MERIDA

This year, ‘The White City’ has the honour of being the entire Americas’ Capital of Culture. Set apart both culturally and geographically from the rest of Mexico, Mérida is where Mayan culture meets Spanish colonial architecture. Traces of its wealthy past can be seen on the elegant boulevard of Paseo de Montejo, which is based on the Champs-Elysées. Join the locals and savour the music that echoes around every city street or visit the historic Plaza Grande, home to the oldest cathedral in the Americas.

This page, clockwise from top left: traditional Japanese dancers; Mérida’s relaxed vibe invites; selling produce at the local market; saunter through Bordeaux’s winding alleys; views towards the vineyards; Okinawa is a surprisingly warm and...