Playa GuionesNosara, Costa Rica

Visitors to this rustic beach on the jungle coast of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste region often return home feeling not just rested, but peaceful and rejuvenated. No, the water in Playa Guiones has no mystical healing properties. Instead, that post-vacation glow is likely due to a pair of nirvana-inspiring activities that dominate the beach and the nearby town of Nosara: surfing and yoga.

Surfing is often associated with the laissez-faire beach-bum culture of Southern California, but that’s not the case in Costa Rica, where devotees to the “Zen of Surfing” believe the sport is one of the most harmonious relationships between man and nature, requiring patience, timing and deep respect for the ocean. If that sounds like it’s worth investigating for yourself, it’s hard to imagine a better place to learn than Playa Guiones. The beach’s relative seclusion from major tourist areas, amazingly consistent breaks and friendly, knowledgeable surfing instructors make it perfect for novices looking to ride the waves to inner peace—or at least get up on a board.

If asanas are more your style than hanging 10 (or if you need to limber up before a day of surfing), the Nosara Yoga Institute, a well-respected training ground for yoga instructors, offers a variety of classes to the public—a steal at $10 a pop. Yoga classes are also on the menu at the Harmony Hotel, a relaxing retreat just a short walk to the ocean that’s beloved by regular travelers to Nosara for its friendly hosts, restorative spa and smoothie bar. Sign up for Power Flow to work up a sweat or for the Surfer’s Tune Up class to recharge before another day at sea.

Nosara is a five- or six-hour drive or a quick flight from San Jose. www.nosara.com.

Alki BeachSeattle, Washington

There are those who doubt the beach credentials of this strip of shore in West Seattle. The sand is garnished with sticks, the water is too chilly for all but the hardiest of swimmers, and the backdrop features skyscrapers instead of palm trees. Yet for savvy travelers who want to immerse themselves in the Emerald City, Alki Beach is the perfect destination. The area attracts a healthy cross-section of Seattleites—especially on bluebird days—and with its quintessentially Northwest panorama, it offers a comprehensive look at the city and its residents…not a simple feat in this oft-drizzly town that spends much of its time indoors.

Seattle might owe its reputation as a beautiful city to the views from Alki Beach. Kayakers, tugs and sailboats skim Elliott Bay; the Olympic Mountains, and occasionally even Mt. Rainier, loom in the distance; and the downtown skyline rises above the water—giving a lovely perspective on the city that other neighborhoods can’t match. It’s prime people-watching any time the sun peeks out here, when couples picnic on the sand, joggers take to the shore, and families saunter along the 2.5-mile boardwalk lined with shops and eateries.

Grab a seaside seat for brunch on the patio at Salty’s, where you can watch boats cruise the sound while filling up on a buffet that would put Vegas to shame. Don’t miss the chance to see one of the spectacular sunsets that lure Seattle shutterbugs and romantics, and rest up with a night at the Edgewater Hotel, waterfront digs with even more of those killer views.

Alki Beach is accessible via water taxi or car from downtown Seattle. www.seattle.gov.

MontaukLong Island, New York

As you leave the sardined skyline of Manhattan and drive east through the Hamptons—the storied playground of New York’s old-money elite—it’s hard to fathom your destination actually exists on the same, well, long island. But Montauk, isolated at the far end of the South Fork, is worlds away from the immaculate hedges adorning other Hampton burgs. With an untamed landscape of desolate beaches, windswept bluffs and rocky shores pounded by raging surf, Montauk emanates an almost spooky quality. Perhaps that’s why an unlikely number of paranoid fears, urban legends and conspiracy theories have been born here—making it the perfect seaside escape for lovers of mystery novels, dramatic thrillers and old-fashioned whodunit tales.

Montauk’s most recent mystery involves an unidentified creature that washed up on the beach in 2008. Dubbed the Montauk Monster by news reports, scientists believe it was more likely a raccoon than a bizarre monster. Still, the dubious yet captivating nature of the story is typical Montauk.

Investigate one of the town’s earliest legends by hiking the one-mile Money Pond Trail, so named because Captain Kidd allegedly buried treasure nearby in the 18th century. Or walk around the old barracks and huge radar tower in Camp Hero State Park, the setting for a fascinating—though widely discredited—tale involving secret military experiments. According to certain conspiracy theorists, a series of time-travel experiments were conducted here in the 1980s. Military and outside experts dismiss the claims as hooey, but it’s still fun to walk around the grounds and let your sci-fi imagination run wild.

While visiting, you could have a fabulous stay at the upscale Montauk Yacht Club, Resort and Marina, but to further indulge in the mystery-novel spirit of the trip, book a room at the Sunrise Guest House, a quiet, lovely bed and breakfast that’s just a short walk from everything.

Montauk is about 100 miles east of Manhattan and is reachable by car or via the Long Island Railroad. www.discoverlongisland.com.

Playa del CarmenRiviera Maya, Mexico

Long-time travelers will tell you that not so long ago this town on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula was a quiet fishing village with amazing white-sand beaches flanking cerulean waters. Those perfect beaches are still here, but the thousands of visitors who flock to them every year have turned the sleepy town into a small, vibrant city. Sure, there are touristy enclaves, but the influx of outsiders has helped boost one cherished aspect of Playa del Carmen: its artist and cultural community. So, if you’re the type of traveler who likes to soak in more than just the sun, make it your mission to discover the artsy side of this tropical paradise.

Modern life in Playa is rooted in the ancient Maya civilization, and to truly understand local art and culture, it’s best to start at the beginning. Chichén Itzá, about a three-hour drive from Playa, is one of the most well-known sites in the region, and its El Castillo, a pyramid whose tiered structure embodies the Maya calendar, is astounding.

Delve into Playa’s culture by perusing the folk-art shops downtown for a kitschy souvenir—you’ll support local artists and score an authentic keepsake. Or, attend a local event and you might find yourself dancing in the streets at a music festival, watching underground Mexican movies at a film festival or learning the basics of watercolor from a Mexican painter. The decadent resorts of the Riviera Maya can be tempting, especially to visitors who think “authentic” means less than savory. But the Hotel Playa del Karma will dissolve any such doubts. The tiny hotel near the center of town takes inspiration from traditional Maya villages, with thatched roofs, a color palette lifted straight from the jungle and a lush garden; and the proprietors are the most gracious hosts.

Playa is an hour-long shuttle ride from Cancún and a 30-minute ferry ride from Cozumel. www.rivieramaya.com

Half Moon BayNorthern California

When San Franciscans start to feel as though their eco-conscious habits aren’t cutting the proverbial mustard, they hop in their hybrids and head 30 miles south to Half Moon Bay, a 19th-century agricultural hamlet that has blossomed as an eco-tourism center. Thanks to open-space parks, wildlife refuges and the preservation efforts of locals, the area has retained its incredible natural bounty as well as its bucolic ambiance—albeit with some modern twists. Former homesteads are now sustainable family farms, and historic downtown buildings house galleries and boutiques instead of blacksmiths and millers. For anyone who has ever yearned to make their own cheese and then hike along a gorgeously wild oceanfront trail, Half Moon Bay should make the short list.

The wildlife here will impress even those who claim indifference. Shallow tide pools filled with colorful starfish, sea anemones and other charming critters at Fitzgerald Marine Preserve are often the first thing seasoned visitors show off to newcomers. January and February are prime months to see hundreds of voluminous elephant seals and their squirming pups at Año Nuevo State Park. And, of course, there is always an excellent chance of spotting other wildlife while hiking, biking or horseback riding along one of the too-numerous-to-name trails in the area.

Unsurprisingly, “fresh and local” is the mantra of Half Moon Bay chefs. Restaurants such as Chez Shea infuse their menus with a variety of organic ingredients, many of which come from nearby farms. If that’s not fresh enough for you, you can’t top the seasonal, artisanal dinners crafted at Harley Farms Goat Dairy. Served just steps from the land that produced the ingredients, only a handful of these intimate, five-course meals are scheduled each season.

Pamper yourself with a locally grown lavender- or pumpkin-spice spa treatment at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, a luxuriously romantic retreat perched on a cliff over the ocean. Or, book a room at the Oceano Hotel & Spa, one of the most eco-friendly hotels in the Bay Area.

Half Moon Bay is about 30 miles south of San Francisco and about 40 miles west of San Jose. www.halfmoonbaychamber.org.