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World's Most Romantic Islands

Romantic island getaways from the Caribbean to the South Pacific to help start—or stoke—the
flame.

By Emma Sloley

Rangali Island, The Maldives

Courtesy of samyoyobelinda.com
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Whether you’re after all-out luxury or sand-between-the-toes casual, there’s a romantic island for
you. And while many of these dream destinations have “remote” and “secluded” as their
principle selling points, others are surprisingly close to home. (One you can practically see from
the Hollywood sign.)

No matter whether you’re a new couple just getting to know each other or you’re celebrating
your golden anniversary, these romantic islands will help you holiday happily ever after.

Rangali Island, The Maldives

Of the 1,192 islets that make up this island nation in the Indian Ocean, roughly 1,000 are
uninhabited. Suffice to say, your chances of finding romantic seclusion are pretty high. Like
most of the resorts here, the Conrad Maldives Hotel occupies its own private atoll, called Rangali
Island. The romance factor kicks in before you even arrive, thanks to a seaplane ride over the
shallow, impossibly clear lagoon. Soon enough, you’re dining in the underwater restaurant and
kicking back in the over-water spa.

Molokai, Hawaii
Photo Resource Hawaii / Alamy

Molokai, Hawaii
A conspicuous absence of international hotel chains is just one reason this idyll—situated east of
Oahu in the Hawaiian archipelago—draws romantics from all over. Hike to remote waterfalls,
kayak secluded rocky coastlines, and ride donkeys into the lush valleys, or just laze beachside.
(Head for the golden sands of secluded three-mile-long Papohaku Beach, at the far-west end of
the island.) With just one traffic light on the island, the only gridlock you’ll encounter is caused
by colonies of curious sea turtles frolicking in the outrageously clear waters.

Capri, Italy
Jon Arnold Images Ltd / Alamy

Capri, Italy

Sure, noon in Capri Town can be a tourist swarm, but the bulk of visitors depart on the last ferry
back to Naples or Sorrento—leaving the island blissfully free for lovers. And this dramatically
craggy outcrop, a Mediterranean Garden of Eden splashed with floral color and perfumed by
lemon trees and herb gardens, has remained a magnet for the A-list since antiquity, when
Emperor Tiberius set up camp here.

St. Lucia, Caribbean

Courtesy of Jade Mountain
St. Lucia, Caribbean

If the Caribbean Sea were a catwalk, St. Lucia would be its most bankable supermodel. This 27-
mile-long island is lush, mountainous, and blessed with gorgeous beaches and verdant cocoa
plantations. The jade-green twin peaks of the Pitons, jungle-swathed volcanic plugs that rise
from a silvery ocean on the southwest coast, are the Caribbean’s most striking backdrop.

Bocas del Toro, Panama

Courtesy of Punta Caracol Acqua-Lodge

Bocas del Toro, Panama

Located in the Caribbean Sea near the border with Costa Rica, this group of islands is all about
low-key relaxation with a Latin American flavor, pitch-perfect for sybarites who don’t want to
pack a designer bikini. The main island of Colon has a buzzy downtown full of waterfront bars
and laid-back nightclubs, while the smaller islands offer deserted beaches, rainforests,
mangroves, and coral reefs.
Catalina Island, California
iStock

Catalina Island, California

Just 22 miles southwest of Los Angeles, Santa Catalina has a certain Mediterranean flavor.
Yachts jostle in a glinting harbor, sorbet-colored homes cascade down the hillside, and the
secluded coves are ready-made for romance—including the aptly named Lover’s Cove, east of
Avalon.

Santorini, Greece
iStock

Santorini, Greece

Sweeping views over a picture-perfect caldera—the result of a volcanic eruption around 1600
B.C.—is just one factor in Santorini’s romantic charm. Gorgeous, striated cliffs and black-sand
beaches don’t hurt, either. Head to the famously picturesque village of Oia (book a room at the
18-suite Mystique) with its classic whitewashed, cliff-edge architecture, blue-domed churches,
and stone houses overhung with bougainvillea canopies.
Barbuda, Caribbean
Claire Frank

Barbuda, Caribbean

If your idea of Eden is unpaved roads, truly deserted beaches, and nary a nightclub, this 68-
square-mile island in the Eastern Caribbean is for you. Barbuda features just a handful of high-
end hotels, including Coco Point Lodge, on its own 164-acre peninsula fronting glorious pink-
sand beaches. Take a boat trip to the Frigate Bird Sanctuary on a lagoon in the island’s northwest
and ogle the 5,000 namesake birds that call it home.

Laucala Island, Fiji

Courtesy of Laucala Island

Laucala Island, Fiji

The South Pacific fantasy of swaying palm trees and extravagantly lush scenery reaches its
fullest expression here. There are just 25 cottages on this privately owned resort, which occupies
the entire island, each with a private pool, dining pavilion, and outdoor hot tub and shower.
While the resort attracts deep-pocketed travelers, don’t expect glitzy lobbies. The emphasis is on
rustic, pared-back luxury; every detail seems crafted to appeal to couples, including the lagoon
pool with its man-made “islands” big enough for two.

Pamalican Island, The Philippines

Courtesy of Amanresorts

Pamalican Island, The Philippines

You’ll find only one resort here—Amanpulo, set on its own private island southwest of Manila
with just 40 secluded pitched-roof traditional villas, strung along a pristine beach with sand so
white it’s blinding. Beachcombers can navigate the entire island on foot in less than two hours,
keeping their eyes out for baby sharks, kingfishers, and sea turtles, which lay their eggs here
between March and October.

See More of the World’s Most Romantic Islands