Sullivan Bay, located on the eastern shore of Santiago Island in Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago, offers a landscape that feels almost otherworldly at first glance. Instead of lush greenery, visitors are greeted by wide stretches of hardened lava. These black, rippled fields tell a story written in fire, where molten rock once flowed freely before cooling into intricate patterns that can still be traced today.

Ilha Grande, an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, is a place where tropical forest and coastline meet in striking harmony. Once a pirate hideout and later the site of a penal colony, it has evolved into one of Brazil’s most remarkable island destinations. With no cars allowed and no large resorts, the island moves at a different pace, where footpaths and boats are the main ways to get around.

Symi, a charming island in the Dodecanese, Greece, offers a picturesque escape with its striking neoclassical architecture and vibrant Mediterranean colors. The town of Symi, a designated protected cultural heritage site, is renowned for its beautifully preserved pastel-colored mansions that line the harbor.

Qingdao, also Tsingtao or Ch'ing-tao, Shandong Province, eastern China. It is a major naval base, an industrial center, and a port on the Yellow Sea at the entrance to sheltered Jiaozhou Bay. The port, which rarely freezes over, serves the industrialized northern China Plain and was expanded in 1976 to include an oil terminal for large tankers on Huang Island. The leading manufactures of the city include textiles, railroad equipment, rubber goods, fertilizer, and chemicals.

Set on the Adriatic Sea, Zadar, Croatia, is a major Dalmatia historical center and a tourism magnet. Walk ancient streets, see Roman ruins and enjoy white-sand beaches.