An increasingly upscale village, Playa Hermosa overlooks the Gulf of Papagayo and enjoys a pleasant, tropical climate and family-friendly beaches. Abundant water activities include sport fishing, sailing, scuba diving or snorkelling and leisurely sunset catamaran tours. You and your family will also want to visit the area’s national parks. Try a combination of popular local tours – a full day of horseback riding, swimming and lunch at the Volcan Miravalles National Park or an adventurous Canopy Tour to experience Costa Rica’s ecosystems. Just 10 minutes from Playa Hermosa, the lively village of Coco offers a delightful mix of entertainment and shopping. Bars and discos surround Coco’s central plaza. You might even visit a casino to try your hand at Blackjack or roulette. In Playa Hermosa, stop in for lunch at Laberinto on the beach, and you’ll enjoy an unusual meal at Ginger, an open-air tapas bar on stilts. The wild ginger grows beneath the bar, and the chefs create some very tasty and exotic meals. Try the Upper Deck Sports Bar and Restaurant for a colorful combination of televised sports, cold beer, good food and a pet orphan monkey!

Your morning in Nosara: Wake to the sounds of the jungle. Walk two minutes to Playa Guiones and do a few yoga poses at sunrise while surfers ride the waves. Wander north to Playa Pelada for a swim and spectacular views of the Pacific. Sound idyllic? Nosara, with its beaches free of developments, its tide pools, plus ziplining, wildlife rescue and more, is perfect for your extended holiday.

Resort-minded Puerto Aventuras, lounging on the Riviera Maya between Playa del Carmen and Akumel, mingles tropical beauty with the riches of the sea. Scuba dive, snorkel or try to land a record-breaking sailfish. Set sail from its full-service marina, which also offers daily ferry trips to Cozumel. Swing in a hammock on powdery-white Xpu- ha Beach and tour the local shipwreck museum. The Yucatan town is only 25 minutes north of the Mayan ruins of Tulum.

Located on the southeast tip of Florida, Sunny Isles Beach is set on a barrier island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. Halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Sunny Isles Beach is the perfect relaxing escape and includes two miles of fine sand. Visit the landmark fishing pier or enjoy the area's abundant outdoor activities, such as snorkeling.

Located on the northeastern coast of the Samana Peninsula, Las Terrenas offers miles of protected inshore waters and beautiful, undeveloped white-sand-beaches, lined with tall palm trees and pastel-colored fishing boats. Trade winds and the warm temperature of the sub-tropical Atlantic Ocean bring this part of the island year-round balmy weather. With a year-round average of 77 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperatures vary only 18 degrees between summer and winter.

The bustling port city of Castries is St. Lucia's capital. Shoppers flock to the city's dozens of stores and to Castries Market for fruits, vegetables and handicrafts. Sightseers admire murals painted by a local artist inside Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and relax in Derek Walcott Square, named for the St. Lucian Nobel-prize-winning poet. Atop Morne Fortune (Hill of Good Luck) - where the French and English battled over control of the island - visitors take in panoramic vistas.

Desert meets sea in Puerto Penasco, a California Gulf getaway. With its seafood markets, snoozy streets, and sandy beaches, it's easy to see how the port town has retained its traditional charm. There's something for everyone, from nature parks and water sports to upscale resorts.

Shimmering Lake Havasu, the centerpoint of Lake Havasu City, was formed in 1938 after the Parker Dam was built. It is perhaps most famous for the London Bridge that looms above it. Yes, the actual London Bridge, bought by the area's founding father, Robert McCullough, for $2,460,000, after the city of London put it up for auction in 1968. Today, Lake Havasu City is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Arizona and offers a range of recreational activities for families, couples and single travellers. Golf on championship courses, soak up the sun on the shores of Lake Havasu's beaches or explore nearby parks by foot and bicycle. Houseboats dot the lake and are available for rent along with paddle boats, kayaks, jet skis and other types of water sports equipment. Like most resort towns Lake Havasu is chock-full of hotels, restaurants, shops and non-stop action.

With the distinctive Haystack Rock and Needles marking its shoreline, Cannon Beach is one of Oregon's quaintest and most picturesque destinations. Nine miles of beach make a perfect setting for strolling along the seaside, watching diverse wildlife in its natural habitat and building a sand castle in the annual sand castle building contest. With strict regulations in place limiting the infiltration of large chain stores or restaurants, Cannon Beach retains its small town charm.

An hour or two south of Recife, Porto de Galinhas was made for the not-so-extreme tourist. Raves one traveller, "It's what it doesn't have that makes it great:" no heavy traffic, no nightlife to speak of. Explore the natural tidal pools that form in the reef, feeding fish that swim all around you; or ride a dune buggy to romantic Muro Alto beach. Or skip all that and doze in a hammock by the warm, green, clear Atlantic.

California’s desert regions fascinate visitors with the unexpected. Vast expanses, wide salt flats and ghost towns are on full display in In the quintessential desert at Death Valley National Park. Visit Joshua Tree National Park to see both the Mojave and Colorado desert landscapes, where wildflower blooms offer a spectacular sight every spring. Don’t miss the sculpture gardens and hiking trails of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.