Things to Do in Riviera Maya & The Yucatan

A tour of the sprawling palace complex of Beiteddine, set in the rolling highlands 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Beirut, is a stroll through the sanctum of ancient Lebanese royalty. Easily the nation’s best example of 19th century Lebanese architecture, the manicured landscape and intricate buildings have been called the “Alhambra of Lebanon”, a nod to the calming and regal atmosphere permeating the palace grounds.

Commissioned in 1778 by Emir Bashir Chehab II, it was built over the span of 30 years by craftsmen and architects from Syria to Italy who sculpted the palace into a masterpiece of architectural and cultural fusion. Of particular interest are the ornate rooms of the emir’s private apartment quarters, the Dar El Harim, where private balconies provide views of the surrounding valleys and elaborate mosaic floors rest beneath carved marble walls. In the same section of the palace are the Hammam baths, which, in keeping with Roman tradition, feature three rooms of distinct temperature where guests and royalty could relax in the soothing waters.

Across from the Dar El Harim are the stable grounds where the 600 horses they once housed have been replaced by an extensive collection of Byzantine mosaics dating as far back as the 5th and 6th century AD. Other museums similarly occupy the modern day palace grounds, and stops such as the Rashid Karami Archeological and Ethnographic Museum offer a large collection of Bronze-Age pottery, gold jewelry and ancient Roman glass.

Though much of Beiteddine is open to viewing by the public, portions of the palace are still privately occupied, acting as the summer residence of Lebanon’s President. Visitors wanting to get a feel for an overnight stay in a Lebanese palace can book into one of the 24 rooms at nearby Mir Amin Palace, a stunningly restored five-star hotel which was once the private residence of Emir Amine, son of Bashir Chehab II.

Fuchsia-pink flamingoes are the highlight at the on-site zoo, but it’s the fish that win all the accolades at Bermuda’s well-regarded Aquarium, one of the territory’s most popular attractions.

Audio guides provide information about the specimens displayed in each tank, which are kitted out to re-create Bermuda’s marine ecosystems.

On show are around 200 species of fish, plus a living coral reef (the first in the world) that’s a must-see if you’re planning on doing any diving while in Bermuda, preparing you for the wonders of the deep that await.

Along with parrot fish, puffers and groupers, there are loggerhead turtles, sharks and green turtles. Seal-feeding time is especially popular, along with interactive tours.

The natural history museum is ideal for families, with hands-on discovery activities and animal storytelling for younger kids. The museum’s exhibits provide a fascinating overview of Bermuda’s plants and animals, with fossils, taxidermied creatures, shells and geological specimens to browse.

An unusual museum 30 feet (nine meters) beneath Fort Canning Hill, the secretive British military fort known as Battlebox once played an important role in Singapore’s history. Used by the Malaya Command to defend Singapore during World War II, the bunker was where Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival ultimately surrendered Singapore to the Japanese, marking the decline of the British Empire. Today, the cavernous space is filled with lifelike wax mannequins and antique photos and video clips that depict what it was like to live and strategize within the gray, 29-room labyrinth during the final days of the war.
 
The Basics

A gleaming retro-Byzantine confection of Roman columns and religious iconography, the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière is visible, by design, from almost anywhere in Lyon. Today it is the symbol of the city and Lyon's most visited attraction, well worth the climb just to enter the outrageous interior. 

Completed in 1896 as a challenge to secular forces then gaining power in France (like Sacré-Coeur Montmartre), the basilica's gleaming marble, gold gilt, fantastic stained glass, and borderline hallucinogenic ceiling are meant to impress. And they do.

In addition to the basilica and an adjacent chapel dedicated to a particularly miraculous Virgin Mary, both free to the public, this site also offers an observatory, museum, and fantastic views.

With its mixture of gourmet markets, cutting-edge drinking holes, and historic landmarks, Paris' Bastille neighborhood allows travelers to escape the city's bustling center and discover the "Parisian's Paris." Boutique and bohemian, Bastille buzzes with creativity, most evident in the shops and artist studios that populate its streets. The heart of the area is Place de la Bastille, the former home of the Bastille fortress, where traffic whirls at a roundabout topped by the 170-foot (52-meter) Colonne de Juillet.

Versailles’ chateau gardens are vast, laid out in formal French style and famed for their geometrically aligned terraces, tree-lined paths and, notably, their ponds.

Of all the lovely fountain pools gracing the Versailles gardens, the Bassin de Neptune is the largest.

Designed by famed landscape artist Le Notre and laid out between 1661 and 1700, the fountain features three groups of statues, including Neptune and Amphitrite.

A new fountain installed by Louis XV in the 1730s was acclaimed for the force and variety of its jets water playing over the sculptural groups. In all, the fountain boasts 99 water effects and is fronted by the lovely Dragon Fountain

In summer, Bassin de Neptune is a focus for a display of choreographed fireworks, spectacularly reflected in the fountain’s expansive pool.

Located in the High Estremadura region of central Portugal, Batalha is an attractive town with plenty of excellent shops and restaurants surrounding one of Portugal’s most sacred sites. The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória was commissioned by Portugal’s King João I to commemorate the country’s independence from Spain after the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385.

Some 200 years in its evolution, the Dominican monastery is UNESCO World Heritage-listed as it represents the very pinnacle of Portuguese Gothic and Manueline architecture; its chapter house in particular is an elaborate interweaving of pinnacles, gargoyles and rounded spires over two levels. The fine, lacy façade is studded with intricate stonework that resembles Indian temple carvings, and leads on to a surprisingly unembellished interior, with high Gothic vaulted roof over the nave and stained-glass windows through which sunlight dances on summer days. Around the main body of the church lie several chapels, the stark Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and two tranquil cloisters accessed from a doorway in the north wall in front of the choir.

Batalha monastery became the burial church of the Aviz dynasty Portuguese kings. The Capelo do Fundador to the right of the main entrance is the final resting place of King João I, his wife Queen Philippa of Lancaster and their third son, Prince Henry the Navigator, who expanded Portuguese trade routes into north Africa and died in 1460. A massive equestrian statue of military leader Nuno Álvares Pereira stands guard on the paved piazza outside the monastery; it was he who led his 6,500 troops to victory at Aljubarrota and ended medieval Spanish domination of Portugal.