Cuiabá is the capital of Mato Grosso in central-western Brazil and an important gateway to the Pantanal, Chapada dos Guimarães, and other natural areas of the state. The city developed around gold mining and later became an important regional center along the Cuiabá River. Its historic center contains colonial churches, traditional houses, and public squares, while newer districts extend well beyond the old city.
The popular resort Fethiye boasts an imortant marina at the head of a beautiful bay strewn with islands. A hill crowned by teh ruins of the crusader fortress built by the Knights of Rhodes overlooks the little port.
Ampefy is a highland town in central Madagascar, situated in the Itasy region west of Antananarivo. The area is known for its volcanic landscape, with Lake Itasy forming the center of a region shaped by ancient eruptions. Rolling hills, fertile farmland, volcanic cones, and streams surround the lake, creating a landscape that differs from Madagascar’s drier western and southern regions.
Cayo Santa María is a small island off the north coast of Cuba, part of the Jardines del Rey archipelago in Villa Clara Province. It is connected to the mainland by a causeway crossing the shallow waters of the Bahía de Buenavista. The island is known for white-sand beaches, clear Caribbean water, coastal lagoons, mangroves, and low limestone terrain.