Nature Reigns at This Private-Island Resort in Panama
Thrill-chasing
Just off Panama’s Pacific coast, Islas Secas is a 32-guest island hideaway where the catch of the day makes it to the dinner table, and scuba trips reveal octopus, barracuda, and the occasional whale shark. Virtuoso, The Magazine managing editor Justin Paul recently visited the private-island resort – his story on the action-packed escape is below. Plus: What it’s like on a personalized wellness retreat to SHA Mexico, and the hotels we love in the Turks and Caicos.
Nature Reigns at Panama’s Islas Secas
For years, Panama has been tipped as Costa Rica’s scruffier adventure-travel neighbor on the cusp. Nature and outdoor activities abound on both its Caribbean and Pacific coasts, but except for a handful of expedition cruises, access required a hardy road-trip approach, a patchwork of local boat charters, and a willingness to trade creature comforts for the privileges of its reefs, remote islands, and rainforest jungle.
I Went to a Wellness Clinic in Mexico to Get My Health Optimized
When I arrive at the wellness retreat just outside Cancún, I’m not sure what to make of the immersive experience awaiting me over the next four days. The SHA complex, with its airy, spiraling design subtly echoing the double helix of human DNA, seems to hint that every detail has some biological purpose. I’d come for the “rebalance and energize” program meant to clear my head and power up my cells, but the daily schedule is packed tighter than my carry-on.
The Best Luxury Resorts in the Turks and Caicos
When I first visited the Turks and Caicos in 1996 (I’ve been back several times since), you could look up and down Grace Bay Beach’s three-mile expanse and see no footprints but your own – just swaths of sand as fine and white as confectioner’s sugar, and gin-clear, impossibly blue water stretching to the sky. The sweep that was once my secret may now be lined with swanky resorts, but it remains as beautiful as ever.
An Art and Food Lover’s Guide to Barcelona
Picasso in the late nineteenth century, the avant-garde chefs redefining Spanish cuisine today – Barcelona has long been a muse for creatives. While Spain’s sunny seaside city lures travelers in the summer with its beachfront promenade and late nights in architectural-wonder-packed neighborhoods, peak season isn’t the only time to soak up the Catalonian capital’s cultural and culinary prowess.
Alejandro Gallegos, general manager of Mexico City’s
, shares what he’s been loving lately.
Packing:
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones
and my
Reading:
and
. Both offer thoughtful perspectives on global trends and design-forward experiences.
Watching:
– an intense, beautifully shot series that captures the energy, emotion, and exacting standards behind culinary operations. As someone in hospitality, it’s as inspiring as it is authentic.
Dreaming of: Kyoto.
Pioneering researcher
, a leader in environmental stewardship, passed away this week. LA28 ticket sales
. MoMA’s first
just opened in Seoul. Cuyana dropped new colors for its beloved
(and don’t forget to pack some
!). A
of artist Nancy Holt’s large-scale Sun Tunnels is now on display in New York City.
