“50 Best Travel Destinations” I asked great friends to share their favorite travel spots around the globe, both close to home and far, far off the beaten path. Herein are their responses.

NAME: Mary Ellen Matthews
OCCUPATION: Photographer, Saturday Night Live
TRAVEL DESTINATION: Mal Pais, Costa Rica for the surfing!
HOTEL: I stay at a barefoot hotel called Tropico Latino, www.hoteltropicolatino.com. It sits right on the surf break… I love the bungalows they have there… truly a surfer’s paradise.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT: December – May.
RISE AND SHINE: Wake up before sunrise for a morning surf session then breakfast at the hotel or one of the amazing local restaurants down the dirt road…some down time with a book then back in for another surf…a nap then, my favorite part of the day, a sunset surf. Nothing can compare to having your friends in the water with you as the sun goes down and you catch your last wave of the day before dinner and cocktails! A dirt road connects a few breaks and great little towns… Santa Teresa for one.

A bungalow at Hotel Tropico Latino.

Palm-y pathways.

The endless surf break at Mal Pais.