For eco-tourists who crave adventure there are few places better than Parque Nacional Corcovado, a biodiverse smorgasbord of tropical rainforest, coastline and wildlife. Puerto Jimenez is a great base for those who wish to explore the park via one of several local touring companies, but it’s also got its own thing going on, including an impressive wildlife sanctuary, some lovely restaurants and an excellent local crafts shop.

Legend has it that notorious pirate Sir Francis Drake hid his treasures somewhere in Drake Bay, hence the name. Doubloons or not, there are plenty of natural treasures to marvel over, like lush rainforests and colorful sea life. Invest in a guided hiking, diving, fishing, tubing or treetop canopy tour to get the full Drake Bay experience. “Tracie the Bug Lady” even offers a night tour to acquaint you with all of the local creepy crawlies.

You can easily fill a week with activities in and around the mountain village of Boquete. Tours of every sort—jungle tours, coffee estate tours, hiking tours. Adventures for every age—ATVs, zip lines, white water rafting. Or just relax and let your travelling companions do all the adventuring. Boquete's good for taking it easy, too.

Surf, dive, snorkel, beach comb, horseback ride, bicycle, or relax in a hammock in Dominical. Take a stress-relieving yoga class at Bamboo YogaPlay. Enjoy beach restaurants serving up everything from East Indian curries and Italian pastas and pizzas to local gallo pinto and shots of anise-infused sugarcane liquor. Savor lonely beaches populated by pelicans, frigate birds, brown boobies, and hardy surfers here for the waves and good beachfront food at reasonable prices. When you’ve caught up on your sleep and feel relaxed, take the family on a hike to the double-cascade waterfall at Nauyaca. Perhaps the family would be up for a horseback gallop on the beach, or a trot to a smaller waterfall like Pazo Azul, whose plunge pool is popular with local kids. There is always boogie boarding at Playa Dominicalito. Or beachcombing and dolphin-watching at Playa Dominical. Guided bird-watching, and mangrove estuary and rainforest tours are always educational. Charter a fishing boat. Catch and release big sailfish like marlin in the deep sea, or keep some tasty dinner fish like red snapper, yellowfin tuna, snook, wahoo, and dorado. In Marino Bellena National Park, humpback whales migrate south towards Dominical to escape the Arctic cold. December to April is the humpback whale mating season in Ballena (Whale) Marine National Park. May to November is the nesting season, when Olive Ridley and Hawksbill turtles do their nocturnal egg-laying on the beaches. Low tide beach combing walks can take you out to Punta Uvita Tombolo island. Snorkel, dive, and explore mangrove habitats. Or just sit with the family on the gold and white sands watching green marine iguanas sunbathe between dives into the rocks and corals to feed on marine algae.

Picturesque Laval has an ice trail in winter, with heated shelters, the interactive Armand-Frappier Museum for kids, and year-round indoor surfboarding. Explore space at the Cosmodôme and history on the Heritage Trail.

Perfectly positioned at the westernmost tip of sparkling blue Lake Superior, Duluth offers visitors a true escape from the stresses of everyday life and an opportunity to enjoy nature. You can opt for a more leisurely pace: spending time at one of the city's 23 beautiful parks, taking an unhurried drive along the scenic North Shore, bird watching at Hawk Ridge, skipping stones on the Lake with the kids. Or go for a more structured itinerary: the aquarium in the morning, lunch at a sumptuous restaurant on the waterfront plus a tour of the famous Sculpture Walk, then a visit to the historic Railroad Depot in the afternoon. Either way, you are sure to leave Duluth feeling relaxed and refreshed.

San Diego embodies laid-back California culture, complete with a Boardwalk, surfing communities, and outstanding Mexican food. Breathe in the fresh ocean air at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, then gobble down a fresh fish taco at a La Jolla seafood joint. The naval aircrafts at the USS Midway Museum will have you standing at attention. A free Sunday concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion is the perfect way to unwind after a Saturday night bar-hop in the thumping Gaslamp Quarter.

Is there any possible way Las Vegas could not be on our "best nightlife" list? The only way we could possibly omit it is on a technicality—since you can do pretty much anything 24/7 in Vegas, it might be wrong to call it "nightlife."