These are the most romantic places in the world, according to our editors.
The well-travelled CF team have spent years traversing the globe, seeking out the best spots for fun, relaxation, adventure and connection.
Ortigia, Sicily
Romance means different things to different people. For some, it’s a table for two on a remote beach cove, for others it’s golden hour as it warms centuries-old elaborate architecture or the sparkling stars lighting up the night sky. Including all of these, and more, these are some of the most romantic places we know.
Sheena Bhattessa, Founder
Praiano, Italy
There are places in Italy that feel like they were made for two. Praiano is one of them and if you haven’t heard of it, well, I suppose that’s the point. Quieter and less performed than its famous neighbours on the Amalfi Coast, this village clings to the cliffside between Positano and Amalfi, and the only way to truly arrive is by boat. My husband and I sailed until the enchanting little cove of Marina di Praia appeared, just a sliver of shore tucked between ancient rock. Leave your phone in your room, you won’t need it. You’ll find picture-perfect coloured boats and fishing nets lining the shore, and the piazza feels suspended from the rest of the world entirely. This place has cemented a particular memory in my mind, and it’s usually the first place my mind wanders when I think of romance. It’s the kind of place where time doesn’t so much slow down as stop. At the water’s edge sits Da Armandino, a family-run trattoria that has been here since 1986, run by Armandino and his wife Carmela, whose cooking is the whole reason to come. Order the tubetti con totani (short pasta with squid) or the risotto al limone, and save room for Carmela’s desserts and homemade liqueurs. The pistachio cheesecake is one I’ve never forgotten. (Two spoons, but two portions required). The wine is local, the fish came in that morning, and everyone is simply happy and not in a rush. This is the Italy you dreamed of before Instagram told you where to go.
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Katie Silcox, Managing Editor
Tasmania, Australia
It’s just about as far as you can travel from the UK, but Tasmania is the most romantic place I’ve been – specifically at night. Remote, dramatic and peaceful, this is a place to truly take time out from the world. Take a sunset cruise, go wine-tasting, or hike to Wineglass Bay together – a deserted beach that’s as pretty as they come. But the real romance in Tasmania starts when the sun goes down: this is one of the darkest places in the world thanks to a lack of light pollution, and its pitch-black sky comes alive, bursting with sparkling stars. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you can even see the milky way’s core. No night sky I’ve ever seen – before or afterwards – comes anywhere close; this is a memory that will stay with me forever. Saffire Freycinet is the place to stay, where 20 high-end suites overlook The Hazards mountain range and Great Oyster Bay, where whales sometimes come in to breach.
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Becki Murray, Beauty & Wellness Director
Bowa restaurant, Croatia
Bowa offers the kind of romance that feels almost accidental – like you’re sharing a secret that only the two of you know about. Part of the magic is that the island-based Croatian restaurant is only accessible by boat (although close enough to central Dubrovnik to squeeze into a short city break). The best time to go is for a late lunch slot so you can enjoy the sunset as it reflects over the Adriatic Sea from your private cabana or terrace table. Between the courses of fresh fish, oysters and sun-warmed vegetables – inspired by the owner’s grandmother’s recipes, no less – you can enjoy the beach and have a swim too, making the experience feel intimate without trying too hard. That makes it an unforgettable booking for anyone looking for somewhere romantic that isn’t stuffiness or cliché.
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Ella Alexander, Fashion Features Director
Ortigia, Sicily
For somewhere to be romantic it has to be beautiful in an atmospheric way, which probably means something different to everyone. I find Sicily just after dusk very romantic – that point where the sun has just gone down and the streets are golden. There’s something about the light and the baroque architecture that is so utterly intoxicating. Ortigia on the east coast is a good place for it; walk around the edge of the island with the sea to one side and the town to the other. Take a detour through Via del Crocefisso, a street so beautiful it makes your eyes water. The pavements smell of heat, the result of hours of sunshine, and every now and again, there’s a waft of the bergamot blossom that grows on the trees there. Then settle down and find a bar overlooking the water (any will do, there are no duds), and absorb it all, an Aperol Spritz in hand.
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Bibiana Obahor, Head Of Graphic Design
VIVOOD Landscape Hotel, Benimantell, Spain
There is nothing quite as beautiful as nature left to its own devices, and so for me the VIVOOD Landscape Hotel in Benimantell is one of the most romantic places I’ve been to (so far!). It was a surprise trip for my boyfriend’s birthday and I honestly didn’t expect much from a short weekend stay, but this adults-only mountain retreat tucked into Spain’s Guadalest Valley turned into the kind of stay that recalibrates you. We booked one of the 10 Premium Villas, a two-level hideaway with a panoramic living room opening onto a private heated pool, a bedroom below a glass roof, and a small box by the door for your phone (an invitation to actually disconnect). Dinner can be taken in the villa itself, served course by course by your own waiter, which somehow makes the evening feel even more removed from the rest of the world. What you’ll enjoy most, though, is the 5E Spa, which you can book privately for two hours at sunset; the doors close, the valley turns gold and violet through the panoramic walls, and it’s just the two of you moving through it at your own pace. Stillness, it turns out, is the most romantic thing of all.
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Zana Wilberforce, Cultural Contributor
San Agustinillo, Mexico & Folegandros, Greece
I’m not really bothered about frilly romantic gestures or anything too opulent. Give me a quiet beach and a sunset and I’m good to go. San Agustinillo in Mexico first springs to mind – this part of Mexico, on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast, is unbelievably romantic for the sunsets alone. We rented a moped and skirted along the coast to find the best and most private viewing points in Mazunte. I’d also recommend the island of Folegandros in Greece for a memorable, romantic sunset moment. You can rent a quad bike and drive to the island’s rugged cliffs with hardly anyone else around. On the final night, we picked up a crisp bottle of Greek white wine at a local winery along the way. Bliss!
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Lead photo credit: Gene Brutty via Unsplash
