A Perfect Mediterranean Summer, the World Cup, and an Insider’s San Juan: What We're Reading This Month

My Favorite Condé Nast Traveler Stories This May

Hi there! I’m Shannon, Condé Nast Traveler’s senior editor for destinations. I recently returned from a long maternity leave to so much happening here at Traveler this spring; our annual Hot List and the launch of exciting new local-led itineraries, including some penned by our own global editors.

This month I’m squarely back in the swing of traveling, too, with my first solo international trip back occurring at the end of May to a place I’ve never been before and have much to learn about (the island of Crete) in a country I love to visit regularly as a way to connect with and learn more about my mom’s proud roots in Greece. I’m also hitting the road domestically soon, on my husband and I’s first family trip with our seven-month-old twins in tow—a repeat visit to Cleveland to see friends and attend a tournament-round FIFA soccer match (Brazil v. Egypt, the latter of which my husband’s famly hails from!) ahead of the 2026 World Cup starting next month. May is one of my favorite times of the year for Destinations, our digital guides product, as we kick off the high season of travel; a time so many people rely on our itineraries and local experts in order to navigate the globe.

Below are five of my favorite stories from this month, a mix of guides and features as well as some exciting new lists and the news you need to know before hitting the skies this summer. Where are you heading this year? Happy summer travel planning, and happy reading.

—Shannon McMahon, senior editor, destinations
@shanmcmahon

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The World-Class Art and Breathtaking Nature of the Mid-Maine Fine Arts Trail

One of my favorite local trips to take (I’m based in Boston, just 90 minutes from Maine) has become an out secret over the past decade—cozy Portland and the central coast’s sweeping ocean views are now near-impossible to snag hotel reservations in if you have any inkling of visiting in the warmer months. But Vacationland (if you know, you know) has so much more than just coastline; the state’s long tradition of preserving and showcasing the arts is on colorful, complex display on its Fine Arts Trail, an itinerary than can carry a long weekend through lakes, shorelines, and state-of-the-art museums chock-full of O’Keeffes, Homers, and Katzes aplenty. For an especially crowd-free version of this itinerary, head to Maine in spring or fall on the advice of our local expert—that’s outside of the wedding- and high-season travel that can sometimes make the iconic state and national parks here feel more like Disneyland than Vacationland.

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Thailand, Bangkok, Restaurant, Supanigga Eating Room

The Best Restaurants in Bangkok

It’s always restaurant season for us at Traveler, whether we’re scouting our local hotspots in NYC and beyond, or talking to our locally based contributors across the globe about what’s moving and shaking their city culinarily. This month brought a total revamp of our Bangkok guide thanks to our stellar food writer based there—and this list is motivating me to finally tick the Big Mango off my list by way of fiery curries, tender noodles, and even a Mediterranean-inspired spot with multiple Michelin stars. Bangkok is one of the most creative food cities in the world, and this list is sure to make your mouth water.

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3 Perfect Days in San Juan, According to Local Designer Herman Nadal

Our newly-launched guides column is a slew of three-day itineraries penned by the minds we know our readers value most; local creators with a keen eye for their home cities’ art, design, and the world-class hospitality scene writ large. San Juan being one of my absolute favorite cities in the world for art, food, outdoors, and architecture, I can’t recommend fashion designer Herman Nadal’s itinerary to the city enough—it’s got all the best places to eat, stay, and swim, plus a few doses of nostalgia that don’t stray from his impeccable taste.

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Travel Specialists Share Their Ideas for a Perfect Mediterranean Summer

A personal travel hack of mine—before I plan any trip I check in on the expertise of our travel specialists and what they're seeing out in the travelverse in real time. Accordingly, this piece looking to them for guidance the kind of trip we all love to take in summer, the Mediterranean, has helped inform some of me and my family members’ personal trips this year, from Portugal (where I’ve convinced my parents to stopover soon) to the Egyptian coast (where my husband and I head with family every August). It gets bonus points from me for including the quietly incredible five-star wellness resorts that have sprung up in my grandparents’ tiny home village of Mystras, in Greece’s Pelopponese, as well as some shiny names on the Cote d’Azur, Amalfi, and more. This summer there’s so much to uncover on Turkey’s beaches and on Egypt’s North Coast—Sahel, to those who know it. The Mediterranean is so much more than Italy and Spain, afterall.