The largest island along Brazil's coast and, literally, a “beautiful island,” Ilhabela offers visitors almost 40 kilometres of pristine beaches and a tropical island's worth of hiking trails, waterfalls and even a nascent party scene. At 207 kilometres from the city of São Paulo, Ilhabela can get crowded, so try to get your beach time in during the work week.

Long known as a golfer's paradise, Hilton Head Island is heaven for any type of sports enthusiast. Tennis, volleyball, polo, championship golf on some of the best fairways in the United States - those are just a few athletic options. In fact, the island plays host to many prestigious sporting events throughout the year. All of it surrounded by sunny beaches and lush greenery. In between games or matches, explore Hilton Head's natural wonders. The Sea Pines Forest Preserve offers a close-up look at a swamp without having to get mucky. Raised boardwalks provide a protected path for pedestrians. And don't miss the colorful Harbourtown Lighthouse, the island's icon. Choose from a number of first-class resorts and hotels to experience it all.

The soundtrack of tranquil Boa Vista is the sweet tweets of exotic birds. Maybe they’re chattering with loggerhead turtles or with the humpback whales that are known to splash around Boa Vista’s shallow waters. Work up a sweat and hike to the wreck of the Santa Maria, or explore the Duque de Braganca Fort, built to protect the Ilheu de Sal Rei from pirates. The windswept red and tan sand dunes of Deserto de Viana are awe-inspiring.

The Atlantic crashes on a coastline strewn with quaint harbours, windswept beaches, glorious dunes and romantic lighthouses. Explore Cape Cod National Seashore, bike past cranberry bogs on the Rail Trail or saunter around Sandwich, the Cape's oldest town. Many areas are full of architectural and culinary gems - weathered shingles, whaling captains' mansions, chowder shacks and upmarket dining delights. Don't miss Woods Hole Oceanquest, famed Martha's Vineyard or charmingly lively Provincetown.

Culture-seekers will be charmed be La Isla's heritage and history, from Old San Juan's charms to folk art and festivals in the outlying towns. You can drive round Puerto Rico in a day, but take your time. Coffee plantations, colonial towns, beaches, bars and restaurants wait to be explored. Old San Juan, with famed Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, is an atmospheric place to wander. Experience life at a different pace by rainforest hiking, scuba diving or swimming Vieques' glowing bioluminescent lagoon.

There’s an Arabic inscription that captures the essence of Granada in a few words: “There is nothing so sad as to be blind in Granada.” The perspicacity of this declaration becomes obvious as soon as you penetrate the austere walls of the Alhambra and take in the full majesty of the architecture, carvings and fountains of the Nasrid palaces. Your ticket (which should be bought well in advance following the instructions on the attraction’s website) also affords entry to the Renaissance Palace of Carlos V and to the exquisite gardens of the Generalife. If you are celebrating a special event, or are in the market for a splurge, you can stay in the lovely Parador, right on site. Make your way down into the city via the atmospheric old quarter of the Albaicin, with its tiny craft shops and restaurants, and head for the Cathedral and Royal Chapel. Also plan a visit to the crypt for the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, the instigators of Spain’s imperial adventures to the New World and beyond. It’s worth making the short journey out of town to visit the Monasterio Cartuja, a fabulous Carthusian monastery in the baroque style. Admirers of the poet Lorca should make the effort to visit the Casa-Museo Federico Garcia Lorca in Fuente Vaqueros, about 11 miles from the city centre.