The most romantic honeymoon destination is the one that matches how the two of you like to spend time together. Sunset-and-sea couples tend to fall for Santorini, Positano or the Maldives; city lovers for Paris, Venice, Rome, Prague or Seville; nature lovers for Kauai, Big Sur or the Oregon coast; and anyone dreaming of a fairytale for Castle Leslie in Ireland. Several of the picks below also work for a romantic getaway long after the wedding, from an anniversary trip to a long weekend away.
We have grouped eighteen of the world's most charming spots by style of trip: Mediterranean classics, storybook cities and castles, island escapes, and American coastal and Southern romance. Under each photo you will find what makes the place special, a few details worth knowing before you go, and one or two ideas for making the most of it as a couple. At the end there are practical tips on choosing between them, including seasons, travel time and budget.
Mediterranean classics
Santorini, Greece
Santorini's cliffs are the inner wall of a flooded volcanic caldera, and the village of Oia stretches almost two kilometres along its northern rim, with whitewashed cave houses and blue-domed churches stacked above the sea. Every evening crowds gather near the ruins of Oia's Venetian-era castle (sometimes wrongly described as Byzantine) to watch the sun set over the water. Much of the village was rebuilt after a powerful earthquake in 1956, and many old houses now serve as small hotels. Book a cave suite with a terrace and you can watch the sunset in private instead.
Positano, Italy
Positano tumbles down a steep slope of the Amalfi Coast, its pastel houses descending in layers to a small pebble beach and clear turquoise water. The town is at its loveliest in the early evening, when the light turns golden and the cliffs glow. Spend the days browsing the boutiques, taking a boat along the coast to Amalfi or Capri, and finishing with seafood at a terrace restaurant above the bay.
Venice, Italy
Few places feel as made for two as Venice, where cars give way to boats and narrow alleys open onto quiet squares. Gondolas set off from stations such as the Bacino Orseolo near St Mark's Square and wind through small canals before reaching the Grand Canal. Couples looking to splurge often choose the Aman Venice, set in a historic palazzo directly on the Grand Canal, but a simple guesthouse in a quieter district such as Cannaregio can be just as romantic once the day-trippers leave.
Rome, Italy
Read Roma backwards and you get amor, Latin and Italian for love, a coincidence Romans enjoy pointing out. The city rewards slow evenings: crossing the Ponte Sisto footbridge to the lanes of Trastevere, sharing gelato in a piazza, or watching the sunset paint church domes orange. Boutique hotels around the Campo de' Fiori offer frescoed ceilings and four-poster beds within walking distance of the main sights.
Seville, Spain
Seville combines Moorish palaces, orange-scented streets and flamenco. The Plaza de España, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and designed by Aníbal González, is a vast half-circle of tiled alcoves and bridges over a moat; film fans may recognise it from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Pair it with the gardens of the Royal Alcázar, tapas in the old quarter and a stay at a boutique hotel such as Corral del Rey, set in a restored historic house.
Storybook cities and castles
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague's skyline of spires, red roofs and a hilltop castle looks like a page from a fairy tale. Walk across the Charles Bridge at dawn before the crowds arrive, wander the cobbled lanes of the Old Town under the glow of street lamps, and take an evening cruise on the Vltava River for views of the illuminated castle. It is also one of the more affordable romantic capitals in Europe.
Paris, France
Paris may be the most obvious choice on this list, and it earns its reputation. Stroll along the Seine, linger in a café in the Marais, and be at the Eiffel Tower after dark, when its lights sparkle for a few minutes at the start of each hour. To avoid the cliché crush, explore quieter corners too, such as the Canal Saint-Martin or the hilltop streets of Montmartre early in the morning.
Castle Leslie, Ireland
Castle Leslie stands on a 1,000-acre estate at Glaslough in County Monaghan, with lakes, woods and parkland around a Scots Baronial house completed in 1870 for Sir John Leslie. The Leslie family still lives there, and in 2002 Paul McCartney married Heather Mills in the estate's church. Today the estate offers rooms, woodland walks, fishing on its lakes and long dinners, making it a natural choice for couples who want a castle without a long-haul flight from much of Europe.
Island and beach escapes
Frégate Island, Seychelles
Frégate Island is a private island of about two square kilometres (roughly 510 acres), with just sixteen villas whose income helps fund conservation. More than 3,000 Aldabra giant tortoises roam free, and the island helped save the Seychelles magpie robin, which numbered only 14 birds in 1980. Hawksbill and green turtles nest on its beaches, so a honeymoon here comes with real wildlife encounters.
Maldives
The Maldives is a nation of more than a thousand low coral islands in the Indian Ocean, many of them occupied by a single resort. That makes privacy easy: overwater villas, empty sandbanks and house reefs for snorkelling just steps from your door. Resorts such as Cheval Blanc Randheli in Noonu Atoll represent the top end, but there are also more modest guesthouses on local islands for couples on a tighter budget.
St. Lucia, Caribbean
St. Lucia's twin volcanic peaks, the Pitons, rise straight out of the sea and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island mixes rainforest hikes, waterfalls, sulphur springs and quiet beaches. Jade Mountain, a hillside resort near Soufrière, is famous for rooms with an open fourth wall and private infinity pools facing the Pitons.
Kauai, Hawaii
Known as the Garden Isle, Kauai is the greenest and least developed of Hawaii's main islands. Its Na Pali Coast of fluted sea cliffs can be seen only by boat, by helicopter or on foot along a demanding coastal trail, and Waimea Canyon, about 3,000 feet deep, is nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. For quieter beach time, the coves around Mahaulepu on the south shore feel far from the crowds.
The Florida Keys, USA
The Florida Keys are linked by the Overseas Highway, a 127-mile stretch of US 1 that includes the famous Seven Mile Bridge. Offshore lies the Florida Reef, the largest coral reef system in the continental United States, ideal for snorkelling and diving. End each day with the sunset celebration in Key West, and plan around hurricane season, which runs from June to November.
American coastal and Southern romance
San Francisco, USA
For American couples who would rather skip a long flight, San Francisco packs a lot of romance into a small city. Walk or cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge, climb one of the hills for views over the bay, and browse the farmers market at the Ferry Building. For a drink with history, the Top of the Mark lounge on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill has served couples since 1939, including servicemen saying goodbye before shipping out during the Second World War.
Big Sur, USA
South of Carmel, Highway 1 clings to the edge of the Santa Lucia Mountains above the Pacific, creating one of the world's great coastal drives. Stop at Bixby Bridge, look for waterfalls tumbling onto beaches, and visit Pfeiffer Beach, known for streaks of purple sand and Keyhole Rock, where the setting sun shines through the arch on some winter evenings. Summer often brings fog, so spring and autumn can be the clearest times to go.
Mendocino, USA
Mendocino began in 1852 as a logging town, and its many New England settlers left it with wooden houses, water towers and church spires that now form a protected historic district on cliffs above the Pacific. The town even stood in for Maine in nine episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Walk the headland trails, explore nearby redwood forests, taste Pinot Noir in the inland Anderson Valley, and stay at a historic inn such as the MacCallum House.
Cannon Beach, USA
On the northern Oregon coast, Cannon Beach is a small town of galleries and cafés facing Haystack Rock, a 235-foot basalt sea stack. From spring to late summer, tufted puffins nest on the rock, and at low tide the pools around its base are full of starfish and anemones. Oceanfront inns such as the Stephanie Inn, with fireplaces and views of the rock, are built for cosy evenings.
Savannah, USA
Savannah, founded by James Oglethorpe in 1733, keeps much of its original street plan, with 22 leafy squares shaded by live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Its downtown became one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States in 1966. Couples can stroll from square to square, take a carriage ride, kayak in the nearby marshes and sleep in a mansion turned bed and breakfast.
How to choose your honeymoon destination
Start with the season. The Caribbean and Florida Keys face hurricane risk from June to November; the Maldives and Seychelles have wetter monsoon months; Santorini and Positano are busiest and hottest in July and August. Shoulder seasons often bring better prices and fewer crowds.
Be honest about travel time. After a wedding, a 20-hour journey can eat into a short honeymoon. A closer destination with more days on the ground often feels more romantic than a distant one you only half enjoy.
Mix rest and discovery. Many couples combine a city with a beach, such as Rome followed by Positano, or San Francisco followed by Big Sur.
Tell everyone it is your honeymoon. Hotels and restaurants often add small touches for newlyweds, from a room upgrade to a glass of something sparkling.
Wherever you go, the best memories tend to come from unplanned moments: a long dinner, a sunset you nearly missed, a walk that went the wrong way and turned out perfect.
Sources: Destination list inspired by Add To Bucket List; Wikipedia: Oia, Plaza de España, Castle Leslie, Frégate Island, Kauai, Florida Keys, InterContinental Mark Hopkins, Pfeiffer Beach, Mendocino, Haystack Rock, Savannah. Photos via Add To Bucket List; the individual photographers were not named at the source.
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