Ringed by mountains and crowned by a spectacular fortress, Spain’s sunniest city mixes shopping centres and tapas bars with a mediaeval old town of narrow streets and tranquil squares. Along the coast you can find fishing villages, popular resorts, secluded beaches and the wild landscape of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park.

Chosen as a winter refuge by Thomas Edison at the turn of the last century, Fort Myers sits away from busier and more opulent Florida centers, maintaining the carefree, low-key atmosphere of a sea town. Assuming beach life is Fort Myers's only attraction would be a mistake: the town center boasts a vibrant street life, with a plethora of indie art galleries and interesting spots for history and science lovers. The area's natural beauty continues inland, where protected animal species take shelter among mangroves and narrow bayou bends.

Sitting proudly on the shores of Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is a city ablaze with the neon glare of the 21st century, moving at a slower and much more manageable pace than its better-known siblings from Honshu. There is plenty of Japanese flavours to be had here, both figuratively and in the very direct sense of the word, along with a lot of uniquely local flair for those looking to cast their nets wider than the staples of Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka.

Home to Chianti wine, the Medicis and the Strozzis, Michael Angelo's David, Elba Island where Napoleon was exiled, and the legendary cities of Florence and Pisa, Tuscany is the fertile crescent of Italy where art, history and the pleasures of life shine on. Evergreen landscapes and breathtaking sights serves as cradle to the Italian culture and civilisation to thrive, and it remains today as one of the most appreciated Italian regions - one where the visitor might need to pinch on their arm to know they are not dreaming.