Travel Tip

Texas city tops Travel + Leisure's best places to travel in 2025 list

Travel + Leisure spoke highly of San Antonio's new and popular Pullman Market.

Photo by Robert Lerma

One group of proud Texans can now say they live in a destination city. Nationally recognized magazine Travel + Leisure has declared San Antonio one of the best places to travel in 2025.

The publication's annual "Where to Go" list reviews nearly 120 notable places around the globe and chooses only 50 for its collection of best destinations. Winners are then categorized into one of seven categories: cultural immersion, nature lovers, big-city thrills, moments on the water, food and drinks, beach vibes, and adventurous travelers.

"These are places that feel of the moment, whether that’s because they offer unparalleled access to the outdoors, a cultural immersion you can’t find anywhere else, a pulse-quickening hit of excitement, or the sort of blissful luxury only a true five-star property can deliver," Travel + Leisure editors wrote.

San Antonio was lauded as a must-visit destination for 2025 "For the Food and Drinks" by T+L. The Alamo City was specifically praised for being "on the cutting edge of culinary innovation" in part thanks to the 13 outstanding local restaurants that were recognized in the first-ever Texas Michelin Guide, and the numerous James-Beard Award-nominated local chefs and eateries.

"Elsewhere, chef and restaurateur Jason Dady will be opening Mexico Ceaty in early 2025, overhauling a food court to create a dining destination that highlights Mexican cuisine," T+L said.

Mexico Ceaty will bring several concepts to the Shops at Rivercenter. Rendering courtesy of SA Partnerships

The report also gives a shoutout to the increasingly popular dining complex Pullman Market, which opened earlier in 2024.

"Our market highlights the difference and value of truly fresh and truly local," said CEO Kevin Fink in the report. "Whether it’s whole fresh fish from the Gulf of Mexico, Berkshire pigs from down the road, or butter from a herd of cows whose milk tastes of the Texas landscape."

When it comes to finding a place to stay in San Antonio, there is no shortage of comfortable and lavish accommodations. T+L names two recently opened hotels in its report: Kimpton Santo, a boutique hotel that repurposed 19th century schoolhouses, and the fully renovated InterContinental San Antonio RiverWalk.

San Antonio was the only Texas city to be recognized in Travel + Leisure's "Where to Go" list for 2025. Fort Worth previously earned this unique recognition in the 2024 report. Earlier this year, San Antonio won national acclaim in the publication's annual "World's Best" reader's choice awards, and was named the No. 6 best U.S. city in 2024.

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out to sea

Carnival opens 2028 bookings for showstopping new ship's Caribbean cruises

Carnival Tropicale begins sailing in 2028

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Tropicale will begin sailing from Galveston to destinations in the Caribbean, The Bahamas, and Mexico in 2028.

The Carnival Tropicale, Carnival's newest cruise ship that will set sail from Galveston, is now accepting reservations for its maiden voyages to destinations throughout The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico, beginning in 2028.

Carnival Tropicale is the fifth and final Excel-class ship that will be offered from the cruise line, and it will be able to accommodate over 6,000 passengers. It is named after MS Tropicale, Carnival's original "Fun Ship" from 1982, but the new luxury liner promises showstopping experiences inspired by Las Vegas' "golden era of show business."

Four-to-eight-day cruises are now available to book with departure dates as early as April 15, 2028. Six destinations in Carnival's Paradise Collection are on the itinerary, including Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico; Isla Tropicale in Roatan, Honduras; and Nassau, Bahamas. Eight-day cruises will include stops at Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, two private islands owned by Carnival.

"From innovative attractions and dining to unforgettable destinations throughout the Caribbean, The Bahamas, and Mexico, Carnival Tropicale will bring an exciting new vacation option to Texas when she debuts in 2028," said Ben Clement, EVP of maritime and new builds at Carnival Cruise Line, in a release.

These are the cruise options passengers can book on the Carnival Tropicale starting in 2028:

6-Day Western Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel and Isla Tropical, Roatan – 26 dates from April 15, 2028 to April 29, 2029
8-Day The Bahamas Cruise to Nassau and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay – 26 dates from April 29, 2028 to May 6, 2029
8-Day The Bahamas Cruise to Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay – April 21-29
5-Day Western Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel and Progreso, Yucatán – December 23-28 and December 28-January 1, 2029
4-Day Western Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel – January 2-6, 2029

Major attractions on the new Carnival Tropicale include Sunsation Point, a top deck "family fun" entertainment zone, and Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, an all-ages water park with six waterslides and splash pads for kids.

Other family-friendly attractions include multiple sport courts — including a redesigned Fairway 66 Mini Golf course inspired by Route 66 — a Treehouse Adventure Trail, new arcade spaces, and to-be-announced "new entertainment experiences and exclusive spaces."

Carnival Tropicale Grand Central Atrium A rendering of the Grand Central Atrium. Courtesy of Carnival

Carnival Tropicale will also feature three new dining concepts that highlight "flavors from around the world," including one in partnership with famous chef Emeril Lagasse.

"Guests will be able to enjoy Uku Lei Lei, offering Hawaiian-inspired cuisine with Asian influences; Fetaccine, blending Greek and Italian flavors; and Emeril's Coastal Seafood, showcasing seafood dishes inspired by America's coastlines and created in partnership with Carnival's Chief Culinary Officer Chef Emeril Lagasse."

Carnival Tropicale cruises departing from Galveston can be booked on the Carnival website . Rates vary depending on the duration of the trip and accommodation preference.

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