Sheer cliffs and waterfalls carve Streymoy, the largest of the 18 Faroe Islands and home of Tórshavn, the capital and largest town of the archipelago. The old town of Tinganes was the home of the Faroese parliament for over a thousand years; the prime minister’s office is still located here. Stroll along narrow alleyways lined with black-tarred houses with grass roofs, some dating to the 14th century, and look for mysterious rock carvings believed to relate to ancient council meetings. But most of the pleasures involve the natural landscape.

The Tobago Cays are an eco-paradise of pristine, aquamarine waters, sparkling white beaches and amazing wildlife in the southern Grenadines. A cluster of five uninhabited cays and the surrounding barrier reefs protect seabirds, native plants, iguanas, sea turtles, colorful hard coral and tropical fish. Tobago Cays Marine Park can only be reached by a boat, which can anchor in a sandy-bottomed lagoon. From here, snorkeling and diving explorations reveal a vibrant underwater world. In the Baradal Turtle Sanctuary, get close to green and hawksbill turtles in their natural habitat.

Les Saintes are a volcanic archipelago of two islands and seven uninhabited islets surrounded by thriving coral reefs and clear seas. Small at just over two square miles, Terre-de-Haut is the most developed of the group, thanks to an anchorage-rich coastline of scenic bays, natural harbors, quiet beaches and charmingly picturesque villages. The ambience is decidedly low-key, and days are devoted to beachgoing, hiking, snorkeling and diving.

Nestled on the beautiful Sicilian coast, Taormina is most famous for the 3rd-century Teatro Antico di Taormina, the world's most dramatically situated Greek theater. Nearby cliffs drop to the sea forming coves with sandy beaches. The city center is filled with 15th-century stone palaces and churches, and pedestrian-only Corso Umberto is the spot for people watching, shopping, fine dining or a gelato. Strung along the bay below Taormina is Giardini Naxos, a picturesque seaside resort on the site of the most ancient Greek colony in Sicily.

Choral music rings out from old Lutheran churches in this magnificently restored Baltic city. Built by German merchants who grew rich on the flourishing Hanseatic trade, Tallinn is one of the best-preserved capitals in Europe. Its magnificent Town Hall is the oldest city hall in Northern Europe and the only one preserved in Gothic style. But two centuries of czarist rule and nearly half a century of Soviet domination added a distinct Russian flavor to its Germanic heritage.

Founded in 1600 when the first European fur-trading post was established in North America, Tadoussac lies at the confluence of the Saguenay and St. Lawrence rivers, where cold fresh water and warmer salt water mix to create rich marine life. An abundance of krill makes the area very attractive to whales, and boat excursions to view the massive mammals are one of the town’s biggest attractions. Still surrounded by relative wilderness, Tadoussac Bay is stunning. Sea kayaking in the Saguenay–St.

This small town of well-preserved, 150-year-old wooden warehouses, shops and homes clustered around a deep natural harbor is the jumping off point for touring and hiking the picturesque peninsula of Snæfellsnes. The town seems frozen in time, as it is home to few people and has no traffic or pollution. Visit the Volcano Museum, a tribute to native son and volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson, who studied volcanoes around the world for forty years. The unique Library of Water Museum features melted glaciers from the island’s five largest icecaps.