Casa de Campo
A 7,000-acre gated resort community in La Romana, known for Pete Dye golf, a Portofino-style marina and the hilltop village of Altos de Chavón.
Travel guides, one destination at a time.
Explore where to stay, what to do and the practical details that shape a trip.
Know the destination before you choose your stay.
The Destination File is a travel publication covering Mexico, the Caribbean and the Alps. Our researched guides help you compare places to stay, discover beaches, skiing, golf and dining, and understand the practical details that shape your trip—from arrival and transport to access and seasonality. Explore by destination or start with the question you’re planning around.
Explore destinations
Los Cabos
The southern tip of Baja California Sur: Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo and the coastal Corridor between them, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific.
Punta Cana
The Dominican Republic’s easternmost coast: long beaches, gated communities such as Puntacana Resort & Club and Cap Cana, and some of the Caribbean’s best golf.
Tulum
A town, a beach zone and a protected coast on Mexico’s Caribbean shore, with Maya ruins above the sea and cenotes inland.
Puerto Vallarta
A port city on Banderas Bay with a historic center, hillside villa neighborhoods and a south shore of boat-only beaches.
Costalegre
Jalisco’s quiet Pacific coast between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo: private estates, dry forest and empty beaches.
Cozumel
Mexico’s largest Caribbean island: one town, a sheltered coast of villas and protected reefs, and a wild windward shore.
Playa del Carmen
A lively Riviera Maya beach town with Quinta Avenida, the Cozumel ferry and Playacar’s gated beachfront villas.
Verbier
A high Alpine village in Valais, Switzerland, and the gateway to the 4 Vallées ski area, known for its expert and off-piste terrain.
Whistler
A pedestrian resort village in British Columbia at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, about two hours north of Vancouver, busy in both winter and summer.
Zermatt
A car-free village beneath the Matterhorn in Valais, with high-altitude skiing linked to Italy and year-round glacier terrain.
Punta Mita
A private, gated development on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in Nayarit, with the Four Seasons and St. Regis inside its gates and golf on two Jack Nicklaus courses.
St Barts
A small French island in the Caribbean with a Swedish past, a harbor capital at Gustavia and a dozen main beaches.
Antigua
An English-speaking Caribbean island known for its many beaches, a UNESCO-listed naval dockyard and some of the region’s best sailing.
Grand Cayman
The largest of the three Cayman Islands: Seven Mile Beach, calm North Sound waters, easy flights from the US and a quieter east and north coast.
Anguilla
A flat, quiet British Overseas Territory north of St Martin, known for long white-sand beaches, beach restaurants and a low-key island pace.
St Martin
One Caribbean island with two sides: French Saint-Martin in the north and Dutch Sint Maarten in the south, sharing an open border, a major airport and dozens of beaches.
How Luxury Vacation Rental Rates Work—and What Your Quote Should Include
A price for your dates, a “from” rate or a rate confirmed on request: what each one means for villas, chalets and other luxury vacation homes—and what your written quote should include before you pay.
Read the guide: How Luxury Vacation Rental Rates Work—and What Your Quote Should Include
Plan your trip
Best Time to Visit Punta Mita
Seasonal weather patterns, rainfall and activities to consider when choosing your travel dates.
Getting to Punta Mita: Airport, Transfers, and Routes
The airport you fly into, how long the drive really takes, the four ways to make it, and what to settle before you land.
Where to Stay in Punta Mita: Areas and Communities
How the gated development and the town outside its gates differ, and which part of Punta Mita suits which kind of stay.
Latest
All guides
Riviera Maya Yacht Charter: Planning a Private Day at Sea
Marinas, boats, weather and the questions that decide whether a charter day goes well.
Playacar, Playa del Carmen: A Guide to the Villa Enclave
A gated neighborhood of beach houses a short walk from Quinta Avenida, and how it differs from the golf-course side.
Where to Stay in Playa del Carmen: Areas Compared
Downtown for energy, Playacar Phase 1 for a private beach house within walking distance, Phase 2 for golf and resorts.
Beaches
All beaches guides
The South Shore of Puerto Vallarta: Mismaloya to Yelapa
Where Highway 200 ends and the pangas take over: Mismaloya, Los Arcos, the boat-only beaches and villas between jungle and sea.
Palmilla in Los Cabos: Beach, Golf and the Gated Enclave
A sheltered swimming cove, 27 holes of Nicklaus golf and a gated residential enclave on the San José side of the Corridor.
Beachfront Stays in Los Cabos: What Beachfront Really Means
Beachfront, oceanfront and ocean view are three different positions. How to tell them apart, and which beaches in front of a property actually suit swimming.
Meads Bay vs Shoal Bay East: Where Should You Stay?
The two best-known bases compared on dining, atmosphere, accommodation, transport and distance from the ferry
Ski
All ski guides
Skiing in Whistler: Planning Your First Ski Trip
Mountain orientation, lift access, lessons, rentals, beginner terrain and how to organise a ski day.
Verbier vs Zermatt vs Courchevel: Which Alpine Resort Suits You?
How three of the Alps’ best-known resorts compare on skiing, access, atmosphere and who they suit.
Skiing in Zermatt: The Matterhorn Ski Paradise Explained
The three lift bases, glacier terrain, the link to Italy, lift passes and off-piste safety.
When to Visit Zermatt: Ski Season, Summer Skiing and Hiking
Winter and peak weeks, spring skiing, summer hiking and glacier skiing, and the quieter shoulder months.
Golf
All golf guides
Punta Mita’s 2026 Club Access Fee: What Changed for Renters
The owner membership that used to cover rental guests now stops at the owner - what the replacement fee costs, who it exempts, and what varies by residence
Golf in Punta Cana: Corales, La Cana and Punta Espada
Courses by Tom Fazio, P.B. Dye and Jack Nicklaus, who can play them, and how to plan a golf trip.
Golf at Casa de Campo: Teeth of the Dog, Dye Fore and The Links
Three Pete Dye courses, who can play, how tee times work, and the rules on caddies and dress.
Golf in Los Cabos: Courses, Access, and How to Plan
Sort the courses by who can actually play them, where they sit, and what to confirm before booking tee times.
Dining
All dining guides
Where to Eat in St Martin: A Practical Dining Guide
Grand Case lolos and restaurants, Marigot, Orient Bay, Simpson Bay and Philipsburg compared, with side, prices and seasons
Where to Eat in Anguilla: A Practical Dining Guide
Dining areas, beach restaurants and bars, local food, reservations and the seasonal closures that catch visitors out
Where to Eat in Whistler: A Practical Dining Guide
Dining by area and occasion, from village fine dining to Creekside, Function Junction and lunch on the mountain.
Where to Eat in Verbier: Mountain Lunches, Après-Ski and Dinner
Mountain lunches, Valais specialities, après-ski and fine dining, with booking and transport tips.
Inside The Destination File
Our guides bring together destination information, accommodation choices and practical planning details. Sources are listed with each guide, and ownership interests in recommended rental businesses are disclosed.