Marseille is rough around the edges—the streets are covered in graffiti, old buildings are crumbling, and even the beaches are rocky rather than sandy. But it also has an undeniably good food scene, a stunning national park, lashings of culture, and a rebellious spirit that refuses to conform.

Cuba’s capital isn’t designed for easy consumption. It’s not curated for your feed or streamlined for convenience. Havana is vivid, raw, and unapologetically alive with music spilling from courtyards, conversations unfolding in its streets, and golden sunlight streaming across crumbling facades.

Field Notes are firsthand travel recommendations for and/or by our ECT Clubhouse members. This week, Daniela Martinez Angulo, Marketing Coordinator at Namron Hospitality, shares her notes from San Miguel de Allende.

We don’t need much convincing to visit one of Greece’s mythical islands, but ECT Greece Expert, Christina Papavlasopoulos, has us sold on Crete. “Authentic is a word that we use over and over again in travel, but to me that’s what Crete is,” she says.

Think Panama City is just about the historic center? Then venture beyond Casco Viejo and let the modern city surprise you. Think it’s all concrete and glass? Walk the waterfront at sunset, spot monkeys in the rainforest, or take a boat to nearby islands.

Those who think the Caribbean is just for beaches and resorts should think again. Santo Domingo covers it all—historical sites, contemporary art, eclectic musical heritage, and an emerging food scene—all served with a dose of island attitude, of course.