From time to time, our friends at the charming rental site BoutiqueHomes point us toward hidden gems all over the world, and the even lovelier innkeepers who take care of them.Native Sicilians and design duo Guido Alessandro Coffa and Ada Calabrese discovered a slightly run-down villa near Catania, Sicily, in 2007. What began as a private residential project morphed into a small, unique, environmentally conscious boutique hotel. Overlooking

Theres nothing better than getting the low-down from a traveler who is truly passionate about the place. Writer and editor Felisa Rogers has a family lineage sprung from a Mexican guide book. Literally. She dropped in on San Miguel de Allende, and called out a few old highlights and new favorites.SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico – I first traveled to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, when I was two months old. My parents were travel writers w

MILAN — From the outside, Palazzo Parigi Hotel & Gran Spa looks like any of Milans modern office buildings — glassy windows, metal frame, business-y. Just take a deep breath and walk inside. If the magnificent Murano glass chandelier doesnt blow your mind, then the I wanna wear a ballgown and traipse down this luscious marble staircase will. Palazzo Parigi is neoclassical luxe with a French twist throughout its ten flo

Andrea Lee of Uri Tours does the travel impossible: She lead tours into North Korea. For more than ten years, the Korean-American former attorney has arranged trips for everyone from curious and adventurous travelers to high-profile tourists like Dennis Rodman and Googles Eric Schmidt. Howd she get started? Whats it like to travel in a repressed and outsider country? Fathoms Daniel Schwartz got the debrief.Stay tuned for more: Fathoms explo

In relocating from Los Angeles to London this year, British journalist Liza Foreman found repatriation made much more delightful by a couple of hotel gems, one in the city and one in a place most people could not identify on a map.LONDON – Serving until 1938 as the headquarters for the British newspaper The Morning Post, One Aldwych hotel in Convent Garden in central London retains something of the news feel about it, which is perhaps what

Poetry and simplicity meet on unassuming residential street in Mexico City in the former home of Mexican architect Luis Barragán.MEXICO CITY – For all of the leafy boulevards, crumbling beaux art mansions, and deco flourishes I encountered on my many ambles through Mexico City, its the modernist buildings of Luis Barragán that I think about most when I think of the D.F. The famous Mexican architect and urban planner, highly influential in t

The quickest way to get to New Orleans? Just follow the funky bassline.NEW YORK CITY – The other night, while lying on the couch in my living room, I swear I was transported to New Orleans.My husband had just set up his new audiophile sound system: A Rega RP3 turntable, Leben CS-300 Amplifier, Bellari Pre-Amp, and pair of Rosewood Dynaudio speakers. (Take that, mp3 player.)Then he put on a Soul Jazz record called New Orleans Funk, The

Whether schools out, summer Fridays are about to begin, or youve banked your vacation days at work, there comes a time when you must face the question everyones asking: What are you going to do on your summer vacation?Here at Fathom, weve been compiling our lists and checking them twice (summer vacay is Christmas for us) — on the look out for cool neighborhoods to explore, festivals to attend, road trips to take, lakes to jump in

Last time we checked in with the ladies behind El Camino, they were surfing the Emerald Coast of Nicaragua. This time, the tour company took a small group on a picture-perfect trip to Cartagena (with the help of professional photographer and co-founder Marianna Jamadi).CARTAGENA, Colombia – You cant really take a bad photo in Cartagena. While the Old Town is ripe with beautiful Colonial architecture and bright, bold walls, there a

After a weekend with friends in the Danish capital, Peter and Fiona Boman — featured on our 24 Best Travelers on Steller and 24 Best Instagrams to Follow — shared stunning photos from their trip.De Fire Arstider is a great little café/restaurant/bar by The Meat Packing District. It opens early and closes late (10 a.m.–11 p.m.).Statens Museum for Kunst displays art dating from the 14th century through the present day in a space w

INSTAGRAM – Learning a new language is hard, but everyone should at least grasp a few key words before traveling to a new place. We pulled some of the best photos on Instagram from Spanish-speaking destinations to help you learn a few things.COMING UP NEXT WEEK: OUT OF THIS WORLDInstaTrip is a Sunday roundup of the best Instagram photos of the destination or travel theme were featuring that week. Next up: Out Of This World. Tag photos

INSTAGRAM – Want to impress the locals on your next Roman holiday? We pulled some of the best photos on Instagram to help you lose your tourist vibe.COMING UP NEXT: WELLNESS WEEKInstaTrip is a Sunday roundup of the best Instagram photos of the destination or travel theme were featuring that week. Next up: Wellness Week. Tag photos that show your zen moments #FathomInstatrip before Friday. Well publish the best ones we find on Fathom.FOLLOW

SoCal photographer Karen Bianchi took a family trip to Italy but first made a detour through France. She reports back with stunning photos and effusive love for a tiny vacation rental in St. Remy-de-Provence.So, what brought you to Provence?I had originally planned a family trip to Italy to try out a few villas in Veneto Umbria. But I adore France, so I decided to tack on a couple of weeks for a little road trip with a friend before my fami

Victoria Lewis is covering Italy from tip to toe. She started on the southern coast with a beautiful report of simple, sunbaked Puglia. She checks in from the north with an itinerary for the low-key lakes in the Italian Lakes District. LAKES DISTRICT, Italy – When my boyfriend and I told our friends that we were planning to spend a few days in the Lakes District of Italy, their inevitable response was: Oh, Lake Como? No, not Como. Garda and

Fathom editor Berit Baugher recently returned from a long weekend in St. Andrews, the ancient university and golfing town in Scotlands Fife region.THE SCENEIn its heart of hearts, St. Andrews is a quaint seaside village that happens to be the birthplace of golf, the home of Scotlands oldest university, and the meeting place of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. These attractions could easily transform the tiny town into a giant commerc

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – Like us, she had read Anne Franks diary when she was a girl and finally had the opportunity to travel to Amsterdam to visit Anne Frank House. The woman was probably in her 40s. She was an American from Atlanta. She had a kind face and she was alone.She struck up a conversation with my girlfriend, Rosella, while we were examining a small-scale model of the rooms where Anne and her family hid during

Fathom contributing editor Erica Firpo has reported for us about the art scene around Europe, especially in her hometown, Rome. This time, shes the making the art with #EmptyMuseo, a new Instagram museum project she recently launched.ROME – A few months ago, my husband Darius Arya (who also writes for Fathom) and I started to do the math:Italy + cultural heritage + Instagram = an incredible conversation.Only we wanted to make that conversat

You worked your butt off this year and now its time to relax. Enjoy your time off with these one-day and overnight itineraries around greater Conneticut.CONNETICUT – From the snow-covered hills of Litchfield County to the cosmopolitan offerings of Greenwich and New Haven, theres plenty to do when the temperature drops in Connecticut. Bundle up and bask in your day of freedom. Start your day with an acai bowl at Green & Tonic. Phot

Fathom contributing editor Christina Ohly has lived in London on and off for years. Now based in NYC, she recently checked in to a Victorian townhouse in Londons Notting Hill thats been updated with stylish modern charm, a serious art collection, and a killer chef serving snacks behind the bar.CHECKING INOverviewYou may know the areas in and around Londons W2, W8, and W11 post codes as Kensington and Notting HIll, but I consider them my sec

As a Viennese resident with Austrian Jewish grandparents as her guides, Deborah Uri discovered pockets of Jewish Vienna in elegant coffeehouses, hidden temples, and the worlds most famous artwork. She put together a daylong walking tour of the best the city has to offer.VIENNA – To me, Vienna is one of the most captivating cities in Europe. Its historical significance and charm are found literally everywhere you walk in the citys first dist