Brides Honeymoon Awards: The Top Honeymoon Beaches
Picking the perfect honeymoon is no easy feat — countless romantic destinations, endless hotel options, limited vacation time, and the struggle-is-real challenge of finding the perfect place to please both you and your new spouse. Where to begin? Well, right here. Brides teamed up with the A-list agents at Virtuoso, a global network of more than 15,000 luxury-travel specialists, to find the most romantic, luxe hot spots in the world. Whether you’re looking for bucket-list hotels and resorts, far-flung beaches, the top cruise lines for couples, inexpensive honeymoon ideas, or unexpected honeymoon-worthy locales, you’ve come to the right spot. Presenting our 2017 Honeymoon Awards — dive in to see the most romantic destinations in the world!
1. Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos
It’s no surprise that this 12-mile stretch of white sand and turquoise waters on the northeastern shore of Providenciales nabbed our number-one spot (again). The made-to-Insta scene is quick drive from the international airport, meaning that before you know it you’ll be on a chaise lounge at one of the island’s top resorts, like Grace Bay Club, the Gansevoort Turks and Caicos or the Palms Turks and Caicos.
2. Maroma Beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico
If you’re looking to escape the chaos of Cancun spring-breakers, drive one hour south and check yourselves into this quiet haven. There, you’ll find high-end resorts, like the 63-room whitewashed Belmond Maroma Resort and Spa, alongside luxe all-inclusives like Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun and El Dorado Maroma Resort by Karisma, an adults-only resort that debuted the first overwater bungalows in the Western Hemisphere last September. A honeymooners’ paradise that’s only a few hours from the U.S. and a fraction of the cost of its far-flung equivalents? Done and done.
See more: Pack Your Bags for This New Luxury Honeymoon Destination in Mexico
3. Matira Beach, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
As the only public beach on Bora Bora, Matira is a must-do for any French Polynesian honeymoon itinerary. After you’re done snapping selfies in the sand, try mingling with the locals, scouting for black pearls, and diving into coral-fringed lagoons.
4. Kapalua Beach, Maui, Hawaii
There’s no shortage of gorg beaches in Hawaii, and especially on Maui, an island known for its high-end beachfront resorts. This particular crescent-shaped strip, on the island’s southwestern tip, is an ideal basecamp for honeymooners who dream of beachfront cocktail service and swimmable near-shore coral reefs. Post up at Montage Kapalua Bay, an all-suite resort on prime Kapalua real estate — with a top-rated golf course, horseback riding facilities, multiple pools and tennis courts and private-dining venue in the historic Honolua Plantation, overlooking the Pacific.
Enter for the chance to win our Ultimate Hawaiian Honeymoon Sweepstakes!
5. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
This stunning Caribbean beach may not actually be seven miles long (it’s five and a half miles, to be exact), but it’s no less beautiful. Honeymooners flock here to post up at resorts like the Westin Grand Cayman, set on prime beachfront next to Red Sail Sports — a local outfitter that will hook you up with daylong sailboat or kayak rentals — with refreshed rooms, public spaces and restaurants, to be completed in August. Or try the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa, which garnered major attention when it opened in November as the brand’s first Caribbean resort and the first new resort on Grand Cayman in a decade.
6. Flamands Beach, St. Barth
It may not be a particularly long stretch of sand, but if you’re looking for an insanely beautiful beach, you’ll find none better on the luxe island of St. Barth (and in the Caribbean at large, depending on who you talk to). From your chaise lounge at the Cheval Blanc St.-Barth Isle de France, glass of rosé or local Carib beer in hand, toast to your new marriage before taking a dip in the bright-blue water.
See more: A 3 Day Honeymoon Idea: How to Mini Moon in St. Barts
7. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
Set on Kauai’s laid-back North Shore, Hanalei is three miles of golden-hued perfection and world-class mega-waves. It may not have quite the grandeur of the 17-mile Napali Coast, but Hanalei is likewise surrounded by palms and densely covered cliffs — with stunning Pacific Ocean views, natch. For a secluded setting, check in to the Westin Princeville, set on a cliff 200 feet above the ocean (no beach-goers to peep on your cuddle sesh). Or, try the St. Regis Princeville, an iconic resort within the 9,000 acre resort community of Princeville at Hanalei that comes with full resort amenities — a golf course, spa, yoga and fitness facilities, more restaurants than you can count and 300-thread-count sheets to lay your head on.
8. The Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
You have to visit by boat or hike over land through caves and grottoes to arrive at one of the B.V.I.’s most well-known landscapes. Once you arrive, however, you’ll find yourself in a pure oasis — soft yellow sand, giant granite boulders strewn here and there, and more photo-ops than you can count. (Don’t be surprised if you max out storage space on your phone snapping away!)
9. Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
First, watch the fish swimming around your feet underwater. Second, look back at the mile and a half of pale-pink and white sands. Then, pinch yourselves, because you’re halfway around the world in the Indian Ocean. You may have to travel off the coast of East Africa to get to Anse Lazio, situated on the northwest tip of Praslin Island, but you’ll be oh-so glad you did.
10. Meads Bay, Anguilla
Meads Bay is one of those beaches where, when you sink your toes into the soft, fine white sand, you think to yourself: So, this is what heaven must feel like. To one end of the sandy stretch, you have the newly minted Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla—which has suites overlooking Meads, with balconies and private plunge pools to boot. On the other, you have Malliouhana, an Auberge Resort, with a nautical-inspired restaurant and two-tiered infinity pool pool overlooking the bay. In between, you’ll find cute mom and pop lunch stands, a handful of private villas, and oh, some super yachts parked out front. Casual.
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