ICELAND

Iceland is so much more than a quirky layover or winter Northern Lights site. From May through June the midnight sun provides plenty of daylight hours for soaking in thermal pools, hiking on glaciers in Skaftafell National Park, and sidestepping tide-washed icebergs on black-sand Diamond Beach. In Iceland, mosquitoes don’t exist; the temperature hasn’t gone above 87°F since 1939; and the tap water, filtered underground through ancient lava fields, is some of the purest drinking water in the world. Spend the afternoon beside bubbling mudpots, the black basalt falls of Svartifoss,the magic mossy cascades of Skógafoss … and you’ll see exactly why most Icelanders still believe in elves.

ILHA GRANDE

Brazil’s Ilha Grande may only be a 15-minute boat ride from Jacareí (or a roughly hour-long ferry from Rio), but its 106 quiet beaches, musical rainforests, and car-free streets feel a world away. Most of the island is protected within Ilha Grande State Park, meaning the jungle hikes to Parnaioca and Lopes Mendes Beach offer sightings of many endangered tropical species, including maned sloths, brown howler monkeys, and the red-browed amazon parrot. Stay in a breezy pousada, drink passionfruit caipirinhas lagoon-side, or visit one of the island’s over 30 restaurants for a bowl of traditional shrimp moqueca—a bright stew of fresh seafood steeped in coconut milk and palm oil.