Ski season (in the northern half of the world) is winding down, which is arguably the best time to hit the slopes: bluebird skies meet still-cold-enough-for-fresh-powder days. Our friend Philip Andelman — whose website Tripping with Phil is a great trip anytime — offers additional inspiration below via his nuanced, honest guide to Cortina D’Ampezzo in Italy’s Dolomites.  
        We recommend booking your flight … tomorrow, since Cortina is the site of next year’s Winter Olympics. If you’re not a skier or if you visit after the lifts close (summer is similarly a dream in the region), the guide also offers a host of worthy dining stops — it is Italy, after all. Here are a few highlights, starting with Phil’s “before you dive in” tips …

1. The easiest airport to fly into is Venice. I recommend booking a couple of nights there beforehand, as the ski season is one of the quieter times to visit. 
2. You will definitely want to have your own car, so rent one straight from the Venice airport and make sure it’s all-wheel drive (and automatic if you don’t drive stick)!
3. One of the best meals you’ll have is minutes from the airport, at Trattoria Al Passo. Off the side of the freeway, with a website that links to a dead Facebook page, it may not seem like much, but it’s a local secret that is exceptional.
4. There are two towns in the area that we love equally for different reasons: Cortina has better food while San Cassiano’s variety of slopes is unbeatable. The two towns are about 30 to 40 minutes apart, so perhaps stay in each for four to five days.
5. You can get ski passes that cover both domains in advance here. Kids under eight ski free!
6. All of the restaurants listed require reservations.  

SAN CASSIANO

The Sleeping … Our favorite hotel,  Rosa Alpina, has recently become part of the Aman collection and, while its scale is much more quaint than the brand’s other offerings, it is still a really nice spot to spend a few days. But … the property is currently under renovation (the bathrooms could use some Aman-ification), with plans to open later in the year.  
    If you’re trying to get here sooner, the only other spot in this tiny town is the well located, but more pedestrian Hotel Armentarola; its outdoor deck is one of the best spots to grab lunch between runs. Finally, the adjoining town of Corvara is really charming and shares many of San Cassiano’s slopes. I haven’t been to Hotel Sassongher there, but it seems okay — if a bit dated. 

The Skiing … There are a few different zones to choose from, most accessible straight from the hotel, with the third (that you must visit) an hour’s drive away. Cassiano/Corvara/Colfosco/Sellaronda is the main area, with a great variety of slopes — though none too challenging — all linked from the Piz Sorega lift in town. You can easily spend two to three days here hardly repeating a run. Then there’s also Lagazuoi, a proper half-day adventure. You’ll need to take a taxi or shuttle to get to the start (you end up back at the hotel, so taking your car doesn’t make much sense), which is a gondola right out of a Wes Anderson film. From here, ski down to THE GREATEST MEAL OF YOUR LIFE at Rifugio Scotoni. Finally, Kronplatz-Plan de Corones, about an hour’s drive from San Cassiano, is a huge resort that is always deserted, despite having tons to offer.

The Eating … Hotel Armentarola’s outdoor deck is perfect for a midday schnitzel and beer. Ütia Bioch on the San Cassiano/Corvara slopes has two menus, including one with recipes from the region’s best restaurants. Order a specialty pasta from this menu!!! Rifugio Col Alt is also on the Corvara side of the slopes. Make sure to get the pasta with sausage and perhaps a cured meat plate. Skip the carbonara and the desserts. Go to Punta Trieste for the ribs and ONLY the ribs.
 
CORTINA

 

The Sleeping … The obvious choice here is Cristallo, a grand old palace hotel located high above the town with sweeping views of the mountain. Speaking of, make sure to get a room with views of the mountain!!! Also, make sure you book the hotel via the above link, because there’s a shitty hotel a half hour away with almost the same name that a bunch of our friends got stuck in. 
        That said, this property is currently being renovated and turned into a Mandarin Oriental. (Do you sense a pattern of everyone catching on to how great this region is??). Either hold off on visiting until it reopens or reserve the more modern, beautifully understated Hotel De Len. The only tradeoff can also be a bonus: You’ll be right in the heart of town. There are no views to speak of and not much natural light, but you will be one door down from the best wine bar in town, a block away from the best spot for hot chocolate, and five minutes closer to the slopes. Not a bad tradeoff, especially as you’ll be out all day anyways. 
        None of the hotels in Cortina offer ski-in, ski-out and the parking lots are a nuisance, so rely on the complimentary shuttles the hotels run throughout the day.

The Skiing … Like in San Cassiano, there are three different regions in Cortina (Socrepes being the most central, Faloria the most overlooked, and Cinque Torri the most far-flung), but here all of them are interconnected via gondolas. In anticipation of the Olympics, the resort has been adding new lifts every year and it is IMPRESSIVE, even as the snow continues to disappear. One note: The best ski school for kids (and adults!), with both private and group lessons, is Scuola Sci Cortina. 

 

The Eating … On the slopes: I know someone who’s been coming to Cortina for over 20 years and when, one year, he discovered that Baita Piè Tofana was being renovated, he canceled his vacation. It’s insane. Even if you don’t ski, it’s worth the trip just for this place and San Brite. El Camineto offers the ultimate deck to bask in the sun, enjoy a bottle of wine, and savor exceptional pasta. It is suuuuch a scene, yet happens to have amazing food to boot. Rio Ghere might not look like much, but back in the ’50s, through the ’70s, this spot was the jam. Refuggio Averau is a winner day or night. In the daytime, you are on the top of the mountain, overlooking the Alps, eating a plate of homemade tagliatelle soaked in butter and littered with white truffle; at night, a chairlift takes you half way up while a demented posse of outlaw snowmobilers transports you the rest of the way. It’s absolutely terrifying, thoroughly thrilling, and you will either die or claim it was the greatest thing you’ve ever done. 

        Off the slopes: Two of the best restaurants in the region are partners, San Brite and El Brite de Larieto. El Brite is the less formal of the two, housed on a working farm that still smells like manure, but the food is out of this world. San Brite, meanwhile, is worthy of World's 50 Best Restaurants status. I don’t want to say anything more; just know that both have delivered some of the most special meals I’ve ever had. Lago Gehdina, tucked away in the woods by a frozen pond, is magical and always abandoned. I can’t figure out why. The food’s great, the setting is fairytale-like, everything about it is wonderful. Oh well, I guess it’s our secret … Check out Tripping with Phil for the full guide, with more secrets.

Editors Note … In lieu of hopping the next plane (or if you need some airplane reading), pick up Death in the Dolomites, a light murder mystery by David Wagner that captures the region’s landscape, cuisine, and culture — quirks and all.

As I have begun to understand what a twisty knot sustainability is, I have also come to believe this knot is one of the most interesting things about the travel industry. It is complicated, virtually unsolvable (my favorite kind of puzzle to mull over), and creates enormous possibilities. Travel operators have an inextricable impetus and opportunity to preserve land, habitats, resources, communities, and culture because their businesses rely on these things. They are the product. And travelers have the ability to participate in and drive positive impact by making thoughtful choices about where and how they travel. In today’s crazy world, it is the rare story with endless feel-good potential.

As we zoomed across the Caribbean’s shockingly cerulean waters, our point of departure — a small dock in Cancún, Mexico — receding behind us, I was struck, as I always am, by how marvelous it is to travel. 
        We were on our way to Isla Mujeres, the Island of Women, renowned as the home of Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility and healing. Our home for the long-weekend trip was Coco B Isla, a boutique hotel and wellness retreat composed of four beachside villas situated along the Sac Bajo Peninsula. The villas, each equipped with their own private pool, can be rented individually or function together as a boutique property with 26 unique suites. During our stay, the resort was operating as a hotel, which meant we had several other guests staying in our villa. 
        While we were free to do our own thing, Isla Coco B’s owners, Bridget and Jeffrey Alan, had also arranged optional activities: early morning yoga, sound healing sessions, and shared meals — one particularly incredible vegan meal was prepared onsite by visiting chef Lori Dumm. Despite our Gen X tendencies to eschew group endeavors, my husband and I found ourselves increasingly charmed by our fellow travelers, partaking in long, wine-filled meals; late-night card games; and hours-long pool hangouts. It was like summer camp, but with very good tequila and organic snacks. 
        Isla Mujeres is quite small (less than two square miles) and easily navigable, as we learned when traversing it by golf cart in search of the perfect sunset view or late-night tacos. Despite its demure size, the island still offers all of the amenities one might want from a beachy getaway: amazing food, snorkeling, diving etc., but without the hubbub (and casinos) of Cancún. We were mostly content to do as little as possible, other than take the occasional pool dip and low-impact beach stroll, but before leaving we joined a few of our new friends on a chartered boat trip — a leisurely ride that circumnavigated the island before dropping anchor a few miles offshore. We took turns diving off the back of the boat into the calm ocean, bobbing around in water so clear that, even at 30 feet deep, it looked as if you could reach down and touch the bottom. I tried before being lured back onboard by large bowls of fresh ceviche. 
        On our last night, our hosts arranged a farewell dinner. What could have been just another delicious meal became surprisingly poignant after someone suggested we all share a favorite quote, a book we love, or our favorite piece of art. It was a nice reminder that, when everything works in concert, even a short getaway can reset your dials and remind you what it’s like to be a citizen of the world. 

My first time in Cuba was in 2016. Obama had just loosened a 54-year-long travel restriction and Fidel Castro had passed away a month prior, so it felt like the right time to visit a place that had long been at the top of my list.
        Havana exists in a beautiful time capsule, a magical daydream come true. The absence of skyscrapers allows sunlight and live music to cascade through the streets, where meticulously maintained vintage cars cruise like moving museums. Limited internet access means there is more presence in the moment — conversations flow differently as people aren't as tethered to the digital world. The spirit of Havana is palpable in every interaction.
        What started as a single journey evolved into an annual tradition spanning four years. Each return deepened my connection to both the place and its people, allowing me to witness Havana's gentle evolution while appreciating how its fundamental character remained. The city became less of a destination and more of a relationship that continued to unfold.