UK Edition
The world's 50 greatest honeymoons for when this is all over
Since the government announced a ban on all weddings until further notice, many of those planning to take honeymoons this year will unfortunately have to cancel their plans. The following round-up should give couples some much-needed inspiration about the best places to go for their honeymoon in a post-Covid-19 world.
This is one of the most anticipated and indulgent holidays you’ll ever take, so naturally expectations are high. Once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as castaway candlelit dinners on uninhabited islands, diving with reef sharks and staying in over-water villas with their own steps into the sea have long lured happy couples. But mini-moons and hotels with eco credentials are being considered more than ever before. We have also included some affordable (but chic) properties, if you overspent on the wedding but still want to get away. And twin-centre honeymoons – city and spa, safari and sand – continue to be very popular.
Some things never go out of honeymoon style, though: a big bed, amazing views, fantastic food and top-notch service. We hope this list gives you some inspiration for where to spend the first hazy few days of wedded life together.
Dream Islands
1. La Maison D’Ete, Mauritius
On an Indian Ocean island ringed by glitzy five-star resorts, this romantic boutique retreat stands out. Bright red furnishings around two palm-lined pools give it a fresh vibe, while 16 pretty whitewashed bedrooms boast original artwork and balconies. Best of all is the al fresco beach restaurant, where you can dine on palm heart salad to the sound of the waves.
• Rooms from £167 per night (lamaisondete.com).
Read the full review: La Maison D'Ete
• The best all-inclusive Maldives hotels
2. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
A private island resort whose motto, “no shoes, no news”, is more relevant than ever. Barefoot and carefree, you’ll love films beneath the stars, massages in the Six Senses spa, sunset strolls on white sand beaches and castaway candlelit dinners on an uninhabited island (stay the night in a Bedouin-style tent). Villas have rustic interiors with a private pool, sketchpad by the bed and sunken outdoor bathtubs.
• From £1,016pn (soneva.com).
Read the full review: Soneva Fushi
3. Fregate Island Private, Seychelles
Giant Aldabra tortoises and nesting hawksbill turtles are the main residents of this eco-paradise, which lies four degrees south of the equator. Honeymoon in one of 16 palatial villas, which come with an infinity pool, hot tub and private dining pavilion, plus a golf buggy to reach secluded beaches. Resident conservationists provide guided tours and the low-down on its exemplary conservation efforts.
• From £3,509pn (fregate.com).
Read the full review: Fregate Private Island
4 The Brando, French Polynesia
Originally owned by actor Marlon Brando and now a super-exclusive retreat on Tetiaroa, a private atoll known for its total seclusion – you won’t bump into boatloads of tourists here, though you might spot guests such as the Obamas on a paddleboard. Pad barefoot to the Te Manu bar for sunset drinks, watch masters at work at the teppanyaki table or tuck in to sea bream in your villa.
• From £2,496pn, minimum stay two nights (thebrando.com).
Read the full review: The Brando, French Polynesia
5. Jumby Bay Island, Antigua
It takes just 10 minutes to reach this 300-acre island by boat from the Antiguan mainland, yet its remote beauty makes it feel much further from the rum-and-reggae brigade. Days drift by biking to wild beaches where turtles nest and frigatebirds soar, cruising to secret snorkelling spots on the resort’s luxury yacht and relaxing in a hammock for two.
• From £1,164pn (oetkercollection.com).
Read the full review: Jumby Bay Island
• The world's most romantic hotels
6. Song Saa, Cambodia
Overwater villas with steps straight into the sea, sunken baths, driftwood furniture and four-poster beds draped in white linen; the romantic credentials of this conservation-minded escape are off the scale. In addition, there’s a restaurant serving just-caught fish, a driftwood bar, overwater sala for yoga classes and even an organic garden where you can receive a Buddhist blessing.
• From £691pn (songsaa.com).
Read the full review: Song Saa
7. Amanpulo, Philippines
Jungle and white beaches make up the majority of this unspoilt tropical island, around an hour from Manila on the resort’s 15-seat plane. All 42 casitas have outdoor decks, free-standing tubs and access to either the beach or a private plunge pool. Visit the hilltop spa for a massage with a view.
8. Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans
Thatched, stilted villas follow the curve of Radhanagar Beach on Havelock island. The surrounding jungle is so dense, it’s like waking up in a nature documentary (no trees were felled to create the hotel, and it shows). Memorable moments include kayaking through mangroves and bioluminescence at night, scuba-diving with reef sharks and rays and dining on fragrant curries.
• From £422pn (tajhotels.com).
Read the full review: Taj Exotica
9. Monaci Delle Terre Nere, Sicily
Your hearts will soar the moment you set eyes on this pink-hued retreat on the slopes of Mount Etna. Every detail combines to make the former 18th-century estate one of Europe’s most ravishing hotels, from the home-baked breads to the reclaimed wood furniture and black lava walls. Once there, prepare to be wowed, with wine tasting, an infinity pool, yacht cruises and cooking classes.
• From £168pn (monacidelleterrenere.it).
Read the full review: Monaci delle Terre
10. La Plage CasaDelmar, Corsica
Close to the bright lights of Porto Vecchio on a peninsula framed by rugged mountains, this design hotel is stunning. An elegant pool overlooks the private beach lapped by crystal-clear water. Rooms with white walls and rattan headboards are cool when temperatures soar (the best is number 40, on the beachfront). For a memorable night, take the speedboat across the bay to its sister property for a two-Michelin-starred supper.
• From £466pn (laplagecasadelmar.fr).
Read the full review: La Plage CasaDelmar
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Wild times
11. Chena Huts, Sri Lanka
If you’re looking for a wildlife honeymoon outside of Africa, then Chena Huts, on the boundary of Yala National Park, ticks all the boxes. Between safari drives to spot leopards, elephants, crocs and sloths, there’s time for beach walks, couples’ massages and relaxing in the plunge pool of your cathedral-domed, palm-thatched residence.
• From £480pppn (ugaescapes.com).
Read the full review: Chena Huts
12. Elewana Lewa Safari Camp, Kenya
African safaris don’t come more romantic or glamorous than this: 12 tented suites with verandas and al fresco showers, sundowners on the rolling plains north of Mount Kenya, expeditions to the Ngare Ndare forest for canopy walks and river swims plus game drives to spot the “big five”. Little wonder this is where Prince William chose to romance Kate Middleton before he popped the question.
• From £321pppn (elewanacollection.com).
13. Treehouses At Lion Sands Game Reserve, South Africa
For the ultimate honeymoon experience, sleep beneath the Milky Way in an open-air four-poster swathed in white mosquito nets in the heart of the African bush. Set high on an elevated wood platform illuminated by lanterns, you’ll enjoy a sunset picnic before drifting off to sleep counting shooting stars.
• From £209pppn (lionsands.com)
14. Sujan Sher Bagh, India
Tiger tracking at its finest, Sher Bagh’s 12 white hand-stitched tents lie on the border of Ranthambore National Park, where game drives pass Mughal ruins and jungle sheltering mongoose and leopards. Exquisite Indian suppers are cooked on outdoor clay ovens, massages take place in the jungle spa and tent interiors include polished teak furniture and a bell for your butler.
• From £602pn (thesujanlife.com).
15. Omaanda Lodge, Namibia
Float in the show-stopping infinity pool, with a fire pit at one end and bar at the other, while elephants drink in the waterhole below. Enjoy marula oil massages à deux in the two-room spa, oryx steak suppers and nights spent in luxurious huts with wood decks and baths beside huge windows (yes, you can spot game from your tub).
• From £403pn (zannierhotels.com).
Read the full review: Omaanda Lodge
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Mini-moons
16. The Newt, Somerset
Honeymoons in the UK are a thing. Thanks to an explosion of hip new hotels (think Soho Farmhouse and Heckfield Place), plus heightened concern about carbon footprints, it’s never been cooler to stay close to home. In addition, an increasing number of couples are realising the appeal of a short getaway in the UK straight after their wedding, followed by the delicious anticipation of a long-haul escape later in the year.
Leader of “homemoons” is The Newt, Somerset’s dreamiest new hotel. Whether you’re staying in a cosy loft room with exposed beams and enormous stand-alone tub, or a garden view suite with four-poster, mini larder and bathroom so large it has its own fireplace, you’ll want to stay between the high thread-count sheets for days. Set in a restored 17th-century manor house and stable yard, the vibe is posh friend’s second home, if that friend had a spa with a Himalayan salt room and a library, ate salads picked straight from their immense kitchen garden, played croquet on the lawn and ran their own cider mill.
• From £300pn (thenewtinsomerset.com).
Read the full review: The Newt
17. Verina Astra, Greece
Make the journey to idyllic Sifnos island and you’ll be rewarded with a clifftop suite with mesmerising views and an infinity pool that blends into the horizon. Stroll hand-in-hand to dramatic Poulati cove, hike to the nearby blue-domed monastery and laze together on your suite’s flagstone terrace, listening to the thrum of cicadas and jangle of goat bells.
• From £112 (verinahotelsifnos.com).
Read the full review: Verina Astra
18. Les Roches Rouges, France
Sexy boutique escape with a stone-lined, Instagrammable Slim Aarons-esque pool on the edge of the Côte d’Azur. When you’re not “honeymooning” in your beach house-inspired room, explore the coastline in kayaks, book a cooking lesson with hotel chef José Bailly, sip peach-laced cocktails at the bar, watch films beneath the stars and dine on squid and stuffed artichokes.
• From £250pn (hotellesrochesrouges.com).
Read the full review: Les Roches Rouges
19. Casa Angelina, Italy
Carved into the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, with dazzling all-white suites seemingly made for newly-weds. Step outside to your balcony, however, and it’s all blue, from the cloudless sky to the endless sea. Lemon trees grow by the side of the azure pool, and a ride in a glass-sided lift to Un Piano Nel Cielo (Floor in the Sky) restaurant is a novel way to reach supper.
• From £464pn (casaangelina.com).
Read the full review: Casa Angelina
20. Cas Gasi, Ibiza
Twelve romantic rooms come with terracotta-tiled floors, wood beams and the softest white linen. Some even have a private library or hot tub. There are electric bikes to borrow for fun trips to stunning Salinas beach and Ibiza old town, but with sunrise yoga, a pool, a small spa and brunch made with eggs from the hotel’s free-range hens, it’s hard to drag yourselves away.
• From £284pn (casgasi.com).
Read the full review: Cas Gasi
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21. Hell Bay, Isles of Scilly
It’s the wild and wonderful setting that will stay with you long after the honeymoon’s over. Set on Bryher, the smallest of the inhabited islands, there’s nothing between you and the United States as you gaze out to sea from your New England-style cottage. Spend days shell-seeking on the white sand beaches, eating delicious bouillabaisse on the terrace, sipping wine at Fraggle Rock Bar and having massages in the converted cow shed spa.
• From £145pn (hellbay.co.uk).
Twice as nice
22. Los Angeles & Hawaii
Hide away in West Hollywood during your first few days as Mr and Mrs, hanging out on striped loungers around the rooftop pool of the blissfully boho Petit Ermitage hotel. Don’t catch a cab, explore Santa Monica and Sunset boulevards on foot, then return to watch the sunset over Tinseltown and dine on lobster brioche beneath a string of twinkling fairy lights in the lush garden. When it’s time to leave La La Land, fly direct to Maui, Hawaii’s most beautiful island and home to Hotel Wailea, where honeymoon lures include beach cabanas for two, cruising the coastline in a vintage convertible Porsche and intimate treehouse suppers.
• From £296pn (petitermitage.com); from £428pn (hotelwailea.com).
Read the full reviews: Petit Ermitage; Hotel Wailea
23. Paris & Morocco
The Eiffel Tower looks close enough to touch from the terrace of Shangri-La Hotel Paris’s split-level duplex suites. Inside, it’s all wood floors, marble bathrooms and lavish curtains cascading from the mezzanine bedroom to the lounge below. If you tire of room service, the hotel’s Michelin-starred Shang Palace restaurant is worth getting out of bed for. Paris is a three-hour flight from Morocco, where La Sultana Oualidia lies on the wild west coast, with its toffee-coloured turrets, glass-roofed spa, bedrooms boasting hot tubs on terraces and lagoon where flamingos wade.
• Duplex suite from £2,520pn (shangri-la.com); from £369pn (lasultanahotels.com)
Read the full reviews: Shangri-La Paris; La Sultana Oualidia
24. Venice & Lake Como
A private boat ride across the Venetian lagoon is a suitably romantic way to arrive at Cipriani, the city’s most glamorous hotel on Giudecca island. Opulent but never brash, Cipriani will impress with everything from its Murano glass chandeliers and impeccable service to its Olympic-sized pool and club terrace at sunset. Order bellinis and drink in the views of San Marco. Villa d’Este on the edge of Como is another legendary Italian hotel, with a swimming pool that appears to float in the lake, rooms furnished with antiques and flair and possibly the country’s finest pasta at Il Platano. Little wonder George Clooney flits between the two.
• From £524pn (belmond.com); from £524pn (villadeste.com).
Read the full reviews: Belmond Cipriani; Villa d'Este
25. New York & Caribbean
Three blocks from Central Park, yet an oasis of calm amid the Manhattan mayhem, The Whitby is the Big Apple’s most romantic hotel. Treat yourselves to a night in the spectacular Whitby Suite on the 16th floor, which has an elegant lounge, silver bath and terraces with skyscraper views. Less than four hours from New York City are the silky beaches of Turks and Caicos, specifically Como Parrot Cay, a private island resort with luxurious white and wood villas, Como Shambhala spa and bikes for exploring the 1,000-acre tropical estate.
• From £402pn (firmdalehotels.com); from £828pn (comohotels.com).
Read the full review: The Whitby
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26. Singapore & Bali
The world’s largest, highest infinity pool is at the top of Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore, part of a SkyPark that also includes a restaurant with panoramic views. For butler service, sightseeing from your bed and a marble bathroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, book a Skyline suite. After a show-stopping city stopover, you’re more than halfway to Bali’s blissful shores, where Capella Ubud awaits. Extraordinarily luxurious tents with private pools, four-poster beds, local textiles and free-standing copper tubs are reached via suspension bridges in the rainforest paradise of Keliki Valley.
• From £328pn (marinabaysands.com); from £677pn (capellahotels.com).
Read the full reviews: Marina Bay Sands; Capella Ubud
27. Sydney & New South Wales
When you’ve travelled halfway around the globe, there’s no better place to chill together than Pier One hotel’s Admiral Suite egg bath, which overlooks Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Post-soak, enjoy the six-course veggie tasting menu at Gantry restaurant and sip signature Sunset Spritz cocktails. Ninety minutes north of Sydney lies Pretty Beach House in Bouddi National Park. A wonderful contrast to the hum of the city, there are just four incredible lodges, a tiny spa with couples’ treatment room and chance to spot whales, discover indigenous rock art and hike to secluded beaches.
• From £142pn (pieronesydneyharbour.com.au); from £536pn (prettybeachhouse.com).
Read the full review: Pier One
28. Cape Town & Mozambique
The best of South Africa decanted into one stylish Edwardian mansion, Ellerman House is exquisitely designed with original art, handcrafted ceramics, a cliffside location with jaw-dropping Atlantic views, wine cellar bursting with Cape vintages and 13 plush bedrooms. With a kitchen that can create bespoke dining experiences and a 24-hour open pantry, it’s unsurprising some guests never quite make it up Table Mountain. From city to seclusion, specifically &Beyond Benguerra Island off the coast of Mozambique, where rustic cabanas with four-poster beds and al fresco showers sheltered by casuarina trees hit the honeymoon spot.
• From £579pn (ellerman.co.za); from £735pn (andbeyond.com).
Read the full review: Ellerman House
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29. Buenos Aires & Patagonia
Be Jardin Escondido, the former home of film director Francis Ford Coppola, is an enchanting oasis in Buenos Aires’s buzzy Palermo Soho neighbourhood. Seven art-filled rooms sit amid terracotta-tiled patios and secret flower-filled gardens, while discreet service and outdoor suppers make it feel like a private residence. Continue the South American adventure at Explora Patagonia in the heart of Chile’s Torres del Paine. Discover the national park on horseback or by foot, before relaxing in an open-air hot tub overlooking Lake Pehoé while eagles circle above.
• Doubles from £315pn (thefamilycoppolahideaways.com); from £460pppn, minimum three-night stay (explora.com).
Read the full review: Be Jardin Escondido
30. Copenhagen & Norway
With its fairy-tale facade of arches, minarets and domes, softly lit rooms with chic Danish furniture, rooftop pool and central location opposite Tivoli Gardens, you can’t beat the Nimb for a honeymoon. From Copenhagen, it’s a short hop to Norway and one of Scandinavia’s most unique hotels. Juvet Landscape is a pine-and-glass haven where floor-to-ceiling windows in minimalist rooms frame snow-capped mountains, rivers and forests. This is a place to truly relax post-wedding. Expect hikes, hearty Nordic food and saunas.
• From £331pn (nimb.dk); from £214pn (juvet.com).
Read the full review: Nimb Hotel
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31. Tokyo & Seto Inland Sea
Every space at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, from the lobby to the spa, has an incredible view stretching past skyscrapers as far as Mount Fuji. Splash out on a few nights here for Michelin-starred food, sublime spa treatments and bedrooms with bonsai trees and cherry blossom motifs. Next, take a bullet train to Hiroshima and board the new Guntu floating hotel, which cruises around the tranquil Seto Inland Sea. Wake in pleasingly simple cabins, watch chefs create works of art at the sushi counter, toast yourselves with champagne, served daily at sunset, and step ashore some of Japan’s most beautiful islands.
• From £556pn (mandarinoriental.com); from £2866pp for two nights (guntu.jp).
Eco escapes
32. Islas Secas, Panama
Honeymoons with an eco edge have never been more popular, and setting new standards in luxury-with-a-conscience is Islas Secas, a private island hotel spread across an archipelago 20 miles off Panama’s west coast. Nine low-impact wood casitas, sleeping a maximum of 18 guests, are hidden among trees and run by solar power. Food is locally sourced (ie the garden and the sea) and there are no televisions: it’s clear from the moment you arrive that this hideaway is all about conservation and adventure.
Yet there are enough five-star touches for newly-weds to feel they have the best of both worlds, such as private pools, indoor-outdoor showers, canopy beds, sunrise yoga and ice-cold drinks (with glass straws, this is a no-plastic zone) miraculously appearing as the heat rises. The staff’s passion for the place is clear, and they’ll happily guide paddleboarding trips, arrange picnics on deserted islands and oversee diving excursions in Coiba National Park. Marine safaris here are some of the best on earth, with whale sharks, migrating humpback whales, rays, dolphins and reef sharks just some of the natural riches to be seen.
• From £1,565pn (islassecas.com).
33. Secret Bay, Dominica
Six sustainably built villas in lush rainforest edge the Caribbean Sea, close to the Indian River and the Northern Forest Reserve. Zing Zing restaurant serves locally sourced dishes scattered with herbs from the resort’s garden, and if you’re looking to revive yourselves after the wedding, there’s reiki, reflexology, yoga and massages on tap. The island’s longest white-sand beach, Prince Rupert Bay, is a 10-minute kayak away.
• From £607pn (secretbay.dm).
Read the full review: Secret Bay
34. Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica
Reachable only by raft, this luxury rainforest retreat on a bend of the Rio Pacuare feels unplugged from the modern world. Powered by wind and solar, rustic suites are candlelit at night; honeymooners favour the Canopy Suite reached by a private suspension bridge with a four-poster bed and indoor/outdoor shower. For an exhilarating dining experience, book The Nest, a platform with a table for two in a ceiba tree reached by zip-line.
• From £651pn (pacuarelodge.com).
Read the full review: Pacuare Lodge
35. Bawah Reserve, Indonesia
Guests arrive by seaplane at this far-flung archipelago, with 13 pristine beaches to play on. Eco villas have bamboo walls and canopied beds and there’s an exciting list of activities, from kayaking into caves and snorkelling with turtles to hiking through rainforest. Enjoy yoga, meditation and massages at Aura spa, tuck into five-course feasts at Treetops restaurant, and cuddle on cushions at the open-air film nights.
• From £1,549pn (bawahreserve.com).
Read the full review: Bawah Island
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36. Casa de las Olas, Mexico
Tulum’s most environmentally friendly hotel has a romantic vibe ideal for an eco-conscious honeymoon. Lush grounds lead to a white-sand beach, overlooked by eight suites with terracotta tiles, balconies with hammocks and some with four-poster beds swathed in billowing white muslin. Off-grid, it’s solar all the way, plus local, organic food, self-sourced water and biodegradable products where possible.
• From £230pn, three-night minimum (casadelasolas.com).
37. Zuri Zanzibar, Tanzania
Lamps upcycled from old bottles illuminate the open-air Peponi bar, spices plucked fresh from the resort’s garden are used in Swahili cooking lessons, and much of the contemporary furniture in the 56 thatch-roof villas is made from former fishing boats. Sustainability at its best, plus plenty of romance, too, such as lantern-lit jungle paths leading to a beachside Dhow bar and infinity pool by the silky sand beach.
• From £438pn (zurizanzibar.com).
Read the full review: Zuri Zanzibar
38. Pikaia Lodge, Ecuador
Built on an extinct volcano in the forested hills of Santa Cruz, Pikaia is the place to stay in the Galapagos Islands. It’s totally green – think rainwater tanks, solar power and walls and furniture made from recycled materials – yet totally luxurious. After a day observing marine iguanas, giant tortoises and Darwin’s finches, it’s great to return to a spacious bedroom with high-thread-count sheets.
• From £923pn (pikaialodge.com).
Read the full review: Pikaia Lodge
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39. Adrere Amellal Eco Lodge, Egypt
An extraordinary getaway, where rooms handcrafted from rock salt, clay and straw blend perfectly into the desert landscape. You’ll adore hand-woven Berber carpets, the softest Egyptian cotton sheets, a swimming pool made from a natural spring, horse-riding through dunes and visiting Siwa’s archaeological sites, but what’s truly unforgettable are the star-studded night skies.
• From £473pn (adrereamellal.net).
40. Valsana, Switzerland
Eco credentials way above your average mountain resort, including heating generated by geothermal probes and an ice battery, yet also super stylish. Bedrooms have balconies and characterful extras such as record players with a choice of vinyl. A cable car four minutes away delivers you to the tip of the Weisshorn, ideal for skiing in winter but just as much fun in summer, with trips to the Arosa Bear Sanctuary and mountain biking through meadows on the agenda.
• From £310pn (valsana.ch).
Read the full review: Valsana
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41. Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Canada
This tented resort by the Bedwell river on Vancouver Island’s wild Pacific coast is a true back-to-nature experience. Delightful as the plush camp is (bathrooms with heated floors, bedrooms with thick rugs and stoves), much of your time will be spent whale-watching, bear-spotting, hiking and zip-lining, before returning for cocktail hour around an open fire.
• From £2,700pp for three nights, the minimum stay (wildretreat.com).
More honey for your money
42. Menorca Experimental
You don’t have to travel across the world for an affordable island honeymoon. Menorca, whose entirety is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, is still relatively underdeveloped compared with its Balearic siblings, Franco having cut off its funding for much of the 20th century as punishment for its Republican allegiance during the Spanish Civil War. This means postcard-worthy coves and whitewashed farmhouses poking out of a green blanket of pine groves.
Many of these farmhouses have been converted into boutique hotels, and Menorca Experimental is the newest. Interior designer Dorothee Meilichzon waved her vogue-ish wand over the 19th-century farmhouse, meaning plenty of terracotta, rattan and polished concrete lifted with pastel-coloured ceramics and art. The pool’s peach sunbeds and concertina shades make it the perfect setting for cocktails from the nearby bar. If you can tear yourself away, visit Binidalí cove, with its traditional chiringuito, or hike to beautiful Macarelleta. If you time it right you can go from a beach session to the airport.
• From £172pn (menorcaexperimental.com).
43. Casa Marques, Brazil
High in the Santa Teresa hills of Rio de Janeiro, in a converted colonial-style house, life revolves around the roof terrace, thanks to a pergola bar and infinity pool with Instagrammable views of Guanabara Bay and Christ the Redeemer. Twelve white and wood suites feature funky furniture by Brazilian designers and enormous floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the city landscape below.
• From £120pn (casamarquesrio.com).
44. Alavya, Turkey
Uber-romantic retreat (the name’s “I love you” – get it?) in the hilltop village of Alacati. Six stone cottages with pastel shutters and terracotta roofs cluster around a courtyard shaded by olive trees. All 25 bedrooms are delightful, but honeymooners tend to book Jade Loft for its balcony, four-poster and marble bathroom. Breakfast is a highlight; feast on pastries, fruits and spicy eggs, before exploring the peninsula on brightly coloured bikes and swimming in the deliciously cool pool.
• From £105pn (alavya.com.tr).
Read the full review: Alavya
45. Little Beach House, Spain
Catalan cool 30 minutes from Barcelona, where tapas are served to live flamenco, cava sundowners take place on the roof terrace, and bedrooms are furnished with shelves of books, woven wall hangings and local ceramics. The lust-worthy interiors lift it to honeymoon status, with rattan chairs, pot plants galore, white and green beach cabanas, mint-coloured tiles and striped hammocks.
• From £145pn (littlebeachhousebarcelona.com).
Read the full review: Little Beach House
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46. Imani Country House, Portugal
Rural peace with a stylish twist, seven suites in converted farm buildings are made for romance, with pots of flowers, oak floors and lavender-fringed patios. A circular swimming pool in the middle of the lawn is stunning (there’s another one hidden away behind the orange trees), while the well-stocked honesty bar and trips to nearby Evora, with its Roman ruins and top-class restaurants, add to the appeal.
• From £106pn (imani.pt).
Read the full review: Imani Country House
47. Jakes, Jamaica
Still the island’s coolest escape, Jakes at Treasure Beach has been enticing honeymooners for decades. With decor best described as “tropical Gaudi” (rainbow-coloured cottages, mosaic walls, curves), its candy-coloured Octopussy suites are the most romantic, with glass bottles embedded in walls, outdoor driftwood and shell showers and roof decks with Caribbean Sea views. Rum punches at the tiny Dougie’s bar and jerk chicken at neighbourhood café Jack Sprat are a must.
• From £74pn (jakeshotel.com).
48. Le Barn, France
Forty minutes south of Paris, this converted estate is the dream: countryside activities mixed with designer interiors and a gourmet French restaurant. Fill your days horse-riding (it has its own stables) or biking through the Rambouillet Forest, joining a cooking class, relaxing in a Nordic hot tub or flopping into your barn suite’s enormous bed to properly unwind.
• From £124.20pn (lebarn.com).
Read the full review: Le Barn
49. Hotel Kompas, Croatia
You get a lot of style for your money at this contemporary, glass-fronted hotel, not least its location just outside Dubrovnik old town, overlooking unspoilt Lapad Bay. Tasteful bedrooms have balconies and decor echoing the soft shades of the pebble beach below. There’s a freshwater pool, too. Sunset aperitifs at top-floor Zenith bar are unmissable.
• From £66pn (kompas.dubrovnik.hotels-hr.com).
Read the full review: Hotel Kompas
50. Mediterraneo, Greece
Enchanting house on Kastellorizo harbour, with Moroccan tables, Indian wall-hangings and a bold colour scheme. The vibe is more bohemian artists’ residence than hotel. Book the spacious ground-floor suite for sculptures and a Bedouin-style lounging area by the harbour, where shuttered houses edge the tear-shaped bay. No pool, but who needs one when there are steps into the sea?
• From £77pn (mediterraneo-megisti.com).
Read the full review: Mediterraneo
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