10 Honeymoon Destinations For Every Type of Traveler

If “go big or go home” and “paradise or bust” are your rallying cries, then the island nation of the Maldives is a top honeymoon destination. Just under five hours by air from Bangkok, the Maldives’ crystal-clear waters, white-sand beaches, sun-drenched skies, and 1,192 islands (roughly 800 of which are uninhabited) are hard to resist.

Kick off married life by scuba diving through the hundreds of technicolor coral reefs (featuring more than 2,000 species of sea creatures), or viewing them from the deck of your over-the-water villa. Also on tap: some of the world’s most ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible luxury resorts.

 Honorable mention: Short on time? Cancun, with its luxurious Nizuc Resort and Spa situated just a few minutes from the airport, is an excellent closer-to-home alternative for most.

Costa Rica is the place to dig deep into nature, with plenty of on- and off-the-grid eco-lodges available, whatever your budget. Here, enjoy the country’s black-sand beaches, natural hot springs, lush jungles, and highly Instagrammable volcanos … and throw in some howler monkeys perched in the trees, plus a sleepy-eyed sloth or two.

Meanwhile, the more actively-inclined can spend time hiking or paddleboarding through mangroves, or riding a tree-top aerial tram for a bird’s-eye view of the Arenal Volcano in one of Costa Rica’s most famous and picturesque national parks. 

Honorable mentions: The Nicaraguan surfing mecca San Juan del Sur is home to luxurious oceanside eco-lodges, while the bucket list island of Fiji has the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, a long-standing model of sustainability and luxury.

If your perfect honeymoon involves lounging under a palm tree with the turquoise ocean, a frosty margarita, and your significant other all within arm’s reach, look no further than Isla Mujeres. This sandy 5-mile-long (8-kilometer-long) strip of paradise, just across the bay from bustling Cancun, is known for its laid-back vibe, white-sand beaches, and delicious cuisine (fish tacos, anyone?).

The ideal place to do absolutely nothing, there are still plenty of activity options available should the mood strike. Sail away on a private catamaran cruise, explore the island by golf cart, zipline over the ocean, snorkel through the MUSA Underwater Sculpture Museum, or just say “yes, please” to a romantic catnap in the shade.

Honorable mention: A tiny island in the South Pacific, Bora Bora is all about the water—think swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and enjoying views of Matira Beach, one of the world’s most beautiful sandy escapes.

A top honeymoon spot, the island of Kauai offers lush, dramatic peaks, thundering waterfalls, turquoise seas, and gorgeous white-sand beaches. Here, you can take a chopper ride above Jurassic Park–like gorges, hike and bike up mountains for breathtaking views, or just hang out in the sun and surf until nightfall—with more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) of coastline available, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

Our advice? Book one of the island’s low-key resorts, kick off your shoes, and dive in. With only 10 percent of the island accessible by car, Kauai’s unspoiled natural beauty and low population density deliver even high-season serenity. 

Honorable mention: Make for Isla Holbox, Mexico—an otherworldly 1-mile-wide, 26-mile-long (1.6-kilometer-wide, 42-kilometer-long) sliver of sand, dotted with idyllic, intimate boutique hotels—just a 30-minute flight from Cancun. And, best of all, there are no cars, no high-rises, and no worries.

Find snow and northern light–spotting opportunities aplenty in Finland, and, more specifically, Lapland. Come October, daylight is in short supply, but it’s also when winter activities go full throttle, with downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, dogsledding, snowmobiling, reindeer interactions, and walks into the wilderness to gaze at the aurora borealis all on offer.

Spend a honeymoon night or two in a high-end hotel made entirely of ice or, after a session in the sauna, curl up in a glass-dome igloo and watch the stars from the comfort of your own bed, before heading to Rovaniemi to spend some quality time with Santa Claus himself.  

Honorable mention: Coming in close second, Quebec City is ideal for chill-seeking honeymooners. Expect four ski areas a short ride from town, ice hotels, ice slides, ice fishing, thermal spas, and (of course) the best French cuisine this side of the Atlantic. 

Are animals your thing? We’ve got one word for you—safari. Arguably the global safari destination, Kenya's Masai Mara Reserve is home to the highest concentration of exotic animals in the world. Led by expert guides and conservationists, you honeymooners can ride well-worn dirt tracks across the savannah on the lookout for elephants, lions, leopards, wildebeest, zebra, hippos, rhinos, buffalo, crocodiles, and more.

At night, ride out to encounter nocturnal creatures (at a safe distance) or keep your own company, cuddled up in a high-end eco-lodge overlooking the plains or a luxurious safari-camp tent in the middle of the action. No matter where you spend your evenings, a honeymoon safari guarantees a wild and unforgettable start to married life.

Honorable mention: Honeymooners with a thing for observing salmon-loving grizzlies in the wild can watch them feast in one of the best places to do it—Katmai National Park in Alaska. 

Getting away from it all is the point of a honeymoon. But, for many couples, sharing an adventure together is just part of the fun. Fortunately, the volcanic archipelago of the Galapagos delivers on all fronts.

There are four main inhabited islands to hop between, as well as many more uninhabited ones to explore on foot, or by snorkel, scuba, and boat.  Between expeditions, enjoy the miles of white-sand beaches and low-key resorts, but with roughly 9,000 species of animals on view—many of which simply don’t exist anywhere else on the planet—don’t hang about either. You'll want to squeeze in as many as you can.

Honorable mention: For honeymooners who like things on the cooler side—plus the chance to hang out with whales, seals, seabirds, and millions of penguins—Antarctica makes an excellent alternative.

Not every honeymooner wants to hang at the beach. For some, history and architecture take top billing. In that case, London is the eternal draw. Fast-paced, bustling, and ever-changing, London and its buildings draw on the legacy of being one of the world’s great cities for over a thousand years, and the city’s wide variety of facades and interiors offer surprises at every turn.

Explore Westminster Hall, the oldest building in Parliament; head to the skyscraping Bishopsgate Tower, one of London’s tallest and newest; or take a guided walking tour of the British capital instead.

Honorable mention: North of London, Oxford boasts a spectacular Gothic Revival architecture vibe for a total time-tripping experience.

Honeymooners won’t find sand, sea, or palm trees here—you’ll need to head to Amalfi for that—but there’s wall-to-wall art, inside and out. From the soaring architecture of Florence’s most famous buildings, such as the legendary Duomo and Basilica of Santa Croce, to the Uffizi Galleries, countless Renaissance treasures live here.

Whether you're more into Michelangelo and Giotto or Brunelleschi, all the main players are on display in Florence’s 70+ museums, too … but you needn’t spend the whole time gallery-hopping. In fact, there’s plenty of café-based people-watching to do, too (as well as tax-free Prada to buy).

Honorable mention: Equally magnificent in the art department is Paris, which is home to more than 1,000 art galleries by some estimates. Here, too, art is everywhere ... and we hear the food is pretty good as well.

Honeymoon with a side of family fun? Aruba does both, with plenty of kid-friendly activities, wallet-friendly all-inclusive resorts, and both boutique and independent hotels.

Expect plenty of sun, sand, and sea on this Caribbean island, but don’t skip the popular family-time options, such as varied animal experiences, hiking, horseback riding, cave exploration, submarine rides, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Best of all, with so much to do, the kids will likely be ready for bed early, meaning you honeymooning parents can (at last) enjoy some alone time.

Honorable mention: Amelia Island, Florida, makes an ideal adventure honeymoon destination, offering water- and land-based family fun options, plus putt-putt golf, a skatepark, river cruises, nature center, and even an escape room.

Related: A Beginner’s Guide To the Caribbean Islands