names. Visitors can explore this area on foot or by bicycle, stopping at spots like the 18th-century Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, built in Greco-Roman style, or the French Consulate, which continues to operate from a colonial-era building.

Martha’s Vineyard, located just seven miles off the coast of Cape Cod, feels like a world apart. This island has long attracted artists, presidents, and vacationers seeking something quieter than the mainland. With six distinct towns, each with its own style, visitors can explore everything from the stately streets of Edgartown, once a prosperous whaling port, to the laid-back vibe of Chilmark, where stone walls and sheep pastures stretch to the sea.