An undisturbed beach at the Pine Cay resort in the Turks and Caicos in February 2026. Turks and Caicos, a chain of Caribbean islands just southeast of the Bahamas, teems with high-end, all-inclusive resorts. What many guests seemed to want, and are willing to pay thousands of dollars a night to get, is glorious silence. (Danial Adkison/The New York Times) By DANIAL ADKISON The boat skipped across the shimmering turquoise water at a breathtaking speed. “You’d better take off y

Kitanomine, one of two ski zones at the Furano resort on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, on Dec. 22, 2025. Faced with soaring ticket prices and bare slopes at many U.S. resorts, Americans are flocking to the island of Hokkaido, which gets up to 50 feet of snow a year. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times) By MEGHAN DAVIDSON LADLY I had never encountered a ski lift quite like this one. Each one-person seat looked like a pizza box hung from a cable on a metal hook. Only a low ba

Misi y Rafael Alvarez, Gabriel Jimenez, Ileana Martinez Palacios By JUDY GORDON-CONDE and JENNIFER CONDE-POWERS Recently, the iconic Maison Ruinart, recognized worldwide as the official champagne of art due to its history of supporting and drawing inspiration from art and its artists to enrich knowledge and connection with nature, offered a unique and immersive experience in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Echoing its purpose of illuminating the path through connections in spaces wit

The center of Guadalajara is mostly empty in Mexico, Feb. 23, 2026. A wave of unrest after the killing of a cartel leader has rattled tourists at popular destinations in Mexico, prompting travelers to reconsider their plans. (César Rodríguez/The New York Times) By SHANNON SIMS With spring break just weeks away, and snowbirds looking to dodge a blustery winter, the recent unrest in Mexico has left travelers concerned about whether visiting the country is safe right now. While

La Plata Beach in Vieques, Puerto Rico, on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. Vieques, a 20-mile-long isle just east of Puerto Rico’s main island, has long attracted in-the-know travelers with its raw beauty and uncrowded beaches. (Erika P. Rodríguez/The New York Times) By LUIS FERRÉ-SADURNÍ Vieques, a 20-mile-long isle just east of Puerto Rico’s main island, has long attracted in-the-know travelers with its raw beauty and uncrowded beaches. Since Hurricane Maria crippled it in 2017, clo

Queue lines sit empty during a shutdown at the Telluride Ski Resort in Mountain Village, Colo., Dec. 27, 2025. Little snowpack, strikes by mountain staff and Trump administration policies that are keeping international visitors away have made this a difficult season in the Rockies and beyond. (William Woody/The New York Times) By DAVID GOODMAN Bare slopes. Closed terrain. Canceled vacations. In the Western United States, the 2026 ski season is shaping up to be one of the wors

A variety of bottles of sekt, sparkling wine made in Germany. Sekt has made remarkable strides in recent years. (Tony Cenicola/The New York Times) By ERIC ASIMOV Sekt, the term for sparkling wine made in Germany, has a very long history, and for much of the post-World War II era, not an especially happy one. Through the end of the 20th century, most sekt was cheap, slightly sweet and industrially produced. But the last decade has seen a sekt rejuvenation. The wines have impro

Travelers are shown vintage boarding passes during a celebration hosted by Southwest Airlines to commemorate the end of its longstanding open-seating policy, at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, last Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. The airline said its new policy, rolled out on Tuesday, responded to passengers’ preferences, but some customers said the scramble was part of the charm. (Jacob Langston/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG With a water-cannon salute, balloons an

An Uber driver picks up passengers at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, Calif., July 15, 2024. Uber and other ride-hailing apps have introduced safety features that allow passengers to call for help discreetly as well as share their location with friends and family members. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) By CLAIRE FAHY Despite Uber’s claims that it was one of the safest available travel options, the ride-hailing company received a report of sexual miscond

Travelers are shown vintage boarding passes during a celebration hosted by Southwest Airlines to commemorate the end of its longstanding open-seating policy, at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. The airline said its new policy, rolled out on Tuesday, responded to passengers’ preferences, but some customers said the scramble was part of the charm. (Jacob Langston/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG With a water-cannon salute, balloons and