The best places to go to escape the cold this winter

Key West, Florida

Florida is a US vacay staple for a reason; with both Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines, the state is all about the beaches. Skip over Fort Lauderdale and South Beach, however, and hole up at the Ocean Key Resort & Spa, where tasteful island-themed decor and a convenient locale – near Old Town, Mallory Square and Key West Harbor – set you up for an exceedingly relaxed stay. Right out the hotel’s front door, you’ll want to hit Duval Street a 1.25-mile stretch through downtown Key West that serves as the epicenter for all things eating, shopping and drinking. When hunger hits, head for Louie’s Backyard, a cafe-style Caribbean-American restaurant that resides in a Victorian home right on the ocean. No surprise, all of their top-billed plates are seafood, including cracked conch with mango chutney and sautéed gulf shrimp.

RELATED: 9 Hotels We Absolutely Love in the Florida Keys

Havana, Cuba

Okay, okay, before you go trying to prove us wrong, we realize that *technically* American citizens still haven’t been given the full go-ahead for travel to Cuba. That said, many restrictions have been lifted and if you want to go badly enough, you can (more on that here). Once you’re over the border, you’ll be in need of a welcome drink. Do so like Hemingway, and head for his favorite bar, Floridita, on the corner of Obispo and Monserrate, and order a daiquiri. For dinner, there’s La Cocina de Lilliam, a lush family-run patio restaurant that has served Cuban favorites – like arroz con pollo, fried green plantains, and tres leches cake – to guests as distinguished as President Jimmy Carter. Not far from Plaza de Armas – Havana’s oldest square – check into the Hotel Florida, an impressive Colonial boutique with 25 rooms surrounding an airy ground-floor courtyard with a retractable glass roof.

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Beach bums listen up; Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, has 42 miles of supreme sand (in black pebble and blonde varieties). RedLevel at Gran Melia Palacio de Isora – Tenerifeputs you right near two of the island’s best: Alcala and Los Gigantes Beaches. It also makes a great basecamp for day trips to the crater-, volcano- and petrified lava-filled landscape of Teide National Park. Between refreshing dips in the North Atlantic and driving through the snow-capped peaks of Mount Teide, sneak in a meal at the well-hidden Lucas Maes. Inside the restaurant’s mansion digs, you’ll be served up seasonal dishes like ravioli with chanterelles, truffles and parmesan and bluefin tuna wrapped in sweet potato puree, tomato chutney, soy and ginger vinaigrette.

Martinique

If your idea of an amazing warm weather holiday entails fantastic eats and white sand-beaches, set your sights on the French Caribbean isle of Martinique. The enchanting island combines the food, customs and the flair of the French, with the Caribbean’s abundance of beautiful landscapes. Explore Martinique’s bustling, postcard-perfect capital, Fort-de-France, stopping to snap photos of its palm-fringed pathways, seafront restaurants and multicolored homes with balconies overflowing with flowers. After browsing the stalls of fruit and homemade rum at Chez Carole, the cavernous covered market, bring your appetite to the market’s eponymous eatery, where you can dig into the country’s signature codfish fritters, coconut chicken and succulent stewed octopus. Your digs are the ultra-luxe villas at Le Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa, Martinique’s most exclusive resort with a serene oceanfront setting and a extensive roster of water activities (think: snorkeling, private boat rides, windsurfing and paddle boarding).

Kauai

A warm-weather escape doesn’t necessarily imply lazing on the beach or vegging out around the pool. If you’d rather take to the outdoors and get moving, consider Kauai. The greenest and oldest of the islands, Kauai has towering cliffs, plunging valleys, gushing waterfalls and verdant hills, making it a destination ripe for outdoor enthusiasts. Start your adventures with a bird’s-eye view of the gorgeous island on a Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour of the Waimea Canyon, then, for an up-close perspective, hike the rugged cliff tops of the 11-mile Kalalau Trail. Want to feel the wind in your hair, instead? Opt for a thrilling sailboat ride around the Ne Pali Coastline — a majestic series of valleys, fluted walls and sheer ridges rising thousands of feet from the Pacific. Lay your head at the brand-new Lodge at Kukui’ula, a collection of two- and three-bedroom cottages on a 1,000-acre South Shore resort community.