There’s a lasting energy in São Paulo you’ll feel the moment you arrive. Brazil’s financial powerhouse is a melting pot of heritage and traditions found around the world. Every flavor you taste, place you visit, or art you see is a reflection of the many cultures that found home in the city.

For photographer Gleeson Paulino, it’s a goldmine of inspiration. From people to landscapes to stories of identity, Paulino’s images capture the beauty and diversity of Brazil. “My photography is a celebration of color, vibrancy, and joy,” says Paulino, “spreading appreciation for the small, yet profoundly beautiful moments in life.”

Paulino finds those small moments everywhere. From the flurry of city life to the peaceful pastures of Brazil’s backcountry. “Reconnecting with nature is incredibly healing and inspiring for me,” says Paulino.

“I have a space with friends where we are creating a vibrant creative community near São Paulo, nestled in the Atlantic Forest and devoid of service and internet. This digital detox helps me clear my mind and refresh my creativity.”

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In a place like Alagoas, it’s best to let nature do all the talking. Brazil’s small coastal state is a mosaic of beaches and jungles dotted with pristine properties uniquely attuned to the landscape.

Places like Kenoa Resort. The resort is made up of architectural suites and villas that embrace sustainable practices in every detail. Built from natural stone, landscaped with plants native to the area, pools heated with solar energy, Kenoa masters the meeting ground between luxury and nature.

Traveler’s Tip: Elevate your visit with one of the resort’s curated experiences. On boat, you can explore Barra de Sao Miguel’s reefs, beaches, and mangroves. For their exclusive oyster experience, you can take a canoe to the nearby oyster nursery for tastings, visit the oyster and honey producers, and tour the surrounding area’s river springs.

It’s hard to imagine Brazil without Rio de Janeiro. The country’s famed city by the sea has been eternalized across film, music, and literature for decades. But that shouldn’t stop you from experiencing it for yourself. At hotel Janeiro, guests have a front-seat view of the city’s iconic coast overlooking Leblon Beach. Settle into your stay with breezy, bright minimalist rooms complete with sustainable touches. Photography by Mateusz Gryta

None believe in the healing power of nature as much as Botanique Hotel, tucked into Brazil’s Triângulo das Serras between Campos do Jordão and Santo Antônio do Pinhal. Surrounded by dense forests, the property is a refuge of stillness — creating accommodations and experiences grounded in wellness of the mind, body, and spirit.

See our full list of accommodations in Brazil.

Back in São Paulo, the city sets the stage for global contemporary art at the Instituto Tomie Ohtake. With rotating exhibits, trailblazing educational programs, and exclusive events, the art institute is a hub for artists, art lovers, and everyone in between. Now through September, check out their latest exhibit, Calder+Miró, which explores the friendship between modern sculptor Alexander Calder and surrealist painter Joan Miró.

Traveler’s Tip: While you’re in the area, continue your creative pursuits with a visit to Zipper Galeria. The gallery places
a focus on new voices and perspectives in art, offering visitors an insider’s eye to the burgeoning art scene in São Paulo.

• Stop in to see Antonio and Carol of FLO Botanical Atelier to reimagine your bouquet. The duo have made a name for creating sculptures with eye catching floral and greenery — turning your simple bouquet into a stricking statement.
• Award designer Guilherme Wentz pulled out all the stop for his concept studio in Sao Paulo. Stop in for a closer look at the designer's signature furniture, lighting and decor — a collection that translates a love of organic shapes and lines into a sleek, minimalist style. Photographed by Fran Parente.

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Chile stands as a corridor between two icons. The calm of the pacific ocean on one side. The staggering Andes mountain range on the other. Within its borders is a vibrant culture that pulls from those versatile landscapes to create an identity entirely its own. That’s something fashion photographer Mairo Arde looks to achieve in every one of his works. “I look to create visually powerful images. I like drama, but I also like simple and natural things,” says Arde. “It has to awaken something in the person who sees it.”

Honest, simple, but with a lasting impact. There’s no need for a signature style when the common thread of Arde’s work — be it fashion, editorial, personal — is his natural ability to stir something in his viewers.

To do so, Arde plays with duality. We followed him to the Andes. Brutal, imposing, and extending its reach across seven countries, Mairo sees the mountain range as a barrier between Chile and its neighboring countries. But where the Andes make a physical impact, Arde looks to make a visual one. With DELSEY’s brightest luggage in tow, the photographer captured a burst of bold among the natural giant. “We wanted to show how the color of the Delsey suitcases breaks the visual monotony of the mountain.”

Find more artists in Chile here.

Just shy of the quiet, coastal Matanzas village, MarAlto’s the ultimate seaside escape. These two cabanas, designed by Croxatto and Opazo architecture, sit on stilts on the Lagunilla de Matanzas hill. Interiors are straightforward, allowing you and your travel partner to soak up the sea from every angle.

Head for the hills — or mountains, in this case — to experience the Andes on two skis. Hotel Portillo is Chile’s renowned ski in/ski out resort, open from June to September to take advantage of the mountain range’s iconic slopes. When apres-ski calls, the resort’s cozy accommodations, sleek pool, and lounge areas make it easy to unwind from up here.

Nestled into Chile’s hotspot wine country, Hotel Casablanca Spa & Wine is an airy, luscious getaway ideal for soaking up the amenities in between wine tastings in the Casablanca Valley. Explore the property’s vast grounds and find quiet nooks for rest and relaxation around every corner.

Traveler’s Tip: The Casablanca Valley wine region is known for its white varieties, specifically Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with over a dozen wineries to visit.

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Far south of Santiago, along a remote glacial lake on the edge of the Chilean border, you’ll uncover an experience 6,000 years in the making. The Cuevas de Mármol — the marble caves of Chile —  are a mesmerizing work of nature, made from centuries of waves crashing up against the calcium carbonate of the land. The silky, swirling blue caverns are only accessible by boat, but offer visitors a captivating portal into another world.

Know before you go: The marble caves are accessible from Puerto Tranquilo, a small tourist town in Patagonia. Here you can rent a kayak to explore the caves on your own or book a boat trip for a guide and group to take you there.

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When you travel like Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello, you take a piece of every destination with you as you go. New landscapes. Different cultures. The Argentinian photo duo are used to blending various perspectives into a singular vision. Every shot feels caught in a moment in time —capturing photos that look unique on the surface, but unlock a universal experience. “We hope [our photography] creates a sense of wonder, a sense of magic,” says Sanchez.

Sanchez and Monngiello play in fashion, editorial, and personal landscapes to craft one photo  with a multitude of stories —allowing you, the viewer, to uncover the narrative that speaks to you.

We followed them into the center of the city, where travelers stepped out from the shadows and into the bright sunlight with their DELSEY Paris luggage at their side. “Our aim is to evoke intrigue, using the concept of a generic city to convey a universal vibe,” says Sofia. “We want viewers to ask themselves: where are these people going? What journey are they on? And what’s their destination?”

From the memory book: In terms of the stories that stay with them, Sofia and Mauro recall their first visit to Los Angeles, traveling from the airport to the hotel. “We remember this elderly woman with beautiful, Old Hollywood bleach blonde hair who was watering her lawn in high heels and a shiny latex bodysuit. A scene that could be out of a David Lynch movie!”

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Stay in Buenos Aires’ Palermo Hollywood neighborhood and you’ll find that home is much closer than you think. At Home Hotel, a sense of belonging can be felt upon arrival. The boutique hotel creates a cozy, yet elevated experience — your home away from home, but better. Find books tucked away throughout the property, records available in your room, and a skillful concierge team to provide a local’s guide to the area. Photography by Lua Jones

You can go off the grid without compromising comfort. Surrounded by the Cordon del Plata in Potrerillo, Sendo Lodge makes use of every inch in a tiny house format to carve out a space ideal for unplugging and settling in to enjoy the view. Photography by Juliane Canova 

Find our full list of unique stays in Argentina.

North of Jujuy, Argentina’s Quebrada de Humahuaca unfurls like a mystery. The World Heritage site is a valley of dramatic rock formations shaped over thousands of years of erosion on the fringes of the Andes mountains. Make your way through and you’ll find that it’s not only their striking shapes that draw you in, but their ever-changing palette of reds, greens, and creams. At the foot of Quebrada de Humahuaca are a handful of towns — Tilcara and Purmamarca, to name a couple — with quaint stops and colorful houses to wander through. Photography by Sentidos Humanos

In Buenos Aires’ Plaza de las Naciones Unidas, a towering sculpture shows the softer side of steel and aluminum. Floralis Genérica was gifted to the city by architect Eduardo Catalano.The massive metal bloom opens and closes its petals with the morning sun and evening sunset, standing as an ever-present symbol for a fresh start. Photography by Nathana Rebouças

Though Argentina’s cities hold many treasures, the country’s natural landmarks are hard to beat. In Los Glaciares National Park, the Perito Moreno Glacier is a sight that feels extraordinarily otherworldly. Extending out for 19 miles andreaching well over 200 feet above the water, the glacier is one of the most impressive in the world. Photography by Adriana Lorena Benavides Estrada

Traveler’s Tip: There are two hikes to visit the Perito Moreno glacier, both are considered all-day excursions, so be prepared with appropriate hiking boots, water, and weather protection. Prefer to go by boat? There are both boat and kayak trips you can reserve as well.

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In Bogotá, there are many ways of seeing and living life, says photographer Natalia GW. Colombia’s capital city sits at the feet of the Guadalupe and Monserrate hills, ushering in influences from around the world into one continuous beat.

“That rhythm inevitably sets you in motion to always be doing something,” says Natalia. In her case, it’s capturing the art within fashion. Be it through the model or the details of the garment, Natalia creates vibrant and striking photos with a poetic perspective. “I’d like my work to be a scenario where we see something in its maximum expression of beauty.”

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Where you stay may typically be less important than where you go — unless you’re checking into The Somos. In Medellín the hospitality group creates a destination point of its own across three distinct venues: The Somos Beats, Flats, and Bold.

The accommodations serve as artful hideaways among El Poblado’s hip cafes and restaurants. On the outside, The Somos’ freeform designs weave greenery among curved lines and odd shapes. Inside, find amenity-packed digs that encourage you to sit and stay awhile. When you do decide to venture out, be sure to grab The Somos Guide for curated recommendations around town. 

While you’re there: Medellín sits on the fringes of a growing coffee region. Take a day trip to nearby Fredonia to visit a coffee plantation and get an inside look at the process of crafting Colombian coffee.

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Before you leave Medellín, be sure to stop into the museum of modern art. The museum is a meeting ground for both local and global artists, highlighting diverse modern works that explore themes of identity, belonging, and exploration through a wide-range of mediums.

Sometimes, nature offers up a melting pot all its own. In Colombia’s Serranía de la Macarena park, the Caño Cristales river plays host to a rainbow of colors in the summer months — blending red, blue, yellow, green, and even black to represent what’s known as the “river of five colors.” The river runs for over 60 miles, creating a sense of magic where the Amazon meets the Andes.

Find our full list of venues to check out in Colombia.