TRAVEL-THEMED TV SHOWS AND MOVIES p. 26 UNIQUE MUSEUMS p. 34 INTERNATIONAL ROADTRIPS p. 40 WORLD’S BLUE ZONES

Living Long, Living Well

Discover the longevity secrets of the world’s Blue Zones. BY JANICE HECHT

The Good Life:

Staying active keeps us on the road to health.

PHOTO: © WAVEBREAKMEDIA LTD | DREAMSTIME.COM As the pandemic uprooted our lives over the past two years, health and longevity became a primary concern for people around the world, prompting many of us to reevaluate the way we live and work. At the same time, as we return to travel, we yearn for meaningful, personal experiences … those handson, all-in immersions in another culture that help us reconnect and often plant the seeds of change in our own lives. The Blue Zones of the world afford a unique chance to do both.

In these five hot spots of longevity, researched by National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner and his team, people tend to live far longer than average due to their healthy lifestyles and deeply rooted traditions, with many reaching 100 years old. As diverse and far-flung as these regions are, they share common factors which have helped inhabitants live not only longer but healthier and happier lives, all pointing to a life in balance with the rhythms of nature. They tend to eat smaller portions of a plant-based diet and stay physically fit through natural movement such as gardening or walking. These closeknit communities also incorporate a slower pace, daily rituals that

reduce stress, a sense of purpose as well as a positive outlook and strong social networks and family ties.

Historically, most of these places developed in geographical and cultural isolation, which helped them keep to a traditional lifestyle and promoted self-reliance and an appreciation for what they have. As Western influences seep in, however, younger generations tend to adopt a more modern lifestyle and diet, and the old ways may disappear.

Here we offer tidbits of inspiration from each region and meaningful ways to visit. You can find a wealth of stories, scientific data and information about the Blue Zones at bluezones.com.

SARDINIA, ITALY

Just 30 miles off the coast of Italy but a world away, Sardinia boasts a breathtaking landscape carpeted with macchia, an aromatic evergreen shrub that perfumes the air. Beaches and turquoise waters beckon, but head to the villages in the wild mountain region of Barbagia, where shepherds still tend their flocks. (Look for pecorino cheese made from the grass-fed sheep’s milk.) Raise a glass of Cannonau wine and say, “A chent’annos!” — “May you live 100 years!” Sardinians still harvest the food they eat, primarily sticking to a Mediterranean diet including whole-grain bread, beans, garden vegetables and fruits.

Dive into traditions that haven’t changed in centuries with Sardinia ZonaBlu Tours. On the eight-day excursion you’ll mingle with locals, take an off-road tour into the mountains with local shepherds, sip Cannonau wine under oak trees, make the pasta of the region and visit 5,000-year-old archaeological sites.

On the Italian mainland, indulge in a Blue Zones Longevity Program (and a little pampering) at luxury hotel Borgo Egnazia in the pretty port town of Savelletri in Puglia. The hotel’s Vair Spa partners with Blue Zones LLC to offer a four-day program which includes Blue Zones cooking lessons and workshops, movement classes, spa treatments, a Roman thermal bath and evening social events.

Artisanal Traditions:

Cheese made from sheep’s milk in Sardinia (top), and basketmaker in Sardinia

PHOTOS: © ERMESS | DREAMSTIME .COM,© GIANFRANCO ATZEI | DREAMSTIME.COM

Longevity Lessons:

In Ikaria, Diane Kochilas buying fresh ingredients at the market (top), cooking vegetables (top right), preparing fresh octopus (bottom left) and teaching a cooking lesson (bottom right)

PHOTOS: © DIANE KOCHILAS | THE INTERNATIONAL KITCHEN

IKARIA, GREECE

On this tiny island in the eastern Aegean Sea, time slows and nobody seems to take life too seriously. The rugged terrain, wild beauty and warm breezes rich with the scents of honey, herbs and pine lure people outdoors into an active lifestyle. Try the local red wine (many Ikarians make their own, but you can visit Afianes Family Winery at Profitis Ilias), and sample the pure, unfiltered, unpasteurized honey Ikarians consume daily and use as medicine. The centenarians here stick to an uncomplicated, unprocessed diet rich in legumes, vegetables, fruits and herbs.

Celebrity chef, cookbook author and My Greek Table host Diane Kochilas opens her home in the village of Aghios Dimitris to teach small groups about life and longevity on Ikaria. “The New York Times called Ikaria the place ‘where people forget to die,’” said Kochilas. “I like to say that it’s the place where people remember how to live!”

Guests of her week-long Glorious Greek Cooking & Quality of Life On Blue-Zone Ikaria tour learn to prepare healthy, seasonal, traditional dishes and savor them around the garden table amid views of the Aegean. They also visit the island’s artisans, farmers, winemakers, beekeepers, herbalists and goatherds.

OKINAWA, JAPAN

With a distinct climate and geography, Okinawa developed a culture and heritage apart from the main islands of Japan. Visitors enjoy its beautiful beaches, subtropical rain forests and stargazing. The traditional food culture, based on a low-calorie, plant-based diet, reflects a ritual of health and well-being. Okinawans embrace the concept of nuchi gusui (“food is medicine”), and the habit of hara hachi bu — eating only until you are no longer hungry — plays a role in longevity and health.

At Halekulani Okinawa, guests can take part in an Escapes program, a series of immersive, authentic experiences inspired by the island’s heritage and way of life. The four-day Secrets of Longevity retreat reveals indigenous Okinawan practices that result in a longer and healthier life, encouraging guests to embrace them in their daily lives.

Experience village life with local tour guide Kumiko T., who works through Tours by Locals to take guests on an eight-hour Blue Zone Ogimi Village Tour in the island’s rural north. In this village recognized for having the highest proportion of elderly persons in Japan, join a local event for the elderly (COVID restrictions permitting) to understand the chimugukuru (beautiful heart) of Okinawans. Savor the Longevity Meal at Emi no Mise restaurant, prepared with seasonal herbs, island vegetables and local seafood. And thrill at the breathtaking natural beauty on a river trek to Ta-Taki Falls in Yambaru National Park.

Upbeat Outlook:

Elderly man playing a shamisen on a water buffalo cart tour in Okinawa

PHOTO: © NUVISAGE | DREAMSTIME.COM

NICOYA PENINSULA, COSTA RICA

Nicoya Peninsula’s phenomenal rural setting offers a rare close connection to nature. This quiet paradise in a country that’s home to 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity is known for its nesting sea turtles, isolated beaches, wellness and yoga retreats and surfing. Don’t miss the chance to adopt the slower pace, simplicity and positive outlook of “la pura vida.” Nicoyans still honor the traditional Mesoamerican diet highlighting the “three sisters” — squash, corn and beans — and enjoy an abundance of exotic, tropical fruits. Fuel your day with a hearty breakfast of gallo pinto (rice and beans) and homemade corn tortillas.

Tour Guanacaste brings Costa Rica to life with a range of group or private guided tours of the area’s pristine landscape. Reserve a spot on the six-hour Guanacaste Blue Zone Tour and you’ll start the day at a mountain yoga center to experience yoga in nature and mindfulness classes. Sample local vegan, vegetarian and indigenous Costa Rica cuisine before heading to a recreation center to visit with a number of active and healthy Costa Rican senior citizens.

LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA

Just 60 miles east of Los Angeles, within view of the towering peaks of the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains, Loma Linda is home to a community of 9,000 Seventh-Day Adventists, currently the longest-living group of people in America. Loma Linda University and Medical Center has been a national center of health and wellness research for decades. The university sponsors lectures and musical programs.

The Adventist faith endorses healthy living tenets which discourage smoking, alcohol consumption or foods deemed unclean in the Bible, such as pork. (Because many Adventists are vegetarians, most of the city’s dining spots offer vegetarian options.) Consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, seeds and whole grains and especially legumes and nuts, Adventists remain fit with modest but regular physical activity. A powerful contribution to their longevity rests with the observance of a 24-hour sabbath, a weekly “sanctuary in time” to downshift, be with family, get out in nature and rejuvenate apart from daily stressors.

Make a pilgrimage to the Loma Linda Market, where all the elements of the Adventist diet stand ready for the picking: dozens and dozens of oversized bins of legumes, nuts and grains as well as fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables and an entire wall of glutenfree delights. Or head to Clark’s Nutrition Natural Foods Market, also offering a wide selection of whole and organic foods, organic produce and prepared foods. Pack up your organic goodies and head out on a nature walk in one of Loma Linda’s many parks to enjoy a picnic in the fresh air. Hulda Crooks Park features great hiking, biking and running trails and beautiful views.

Get Up and Go:

Traditional Costa Rican breakfast of gallo pinto (top), and visiting vibrant senior citizens with Tour Guanacaste in Costa Rica (bottom)

PHOTOS: © FELZUM | DREAMSTIME .COM, © TOUR GUANACASTE

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Zest for Life

European sophistication meets Latin passion in Buenos Aires.

BY ARI BENDERSKY

Art Scene:

Couple dancing the tango in front of the sculpture Floralis Genérica

PHOTO: © ELULTIMODESEO | DREAMSTIME.COM U ntil you visit, you may never know the extent of Buenos Aires’ cosmopolitanism. From design and architecture to technology and banking — and across all the arts — Buenos Aires truly has a global feel that rivals Paris, New York and Tokyo. While it’s on the water, Buenos Aires is not a beach destination like Rio but rather a port city — hence locals are called Porteños and have a zest for life and want to share it with all who visit.

Almost as soon as you enter this beautiful Argentine capital, it becomes obvious just how fantastic this energetic metropolitan city truly is. You’ll likely spend most of your time between upscale, classic Recoleta; chic, eclectic and fashionable Palermo; and the romantic and gentrified San Telmo, where you’ll find a sprawling open-air antique flea market each Sunday. But the Central Business District of La Citi, between the San Nicolás, Montserrat and Retiro neighborhoods, is home to the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, Argentina’s Central Bank and other financial institutions.

No matter where you gather with colleagues and clients, you’ll notice quite quickly

58 globaltravelerusa.com APRIL/MAY 2021 the European influence on the city’s architecture. Waves of immigrants from Spain, Italy and Germany — and what now comprises the world’s sixth-largest Jewish community — all arrived in Buenos Aires in the 19th and 20th centuries, bringing with them design, culture and gastronomy. All over the city their impact can be observed by simply walking around the neighborhoods and looking up at the homes and buildings. You’ll especially see it at Teatro Colón, one of the most important opera houses in the world, where singer Maria Callas famously performed and which offers group tours. At the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires, modern and folk art converge in permanent and rotating exhibits. You can experience it in any number of the city’s top spots to watch the romantic, sensual tango shows — and learn a few moves yourself in this, the world’s tango capital. You’ll even encounter it in La Recoleta Cemetery, a neighborhood in its own right where some of the city’s most important residents, including Eva Perón, are buried.

When it comes to business, Buenos Aires’ numerous industries converge. In 2017 the city was named a smart city due to its welcoming attitude toward innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and app development. The newer Buenos Aires Exhibition and Convention Centre hosted the 2017 Smart City Global Traveler’s weekly newsletters keep you up to date with info on the go. Sign up for newsletters at global travelerusa. com/newsletter.

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