Saving the Best for Last

Test the water at Recreo in Costa Rica. Photo: Courtesy of Recreo

THE EXOTICS
Fantasy newlywed vacations, both near and far.

GUANACASTE, COSTA RICA
Best Time to Go: April
Hours From NYC: 6
Romance Factor: Moderate-High

Ecoconscious couples have always sought refuge in Costa Rica. And though the past few years have seen much development in the tiny Central American country—smaller than West Virginia—it’s still as earth-friendly as ever. Skip hectic San Jose and go straight to Guanacaste on the Pacific West Coast. The province is known for its volcanic peaks, cascading falls, and abundant flora and fauna. Check in at the just-opened Recreo (from $6,900 for a three-bedroom villa; recreocostarica.com or 631-298-0414), which has 25 villas; each is outfitted with a pool, chef, and butler. Organic bath towels, linens, and raw botanical toiletries are nice touches, but do-gooders will be pleased to know that hotel owners contribute funds to community education and housing programs.

MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE, BELIZE
Best Time to Go: May
Hours From NYC: 5
Romance Factor: High

Pedal through the 300-square-mile Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve’s rocky trails where howler monkeys, iguanas, and butterflies provide company along the way. Return the bikes to the Blancaneaux Lodge (from $180; blancaneaux.com or 501-824-4912), director Francis Ford Coppola’s hillside rustic retreat, before sinking into a hammock on the deck of your thatch-roof villa. Honeymoon cabanas are perched on the gentle rapids of the Privassion River; make sure to watch the sunset while sipping the filmmaker’s eponymous vino. Later on, the friendly staff can arrange a dive along the Belize Barrier Reef, which Jacques Cousteau once declared one of the best underwater exploration areas in the world.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Best Time to Go: February
Hours From NYC: 12.5
Romance Factor: Moderate

There’s nothing subtle about Dubai. With its sprawling malls and glittery resorts, it evokes a grander Vegas. Avoid the flash and head to the Arabian Desert. The Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa (from $900; al-maha.com or 971-4-303-4222) is 45 minutes away from the city and set on a conservation reserve modeled after a traditional Bedouin encampment. The suites have private, temperature-controlled pools and all the modern comforts you’d expect from a luxury resort. Embark on a complimentary camel trek or a four-wheel-drive expedition across the desert dunes. Recover from the journey back in your suite with a soothing bath, fragranced with a blend of cardamom, mandarin, and frankincense.

FEZ, MOROCCO
Best Time to Go: September
Hours From NYC: 10
Romance Factor: High

Get lost in Fez’s massive Fez el Bali, a medina built in 1913 with nearly 10,000 alleys and a plethora of leather goods, carpets, and spices worth bargaining over. If you’d rather not get sucked in, peer at the stalls from the Palais Jamai Hotel (sofitel.com or 224-340-060); the Ambassador Suite has a bird’s-eye view of the bustling market without any of the temptations. The former royal residency of the Grand Vizier of Jamai is fittingly palatial with canopy beds, carved woodwork, ceramic mosaics, and the scent of fresh rose petals in the air.

A suite at Castello del Nero in Tuscany.Photo: Courtesy of Castello del Nero

THE CLASSICS
You’ll always have Paris: Destinations worth revisiting.

PARIS, FRANCE
Best Time to Go: May
Hours From NYC: 7
Romance Factor: High

Find antique jewelry, vintage Louis Vuitton alligator luggage, and silver place settings at the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, a flea market that dates back to 1885. After a day of wandering through the crowds, slip into the cinema for the latest French flick at La Pagode, a sumptuous nineteenth-century replica of a Japanese pagoda, replete with tearoom and garden. Come nightfall, splurge on a room at the famed Ritz (from $1,100; ritzparis.com or 33-0143-163-030). The Scott Fitzgerald suite has pink-and-beige silk upholstery that captures the exuberance of Scott and Zelda, another passionate couple once married in New York.

TUSCANY, ITALY
Best Time to Go: June
Hours From NYC: 11
Romance Factor: High

To eat your way through Tuscany’s charming, hilly towns, you’ll need a central starting point. Drop off your bags at Castello del Nero (from $800; castello-del-nero.com or 39-055-806-470), a restored twelfth-century castle set amid fragrant cypress-tree vineyards. Would-be gourmets can sign up for cooking classes at the hotel’s restaurant, La Torre, or, better yet, hop on a quick shuttle to Florence and visit the Mercato Centrale, where locals stock up on Chianti Classico, roasted meats, salt-free bread, and olive oil. For a more decadent feed, head to L’Andana Hotel’s Trattoria Toscana (39-0564-944-322) on the Maremma coast. The former hunting lodge bears the Alain Ducasse imprint with wild boar and other local game on the menu.

RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO
Best Time to Go: December
Hours From NYC: 8
Romance Factor: Moderate-High

Unpack your bathing suits at the new Mandarin Oriental (from $700; mandarinoriental.com/rivieramaya or 52-984-877-3288), a 36-acre resort on a quiet stretch of white sand only ten minutes north of busy Playa del Carmen. Book an oceanfront casita and laze by one of three swimming pools with a guava nectar in hand, or get pampered at the 25,000-square-foot spa. The Amanecer del Mar morning treatment includes a guided yoga session and aroma-stone massage meant to create a sense of balance. If motivated, take an afternoon trip to the ancient Mayan city of Tulum and achieve a different spiritual high on the top of El Castillo Pyramid.

LANAI, HAWAII
Best Time to Go: March
Hours From NYC: 10
Romance Factor: Moderate

Lace up your hiking boots and take Lanai’s eight-mile Munro Trail, which winds up through the rain forest to the top of Mount Lanaihale. At 3,368 feet above sea level, it offers a clear view of Hawaii’s other islands (with the exception of Kauai). After you descend, sign up for his-and-her surfing lessons with Lanai Surf School and Surf Safari. Husband-and-wife team Nick and Alex Palumbo provide boards, refreshments, and more than 30 years of combined experience as they separately guide you on Hulopoe Bay’s massive breaks. When you’ve had enough adventure for one day, retreat to The Four Seasons Manele Bay (from $445; fourseasons.com/manelebay or 808-565-2000) for an Ali’i banana-coconut scrub said to fortify that postnuptial glow.

JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING
Best Time to Go: December
Hours From NYC: 6
Romance Factor: Moderate

Cuddle in front of the stone fireplace at Spring Creek Ranch (condos start from $170; springcreekranch.com or 307-733-8833), a rambling thousand-acre resort bordered by the National Elk Refuge, and Grand Teton National Park. Stay in a three-floor cliffside condo for unparalleled views. And get your fortune read by the resident “soul reader” before setting off to explore the area, which is populated by all manner of wildlife, including moose, bison, and grizzly bears. For a more interactive experience, take the reins of a dogsled and glide through the snow. The Alaskan huskies are dependable pros that participate in the Iditarod Great Sled Race every year.

FRENCH POLYNESIA
Best Time to Go: August
Hours From NYC: 14
Romance Factor: Very High

The cobalt waters of Bora Bora have always been popular with newlyweds. Hide out on the private island of Piti Ua at the Sofitel Motu Bora Bora (from $1,710 per night; sofitel.com or 689-605-600) where 31 bungalows look out on Mount Otemanu’s jagged façade. Most suites are over water and have plasma TVs for reluctant naturalists. If you can restrain yourself, the on-site snorkeling is more rewarding; swim along sea turtles and manta rays. For a change of scenery, stay at Le Méridien Tahiti (from $250; starwoodhotels.com or 689-470-707). The bungalows are still lovely but closer to the shops and museums.

Take a dip at month-old Alila Cha-Am in Thailand.Photo: Courtesy of Alila Cha-Am

THE SHOESTRINGS
A tight budget doesn’t have to be a turnoff; here’s to romance on the cheap.

AMAZON, PERU
Best Time to Go: September
Hours From NYC: 9
Romance Factor: High

There’s more to Peru than Machu Picchu. Two-thirds of it is covered by Amazon rain forest that’s easily accessible from the mini-metropolis of Iquitos. Venture deep into the sultry jungle and its myriad tributaries on a river cruise aboard the affordably luxe M/V Aqua (from $1,950 per person for a three-night all-inclusive trip; aquaexpeditions.com). The 140-foot vessel specializes in haute Andean cuisine, like grilled bass seviche, served in between daily treks. After hiking through the wildlife-filled Pacaya-Samiria National Park, adjourn to one of twelve air-conditioned cabins with panoramic 50-foot riverfront windows.

GALILEE, ISRAEL
Best Time to Go: May
Hours From NYC: 13
Romance Factor: Moderate

To experience Israel’s burgeoning wine industry, head for the lush vineyards of northern Galilee. Visit the Dalton Winery (dalton-winery.com or 011-972-3-751-8922), a top estate that produces about 600,000 bottles annually, and schedule a guided tour and tasting followed by an alfresco kosher lunch with snowcapped Mt. Hermon towering in the background. Couples afflicted by Cabernet-induced drowsiness should check into the Scots Hotel in Tiberias (from $220, meals included; scotshotels.co.il). Perched on the Sea of Galilee, the former church hospital dates back to 1885 and has a vaulted wine cellar for predinner drinks.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Best Time to Go: November
Hours From NYC: 12
Romance Factor: High

Live it up in Buenos Aires, an urbane, Euro-Latino capital where the dollar still commands respect. Order tenderloin medallions from a sizzling spit at La Cabaña (011-54-11-4814-0001), a high-end steakhouse in posh Recoleta. Work it off with a shopping spree for two: Felix (011-54-11-4832-2994) stocks snug-fit button-downs and slim-cut ties for men, while Varanasi’s (011-54-11-4833-5147) structured silk dresses are favored by women who crave an affordable Prada alternative. Try on your new duds at retro-chic Home Hotel (from $120; homebuenosaires.com).

CHA-AM, THAILAND
Best Time to Go: January
Hours From NYC: 20
Romance Factor: Very High

Located two-and-a-half hours south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Siam, the former fishing village of Cha-Am is emerging as the capital’s answer to the Hamptons. Take cover at month-old Alila Cha-Am (from $180; alilahotels.com), an ultraminimalist oasis designed by young Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag, who has a thing for dark woods and polished limestone. Retreat to the five-room spa for a honey-and-jasmine body scrub or hole up in your suite: Each has a massive flat-screen TV, home-theater system, and romance-ready mood lighting. If splurging, book one of seven pool-villas and indulge with a midnight swim.

ST. JOHN, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Best Time to Go: February
Hours From NYC: 5
Romance Factor: Moderate

Measuring a mere 28 square miles, St. John is the smallest—and sleepiest—of the U.S. Virgin Islands, with few of the cruise crowds and megaresorts of its two larger siblings. Almost entirely a protected national park, the island offers some of America’s lushest—and last—rain forests and hidden beach coves. For stellar sea views, check in at Maho Bay Camps, Inc. (from $80; 800-392-9004 or maho.org), an ecocompound in the heart of the Virgin Islands National Park. All 114 tents dot the tropical forest and are connected via a series of staircases and walkways, making flashlights essential at night. Though lacking an en suite bathroom, each tent comes equipped with a small stove and ice cooler along with a deck shrouded in foliage for extra privacy.


SEE ALSO
Budget Destinations
Classic Destinations

SEE ALSO
Budget Destinations
Exotic Destinations


SEE ALSO
Exotic Destinations
Classic Destinations

Saving the Best for Last