No Passport Required
Right now, jet fuel prices are soaring, customs queues are Byzantine, and good flights are getting harder and harder to come by. If you want to get away this summer, but trans-continental travel is not in the cards, check out these closer-to-home options.
If you’re dreaming of the Amalfi Coast…
Santa Catalina Island, CA
Just about an hour via high-speed ferry from Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point, or Newport Beach, colorful Santa Catalina Island shares the Divine Coast’s beautiful, sun-drenched climate, Mediterranean-style architecture, and dramatic cliffs overlooking sweeping coastal views.
Where I’d Stay
Hotel Vista Del Mar - Romantic Mediterranean boutique hotel with an atrium, fireplaces and jacuzzis in each room, and complimentary afternoon milk and cookies.
Hotel Metropole - Grand hotel with luxury amenities, sumptuous rooms, a full-service spa, and a rooftop with ocean views.
What I’d Do
Descanso Beach Club - Spend the day at one of California’s last private beaches that’s open to the public, with a steady parade of Baja shrimp tacos and spicy margaritas delivered to my chaise or cabana.
Rent a bike or a golf cart and tool around the island.
Get up close and personal with local flora and fauna on a Catalina Island Conservancy Eco Tour.
If you’re dreaming of the Riviera Maya…
Photo by Chase Walker, courtesy of Discover Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico, Northeast Coast
Less than an hour’s drive from San Juan Airport, the stunning Northeast Coast of Puerto Rico is a study in lush blues and greens: from the mountainous El Yunque rainforest, to limestone caves with underground rivers where you can tube, to the deep blue, crystalline waters where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea. Like the Riviera Maya, the area is known for its warm hospitality and extensive leisure offerings that include water sports and underwater exploration, indulgent spa and wellness options, and incredible food.
Where I’d Stay
Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Puerto Rico - A newly transformed 483-acre tropical paradise tucked between two nature sanctuaries, this resort has the best of everything: from 18-hole golfing, to an outdoor spa surrounded by tropical gardens, to night kayaking on a bioluminescent lagoon. All delivered with Four Seasons-calibre elegance and intuitive service.
El Conquistador - Perched on a cliff 300 feet above sea level, and reachable by a funicular ride with panoramic views of the Caribbean and the harbor, El Conquistador is the type of place that imprints itself on your soul for life, El Conquistador
What I’d Do
Descanso Beach Club - Spend the day at one of California’s last private beaches that’s open to the public, with a steady parade of Baja shrimp tacos and spicy margaritas delivered to my chaise or cabana.
Rent a bike or a golf cart and tool around the island.
Get up close and personal with local flora and fauna on a Catalina Island Conservancy Eco Tour.