For travellers in search of the good life in Brazil, the city of Curitiba is the natural choice. Over the last few decades, it has transformed itself from a provincial capital into one of the most important economic centres in the country. Today, Curitiba has almost 2 million inhabitants and is considered a model Brazilian city, especially for its outstanding public transportation and creative solutions to urban challenges such as waste management.

I can’t tell you if I was especially motivated to take pictures on the day I took this shot of Monastiraki Square in Athens, but it is one of my favourite photographs. It seems as if there is no difference between the vast history represented by the Acropolis wall, the Adrian library and the old mosque and the present day. People continue to walk through the square, just as they have done for generations, bringing movement and life to those historical edifices.

Anyone who visits Santa Marta, Colombia, must visit Tayrona National Park, a natural paradise with some of the best beaches in the world, the mystical Lost City in the nearby mountains and the surrounding estuary mouths of rivers at the Caribbean Sea. It is also worthwhile to visit the small bays and towns nearby to interact with local people and to learn about their customs and culture. These are just some of the ideas revealed through the Inside Word, in which our local partners – all travel experts – share their top tips on what to do, what to eat, where to party and where to shop in their necks of the woods.