The “Day of Love” is a global phenomenon — from where it all began in the Eternal City to the heavenly Himalayan foothills. Who says professing your love should be limited to Valentine’s Day? See what the travel experts say about celebrating Valentine’s Day throughout the year, along with some experiences to be shared with that special someone or friend.
What the Experts are Saying
Brian McMahon, Travel Curator at Origin , a luxury travel company based in Palo Alto, California, with regional experts around the world creating completely individual, personalized trips.
“There’s always a lot of pressure for over-the-top Valentine’s Day plans, but romantic travel doesn’t have to be limited to February. In fact, planning your romantic getaway outside of February gives you the freedom to enjoy better weather, avoid peak Valentine’s prices, and do away with the arbitrary pressure that comes with February 14. Instead, try celebrating your love with a second honeymoon. There’s no reason that a honeymoon has to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and allowing yourself to take a momentous trip like that again and again is a sure way to keep your passion burning for years to come.
Consider journeying by camel into the Sahara Desert for a night under the stars in your own private campsite, bundled up next to a crackling fire and with a tent that feels fit for a sultan. The entire experience is filled with Scheherazade magic that you’ll remember for years to come. If you like the wintry charm of celebrating Valentine’s Day but can’t travel in February, plan a summer trip to Patagonia when the Southern Hemisphere is in the midst of winter. Luxurious mountain lodges in Torres del Paine on the Chilean side or El Chaltén on the Argentinian side give all of that cozy fireside ambiance when most travelers are heading to the beach. Plus, it’s low season for tourism in Patagonia, so you’re more likely to find intimate moments in one of nature’s most breathtaking creations.
But a romantic trip doesn’t have to be to a far-off and exotic destination. In fact, sometimes a bit of nostalgia makes for the most romantic trip of all. Plan a trip to somewhere with meaning to you both—maybe the place you first met or re-creating your first trip together. Especially if a large amount of time has passed, the sentimentality of seeing how the place has changed along with how you both have changed will have you feeling like lovestruck teenagers all over again.”
A Dreamy Hideaway in Mexico City: Ignacia Guest House
Photo Credit Jaime Navarro
Perfect for design aficionados and those looking to blend into daily life in the beloved Colonia Roma neighborhood, newly renovated Ignacia Guest House is a trendy eco-friendly bed and breakfast. Treat your special someone with an undisturbed, amorous stay in one of the property’s four new rooms. With just nine unique suites, the hotel’s namesake is Ignacia, the housekeeper who took care of this 1913 colonial mansion for more than 40 years. Led by architects Factor Eficiencia and interior design studio A – G, the restoration of this casona blends Mexican tradition with history and contemporary design. Opened in 2017, artists, architects, designers, photographers from all over have been drawn to the property for its internationally acclaimed award-winning design, décor, and style. This lush oasis is the ideal secret hideaway where couples can enjoy tranquility and privacy in the heart of the bustling Roma neighborhood. The hotel can only host 18 guests at a time, so guests can expect privacy, personalized attention, and truly superb concierge service. The chef modifies menus to include personal specifications, from vegan to lactose-free. Each morning, the chef prepares fresh-baked breads, and complimentary signature breakfasts like Chilaquiles, Molletes and Sopecitos are made from scratch – as is freshly squeezed orange juice and homemade orange marmalade from the garden’s two old-growth citrus trees, planted by Ignacia herself. All ingredients (fruits, vegetables, legumes, coffee, eggs, dairy, tortillas) come from small local producers, which guarantees their freshness and quality, as well as supporting the local community. Guests return home to a complimentary garden cocktail hour, where the mixologist creates custom drinks, such as a mango-and-mezcal concoction and more. All guests receive complimentary Wi-Fi, breakfast, daily cocktail hour in the garden and more. Nightly rates for the suites range from $313 – $545USD. For more information, visit www.ignacia.mx
Live Well Couples’ Retreat: Las Catalinas
Photo Credit Las Catalinas
The Live Well Couples’ Retreat at Las Catalinas is a 4-day retreat focusing on nurturing one’s wellbeing in a multi-dimensional and holistic way. The retreat aims to establish a healthier and more solid relationship with one’s inner self and your partner. Following Las Catalinas ’ well-living pillars: movement, nourishment, meaningful connections, simplicity and beautiful surroundings, this couples’ retreat is designed to make both feel emotionally and physically balanced while connecting with nature. During the retreat, guests will experience various activities, treatments, and journeys. From bio-energetic holistic sessions that include acupuncture, energy balance, aromatherapy, circulatory-lymphatic and scalp massages to sound healing journeys that will help individuals release tension and blocks located in the body, this couples’ retreat also offers an array of outdoor activities like hiking on over 42 km of tropical dry forest trails, paddle boarding, yoga, forest bathing and meditations, delicious, healthy, and thoughtful meals and more. The couples’ retreat includes: 3-night stay at Santarena Hotel, 4 breakfasts, 3 dinners, 2 private yoga lessons, hiking, SUP or kayak, bio-energetic holistic session, forest bathing, meditations, sound healing journey and breathwork. All activities are private for the couple. Prices start from $3,444USD per couple. This retreat at Las Catalinas is available throughout the year except Easter Week, Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Booking upon request subject to availability. For more information, visit www.lascatalinascr.com.
Adventurous Romantic Pursuits: Ananda in the Himalayas
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ananda in the Himalayas
For adventurous-minded couples,Ananda in the Himalayas offers The Ananda Active, a multi-day apt experience perfect for health-conscious travelers. It involves the best of outdoor fitness workouts that are great for those who function best on adrenaline. The dynamic program includes activities like guided treks in the Himalayan foothills, white water rafting across the mighty Ganges and outdoor bootcamps with trained experts. These are complimented with aquatic workout sessions inside the property, physiotherapy sessions and deep tissue massages. The massages can also be done for couples in their specially designed Kama Suite, a complete couples’ therapy room with twin shower areas. Private candlelight dinners can also be arranged, with customized healthy cuisine that will help in supplementing the body with food that is rich in protein, good fats, and complex carbs to ensure that the body gets the requisite fuel for the invigorating schedule. The program starts with 5 nights and goes up to 14 nights. Additional activities like kayaking, jungle safari and ziplining are also available on request. Prices start from $1410USD per night in double occupancy and $920USD in single occupancy on an all-inclusive basis for a 5-night stay in a Deluxe Palace view room. Please note: This program also runs throughout the year except during the monsoon season (mid-June to mid-September) as treks and rafting are prohibited due to rains. For information, visit www.anandaspa.com
Out of the Ordinary Escapes: Naya Traveler
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Naya Traveler
Naya Traveler’s experts craft unique experiences far beyond the well-trodden romance resort path. Discover Naya Traveler’s romance-inspired journeys, a different and refreshing take on couples’ travel to unchartered destinations including Cambodia, Myanmar, Kashmir and Ladakh, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay and more. Each curated trip is fully tailor-made. Here are two favorites:
Morocco’s Enchanting Southern Route
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Naya Traveler
Journey with Naya Traveler through Morocco’s lesser-known southern route, passing through some of the most remote towns and villages of the country such as Tata, Guelmim, and Assa. Staying at private properties along the way, spend a week on a fully serviced, exhilarating road trip that will introduce you to Morocco’s secret essence – one that is seldom described in the guidebooks. Couples check into the ultimate romantic oasis, Dar Ahlam, and continue for an exhilarating few nights in Marrakesh. They’ll experience the romance of an ultimate Moroccan Hamam experience, explore the winding alleys of the Medina, and hear enchanting stories from the Jmaa el Fnaa fortune-tellers. Itineraries include accommodations at beautiful private homes (La Maison des Arganiers, La Maison de L’Oasis, La Maison Rouge), a private luxury nomadic camp in the Sahara Desert, two nights at Dar Ahlam in the Skoura Valley and two nights at Villa des Orangers in Marrakesh. From $1200USD per person per day, based on two people in double occupancy. For information, visit www.nayatraveler
Rio de Janeiro and Trancoso
Sensuality comes to life naturally in Brazil— it’s said that anything done as a pair in Rio inevitably becomes a romantic affair. Guests spend mornings roaming the colorful streets of Santa Teresa, exploring in Parque Lage or soaking up the sun at Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Evenings call for sexy samba dancing on the Selaron steps or a sophisticated nightcap at the legendary Copacabana Palace. Guests will also sneak away to a private bohemian paradise in Trancoso, in 500-year-old brightly colored casitas with white-washed shutters, beautifully restored by Wilbert Das along with local artisans using traditional techniques and reclaimed materials. A few nights at the Uxua Casa & Spa offers seclusion and five-star treatments at a nature-filled romantic retreat nestled in the heights of an uber-chic treehouse or a casita on the steps of the sandy Bahia beach. Itineraries include accommodations at Chez Georges for two nights in Rio de Janeiro and four nights at UXUA Casa & Spa in Trancoso. From $900USD per person per day, based on two people in double occupancy. For information, visit www.nayatraveler
Napolitan Pizza Making Classes: Bettoja Hotels
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bettoja Hotels
Some say that cooking as a couple can be a bonding experience and the key to someone’s heart can be found through food. What better to way to say “I love you” than together in one of the most romantic cities in the world – Rome. Take a romantic pizza making class with Bettoja Hotels and discover the history of this traditional dish and learn how to make a real Napoletan Pizza from scratch during a one-our workshop inside one of the best roman pizzerias in the Eternal City. Learn the most important secrets to creating one of the most loved Italian recipes. This new package includes a one-hour pizza class for two people led by a professional pizza chef, pizza tasting with your classmates accompanied by a drink and bruschetta or crisps, daily breakfast included, room upgrade, early check-in, and late check-out and a 10% discount in the hotel restaurants and bars. Starting price €149 per room per day with a minimum stay of two nights. For more information, visit www.bettojahotels.it
Better than a Box of Chocolates: Calabash Cove Resort and Spa
Photo Credit Courtesy of Calabash Cove Resort and Spa
One of the most popular all-inclusive, adults-only boutique hotels in Saint Lucia, Calabash Cove Resort and Spa offers seclusion, beauty, and mesmerizing views. With old Caribbean charm, 26 villas are accompanied by the Windsong restaurant, lively C-Bar, and the peaceful Ti Spa. Ti Spa offers special Valentine’s spa packages – with treatments including the Chocolate Decadence Body Polish ($100USD pp), with a chocolate full body scrub; a Couples Moonlight Escape ($300USD), combining a hot stone and Swedish Massage, a chocolate peppermint foot scrub and champagne and chocolates under the moonlight; and the Couples Massage Lessons ($100USD), where lovebirds learn how to pamper each other with techniques to help reduce tension and stress. The all-inclusive concept includes a Valentine’s Day dinner, with highlights including a grilled half spiny lobster, five-spiced foie gras with papaya chutney, and escovitched shark with sweet potato chips and edible moringa flowers. For more information, visit www.calabashcove.com
