More Great Romantic Escapes
Further to our feature in the May issue of Travel + Leisure we provide even more romantic escapes from around the world.
A SICILIAN AGRITURISMO
In the hills of Sicily, four kilometres from the sea, is the secluded 19th-century farmhouse Mandranova. It's a working farm, close to the towns of Agrigento, Licata and Caltagirone, where guests can explore centuries-old architecture, open-air vegetable and clothing markets and traditional ceramic shops.
WHERE TO STAY Mandranova (Contrada Mandranova, Km 217, Strada Statale 115; +39 091 612 0463; www.mandranova.it; doubles from $243) is set on 170 hilly hectares, with stunning views of olive groves from each of the 11 rooms. Owners Silvia and Giuseppe di Vincenzo have filled the estate with antiques and terracotta pottery from Caltagirone, the hub of Sicilian ceramics production for hundreds of years. If the Mandranova is booked, look for more Sicilian agriturismos at www.agriturismo.net.
WHERE TO EAT In the Mandranova kitchen, Silvia cooks local dishes such as wild-fennel pesto and caponata e polpette in agrodolce (eggplant ratatouille with meatballs in sweet-and-sour sauce). She offers cooking lessons where you can learn to make her famous almond cake. For a romantic night on the town, arrange for a taxi to La Madia Restaurant (22 Corso Filippo di Re Capriata; +39 092 277 1443; dinner for two $87) in the port town of Licata, 10 minutes away. The perfect meal: chef Pino Cuttaia's merluzzo, pine-smoked cod with a hint of orange peel.
WHAT TO DO On Thursday mornings, locals gather in the main square in Licata to buy fresh vegetables and Italian leather goods at the weekly market. Caltagirone, 35 kilometres east, has dozens of ceramics boutiques. For a dose of history, go north to Agrigento, home to the fifth-century BC Valley of the Temples – a collection of seven Doric-style Greek temples that is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
INSIDER TIP The daylong boat trip on the Mandranova's 11-metre motorboat traverses the western coast of the island. Guests swim with dolphins during the warm months, then explore the small island of Saint Nicola Rock, home to thousands of seagulls. – Faith Willinger
A FORTRESS IN INDIA
The craggy Aravalli Range cuts diagonally across Rajasthan, and on a plateau in its foothills lies the tiny village of Deogarh. Seclusion is clearly the draw here, where you can live like modern-day royalty in an 18th-century fortress.
WHERE TO STAY Book the palm-fringed Fort Seengh Sagar (Manda Wara; +91 29 0425 2777; www.deogarhmahal.com; from $1300 a night), a four-bedroom island villa set within a moat and accessible by bridge. A sweeping terrace and turreted balconies punctuate the exterior, while the interiors are fit for a maharajah and queen: Indian rosewood beds, red-and-gold quilts, copper washbasins.
WHERE TO EAT Executive chef Navneet Suhalkar prepares regional dishes such as palak halwa – a purée of spinach cooked in cream – and syrupy pineapple malpua (fried pancakes) at the fort's Surya Mahal restaurant, which has a sprawling granite terrace.
WHAT TO DO A vintage 1930s train descends 550 metres over its 21-kilometre journey from the neighbouring town of Mavli to Marwar Junction. Walk the narrow lanes of Marwar's bazaar, ending at Manak Chowk, a central square lined with shopkeepers peddling Rajasthani wares such as watercolor miniatures and embroidered pashmina shawls.
INSIDER TIP The hotel can arrange a camel-cart ride through the countryside for stunning views of the Aravalli mountains and lakes. – Tanvi Chheda
A PRIVATE ISLAND IN THE US
East Maine is dotted with private islands – Oar, Clapboard, Chanterelle – where couples can play castaways. One of our favourites is the 1.6-hectare Spectacle Island, a short boat ride from Bar Harbor. The best time to go is June to September.
WHERE TO STAY Book Spectacle Island Estate (+1 647 477 5581; www.privateislandsonline.com; from $8010 per week), a three-bedroom cottage on this spruce-covered spot in Frenchman Bay, well ahead of time. The master suite has spectacular sea views, a four-poster bed, and a whirlpool. The wood-burning fireplace in the living room is cosy on foggy nights, while the wraparound porch makes for good afternoon bird-watching, when gulls and osprey swoop along the shoreline.
WHERE TO EAT Catch the boat back to Bar Harbor and have a seafood cioppino with fresh-caught fish or jumbo baked lobsters at La Bella Vita, in the Harborside Hotel (55 West Street; +1 207 288 5033; dinner for two $97). For an extra fee, the rental agency will stock your fridge prior to your arrival.
WHAT TO DO Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island offers rugged hiking trails (or walk along the beach and watch the lobster boats). The island rental also includes a seaworthy eight metre powerboat manned by a licensed captain.
INSIDER TIP Pick wild blueberries that grow on the island and fold them into your morning pancakes.
AN ATACAMA DESERT ADVENTURE IN CHILE
Though stark from a distance, the world's driest desert is an expansive, exotic landscape studded with oases, majestic dunes and thermal pools. This is an ideal destination for those who enjoy hiking, horse riding, and mountain biking. Bonus: romantic sunsets and starry nights.
WHERE TO STAY The new, family-owned Tierra Atacama (+56 2 263 0606; www.tierraatacama.com; from $325, including breakfast), steps from the town of San Pedro de Atacama, is bordered by ancient native algarroba and chanar trees. Inside, the 34 rooms are swathed in natural beiges and browns, and at the 450-square-metre spa, couples can book decadent treatments using local volcanic mud, salts, and herbs.
WHERE TO EAT Café Adobe (211 Caracoles; +56 55 851 164; dinner for two $25) is a local favourite with a crackling bonfire centrepiece. Try the lomo a lo pobre, a traditional Chilean dish of grilled beef served with crispy French fries, sautéed onions and a pair of fried eggs. Restaurante Ckunna (359 Tocopilla; +56 55 851 999; dinner for two $25), located in what was once San Pedro de Atacama's first schoolhouse, offers contemporary twists on Altiplanic staples: filet of novillo (young bull) with new potatoes topped with wild mushrooms and chanar-berry sauce.
WHAT TO DO The 2.9-kilometre-long Death Valley hiking and biking trail starts in the village, runs through stunning natural salt sculptures, and ends with a descent down a sand dune. Tierra Atacama will arrange for a sunrise excursion to El Tatio geyser, or a rock-climbing lesson in the village of Socaire. They can also set up a moun-tain--top picnic.
INSIDER TIP The handicrafts market – Mercado de Artesanías – at the corner of Ckilapana and Socaire, in San Pedro de Atacama, sells downy-soft alpaca and llama wraps made by artisans in nearby Cámar and Toconao.
Relaxing retreats
Privacy is assured at these off-the-grid hotels and resorts.
NAMIBIA - Serra Cafema Camp
Eight deluxe canvas-and-thatch chalets on the banks of the remote Kunene River.
www.coxandkingsusa.com; doubles from $1900, all-inclusive.
CANADA - Clayoquot Wilderness Resort & Spa
Reach this British Columbia property – 20 plush, secluded tents – by boat or floatplane from Vancouver.
+1 250 726 8235; www.wildretreat.com; doubles from $2000, all-inclusive.
FRANCE - Hotel de Charme, Les Airelles
A hidden winter chalet with cavernous rooms, plus ski runs practically at your doorstep.
+33 4 79 00 38 38; www.airelles.fr; doubles from $1492.
BALI - Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali
On a stretch of black-sand beach, Tembok has 31 rooms designed by spa expert Sylvia Sepielli.
+60 3 2783 1000; www.spavillage.com; doubles from $433, all-inclusive.
US - Boulders Inn, Connecticut
Twenty rooms and suites overlooking Lake Waramaug in New Preston.
+1 860 868 0541; www.bouldersinn.com; doubles from $378.
Intimate getaways
Have the place all to yourself at these one-room, private retreats. Be sure to book well in advance.
FRANCE - Hotel Everland
This 33-square-metre cube is a temporary art installation by day and a one-room hotel after 6pm. Throughout November, the pint-size property sits atop Paris's Palais de Tokyo contemporary art centre.
13 Avenue du Président Wilson; +33 1 47 23 38 86; www.everland.ch; doubles from $532.
SWEDEN - Utter Inn
Floating almost a kilometre from the shore in Lake Malaren is this 31-square-metre houseboat. The cheery red-and-white cottage has a terrace, kitchenette, and inflatable boat for venturing to town.
+46 21 390 100; www.vasterasmalarstaden.se; doubles from $169.
CAMBODIA - One Hotel Angkor
Situated on a side street in Siem Reap, the bi-level suite has a 320-square-foot bedroom outfitted with a custom-designed teak bed. The rooftop terrace includes a private outdoor shower.
+855 12 755 311; www.theonehotelangkor.com; doubles from $270.
Romantic cruises
Consider these small ships to escape the crowds.
MEDITERRANEAN
Music lovers can hop on the Corinthian II and sail from Athens to Venice with live performances by classical stars – soprano Martina Arroyo and violinist Timothy Fain. Backdrops for intimate concerts include the Dhrogarati Cave on Cephalonia.
www.traveldynamicsinternational.com; 12-day itineraries from $9791 per person.
NORWAY
Far above the Arctic Circle, catch the northern lights on a Hurtigruten cruise, which has departures throughout the winter, when aurora viewing is at its best.
www.hurtigruten.com; seven-day itineraries from $1740 per person, double.
SOUTH PACIFIC
Regent Seven Seas' Paul Gauguin stops at Tahiti, Bora-Bora, Moorea and Raiatea – longtime favourites with romantics looking to live out Blue Lagoon fantasies.
www.rssc.com; seven-day itineraries from $2717.
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