Reeling in Rio

If you measure the success of a day’s fishing by the number of fins in your basket, you’ll often return to land disappointed. As the adage goes, there’s a reason they don’t call it catching. But if catching is what you want, cast off for Rio de Janeiro, where the fish-to-angler ratio tips generously in your favor.

More than 200 species of fish lurk in the diverse waters around Rio, which means however you like to fish — fly rod or spinning reel, bait or lure, trolling or drifting — you’re bound to land something worth putting on ice. The variety of aquatic environs — along the shore, in the shallows, off the coast, among the reefs, and out on the open sea — provide a boatload of options, and challenges. The best fishing in Rio requires a boat, whether you’re going after Brazilian copperfish in the coves of Guanabara Bay or Atlantic blue marlin 20 miles out. And finding a vessel is just the beginning. Other questions rise to the surface: Where do you go for the best fishing? Where do you get equipment? How fast are the tides and how severe is the ebb?

Adventure companies like WadersOn.com can help you with all that, setting you up with local guides who provide everything required for a successful day on the water in Rio — and more. Along with rods, reels, and the appropriate gear (and, obviously, a boat with plenty of coolers for your catch, and your lunch), guides offer sightseeing tours of the city’s major attractions, as well as diving ventures and excursions to remote verdant islands in the bay.

Of course, the best thing a guide can offer is knowledge. You may find the perfect spot along Rio’s coral reef to catch black grouper, a sandy shoal to fly-cast for bonefish and snook, and even an out-of-the-way tango bar for a cool drink and a victory dance when the day is through. — Andrew Eitelbach

Go Grande

The banks of the Rio Grande inside Big Bend National Park are part of one of the most remote protected regions in the United States. It would make sense, then, that they’re also a tough place to get a good meal. But five times a year that’s not the case. San Antonio–based restaurateur Francois Maeder teams up with Far Flung Adventures in Terlingua, Texas, to lead gourmet rafting trips. Over three days, gastronomes encounter class II- to IV-sized rapids along 20 miles of river running through deep canyon and desert, stopping for meals that include dishes like mushroom-stuffed wild quail and prickly pear and strawberry trifle. Dinners are accompanied by live music and a chorus of distant coyotes. crumpetsa.com — A.E.

Off The Hook

The three-story, 17-acre Downtown Aquarium in Denver is all about deep-sea interaction. With more than 500 species on display in more than a million gallons of tank space, it allows you to experience life under the sea as never before. In one tank, visitors ages 6 and older can snorkel among moray eels, guitarfish, and more than 400 other deep-sea creatures. Divers can also take photographs with underwater cameras and possibly even snap a picture of the aquarium’s popular 250-pound Queensland grouper. After an hour of swimming with the fish, head over to the Landry’s-owned Aquarium Restaurant, an underwater dining adventure in its own right. Diners sit around a 150,000-gallon tank and watch fascinating creatures lope by as they (the diners, not the wildlife) sip aqua martinis and enjoy seafood favorites like grilled mahi mahi or macadamia-crusted trout. aquariumrestaurants.com — Kalyn Belsha

East Greets West

With two locations in Chelsea and one on E. 57th Street, the acclaimed PaceWildenstein Gallery is at the forefront of the New York art scene. Last month, it extended its reach much farther east with the opening of Pace Beijing, a 22,000-square-foot gallery focusing on contemporary Chinese artists. The gallery is located in the bustling art district known as Factory 798. This trendy neighborhood filled with galleries and cafés is the third most popular tourist destination in China — after the Great Wall and the Forbidden City — and the perfect place for Pace Beijing to make its home. Award-winning architect Richard Gluckman, whose other buildings include the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, renovated the structure, a former munitions factory. The loft glass ceilings, geometric silhouettes, and exposed steel beams create a dynamic space for Pace Beijing’s first exhibition, Encounters, which features artists such as Alex Katz, Zhang Huan, and Zhang Xiaogang. pacewildenstein.com — Alana Levinson

Rocky Mountain Revelry

The ski resort Telluride transforms into a mecca of mile-high music and microbrews beginning September 12, when thousands gather for the annual Blues & Brews Festival. More than 20 musical acts, playing styles ranging from gospel blues to funk, combine with more than 50 microbreweries to create a three-day smorgasbord of sights, sounds, and tastes in the open air of the Rockies. Featuring groups such as Gov’t Mule, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and the Blind Boys of Alabama (pictured), Telluride’s salute to laying back is topped only by the mountains that surround the old mining town. tellurideblues.com — Joe Tauke

A Slice of Heaven

A stay at the Leela Kempinski Hotel in Mumbai may leave guests wondering if they’ve stumbled into paradise. Surrounded by India’s financial and cultural center, this opulent hotel sits amid 11 acres of lush gardens, cascading waterfalls, and beautiful lotus pools. Leela Kempinski mixes the ancient culture and luxurious accommodations with modern services and facilities, making it the perfect base for an indigenous adventure. For instance, after a day on the beach in nearby Juhu (India’s answer to Malibu, and a favorite among Bollywood stars) or exploring lively Mumbai itself, guests can enjoy a divine menu of indulgence, including an expansive spa plus naturopathy, yoga, and meditation sessions and in-room massages. theleela.com — Sean Carty

Sleep On It

Trying to get some shut-eye in the city that never sleeps can be tricky, but at Kimpton’s 70 Park Ave. Hotel in New York, a librarian is ready to help. The hotel offers a pillow “library” stocked with 12 varieties to cater to guests’ individual sleeping needs. You can explore the selection once you check in, or e-mail the hotel ahead of time to decide which pillow will suit you best. The Eye Delight soothes puffy eyes, and the Sobagara pillow helps to relieve stress. There is an anti-snore pillow for your noisy bedmate that helps open airways to keep things quiet, and even aromatherapy options that may prompt sweet dreams. 70parkave.com — Courtney Lyons

Grand Canyon High Note

This month in Grand Canyon Village, Ariz. (three and a half hours north of Phoenix), camping and music are perfect bedfellows. September 5–21, the town perched on the edge of one of North America’s greatest natural wonders will host nightly performances by artists such as the Bonfiglio Group, Joel Fan (who plays piano in Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble), and the Enso String Quartet. By day, Grand Canyon Village offers its usual fare: guided tours of the canyon, including visits to prehistoric fossil sites and views of cascading waterfalls. Later, at sunset, the music begins. And you thought there was nothing ethereal about slipping into a sleeping bag. grandcanyonmusicfest.org — J.T.

Sip and Cycle

Wine country for most travelers means Napa, Sonoma, Bordeaux, the Loire, and even the Maipo Valley, in Chile. Further down the list — but undeservedly so — is Portugal’s Douro River Valley, the birthplace of port and the current home of many hidden gems of the wine world. Vineyards along the Douro have been producing vino since before the Roman Empire, and many are now being discovered by aficionados. A2Z Adventures’ Port Wine Country tour leads visitors to the castles, historic towns, and, of course, great wineries of the region. The seven-night trip (one of which takes place September 13–20), begins in the town of Pinháo, four hours north of Lisbon, and covers more than 180 miles of countryside by bicycle, boat, train, kayak, and even donkey. Stops include the Port Wine Museum in Quinta da Ervamoira, the star-shaped 17th-century fortress at Almeida, and 17th- and 18th-century wine cellars in Porto and Nova de Gaia. a2z-adventures.com — Dave Baldwin

Liquid Bread

What do you do when your diet is limited to bread and water? Make beer, of course! The pious Pauline monks of Munich came to this very same conclusion in the early 17th century when they combined grains, yeast, and herbs into a hearty, nourishing beverage to sustain them through their Lenten observance. Today, Paulaner’s brewery in Munich (about three and half hours from Frankfurt) is the largest in the province of Bavaria and one of only six breweries within the city limits invited to serve beer at Oktoberfest, the largest public celebration in the world. Paulaner’s Oktoberfest Märzen has been on tap at the two-week festival of eating and drinking since the first Oktoberfest in 1810. This year, the Märzen starts flowing September 20, and kegs keep coming until October 5. We suggest you enjoy it from a one-liter dimpled mug (the traditional chalice for the amber-colored lager), just the way the good monks intended. oktoberfest.de — Brian Bertoldo

Getting There: All the destinations covered in “Go Explore” can be reached by flying Continental Airlines. To book your trip, visit covacations.com.