BY FRANCESCA HORNAK
GETTY
Nothing beats jetting off with that special someone, leaving humdrum reality far behind. And, whether your relationship is box-fresh or you’ve been together forever, bmibaby’s new destinations all make for fabulous couple’s getaways.
Some, like Venice and Sardinia, are famously seductive – perfect for traditionalists. Others, like Lourdes and Malta, are ripe for romantic discovery. If you relish the chance to explore a new culture together, these are the places for you.
Either way, you can’t have too much inside info, so our guide to all things amorous in Sardinia, Dubrovnik, Corsica, Lourdes, Venice and Malta covers everything – including where to make that grand gesture!
Dubrovnik
With its gleaming streets, fairy-tale turrets and white beaches, Dubrovnik makes an enchanting getaway. This is no cultural bubble, though: the city is home to buzzing film and music festivals, and countless great bars and restaurants. Factor in Dalmatia’s Italian heritage and you get glorious Mediterranean food to boot.
HOT DATE:
A date here means two things: sparklingly fresh seafood and chilled rosé. Book a table at Lokanda Peskarija, a picture-perfect restaurant in the old harbour, where diners sit at the water’s edge. Start with oysters – the ultimate aphrodisiac. Na ponti bb, tel: +385 20 324750, www.mea-culpa.hr
LOVE NEST:
The Pucic Palace – a chicly renovated stately home – has just 19 rooms. Bathroom fetishists are in for a treat – think Italian mosaic walls, giant windows and freestanding copper baths. The hotel’s USP is a private yacht, available to guests for hire. 1 Old Puca, Dubrovnik, www.thepucicpalace.com
DATING DOS AND DON’TS:
Do expect chivalry – Croatia is a traditional culture with heavy Italian influences. Don’t be unnerved if your shellfish risotto is black: cuttlefish ink is popular in Dubrovnik restaurants.
SWEET NOTHING:
“Volim te” (Vol-im tay) – “I love you”
LOVE TOKEN:
Paprenjak, traditional Croatian cookies flavoured with honey and black pepper.
POP THE QUESTION:
Whisk her away to Korcula, a lush island just over two hours from Dubrovnik. Any inch of this place would melt a girl’s heart, but hold out for the 18th-century Lešic Dimitri Palace, which has been converted into a luxury hotel. Check into a suite, then pop the question over Champagne in your private sitting room. 1-6 Don Pavla Poše, tel: +385 20 715560, www.lesic-dimitri.com
Malta
Malta has sunny, sandy beaches, architectural treasures and glamorous nightclubs, and the medieval walled town of Mdina, once the capital of Malta and now known as the “Silent City” because the soft stone muffles footsteps. But what really makes Malta tick is the island’s hospitality – the whole place is geared towards eating, drinking and having fun.
HOT DATE:
Charter a boat to the Blue Lagoon, a bay on the tiny island of Comino, famous for its crystal-clear water. Go in the evening, as daytimes can be crowded with families. Take a lantern-lit picnic and don’t leave until moonrise. www.visitmalta.com
LOVE NEST:
Try The Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux – a 17th-century palace, historically a favourite with film stars. Book a panoramic suite and you’ll get a private terrace with fantastic 180° views of the walled city and Jacuzzi. Misrah il-Kunsill, Mdina, www.xarapalace.com
DATING DOS AND DON’TS:
Do wear something new for a date – it’s the local custom. Don’t limit the fun to dinner – boat trips, casinos and wine tasting are all popular in Malta.
SWEET NOTHING:
“Jien inhobbok” (yinn in-hobb-ok) – “I love you”.
LOVE TOKEN:
Silver filigree is produced in workshops across the islands. Native Romeos and Juliets have their names inscribed in broken-heart pendants.
POP THE QUESTION:
The Grand Hotel Excelsior will arrange a candlelit dinner for two on its private beach – a little stretch of golden sand under the stars. Lure her to the bay on the pretext of a pre-dinner stroll, then drop to one knee as your waiter brings over the bubbly. Great Siege Road, Floriana, www.excelsior.com.mt
Venice
Venezia’s reputation as Europe’s most magical city is well deserved. Float down its dreamy waterways, wander the film-set squares and marvel at grand palazzos and ancient frescoes, fuelled by sumptuous food and wine.
HOT DATE:
Gelato at sunset is a lovers’ custom in Italy. Head to the Campo Santa Margherita and share scoops of stracciatella (chocolate chip) at the Gelateria Il Doge, a legendary family-run ice-cream shop. It’s said to be the best in Venice – you’ll have to be patient as there’s always a queue! Gelateria Il Doge, Campo Santa Margherita, Dorsoduro, tel: +39 041 524 4049.
LOVE NEST:
The revamped 16th-century Palazzo Barbarigo on the Grand Canal oozes seduction. All slinky velvet and smoky mirrors, it’s a sexy mix of boudoir chic and old-school grandeur. Make a date for a perfectly mixed martini in the bar. Sestriere San Paolo 2765, tel: +39 041 740172, www.palazzobarbarigo.com
DATING DOS AND DON’TS:
Do observe gondola etiquette. A lady never sits facing the gondolier, in case he distracts her from her suitor. Don’t take a Venetian to Harry’s Bar – it’s considered deeply naff!
SWEET NOTHING:
“Ti amo” (Tea ahmo) – “I love you”.
LOVE TOKEN:
Drama queens may appreciate a traditional Venetian mask, otherwise pick out a trinket in Venice’s colourful – and beautiful – Murano glass.
POP THE QUESTION:
Escape the crowds in St Mark’s Square by climbing its famous bell tower – the Campanile di San Marco. At the top you’ll find a view stretching across terracotta rooftops to the Dolomite mountains on one side and the deep blue of the Adriatic on the other. Wait for her to catch her breath, then ask her to marry you. Piazza San Marco, www.basilicasanmarco.it. For tours, tel: +39 041 241 3817 from 10am to 12.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Sardinia
George Clooney hit the jackpot with Elisabetta Canalis. Not just a pretty face, Clooney’s Sardinian sweetheart can give him an insider’s guide to Europe’s sexiest island. Head to the north-eastern Costa Smeralda for cosmopolitan chic, visit the southern tip for luxurious seaside resorts or retreat inland, where you’ll find whitewashed villages amid miles of unspoilt landscape.
HOT DATE:
Take her for dinner at Su Gologone near Oliena, on Sardinia’s east coast. Mountain views and a super-fresh seasonal menu make this hotel restaurant a lovey-dovey dream. Loc Su Gologone, Oliena, tel: +39 078 428 7512, www.sugologone.it
LOVE NEST:
Petra Segreta perches above the glittering bay of Arzachena, its former whitewashed farm buildings converted into a bijoux spa, complete with a “treatment grotto” in the rocks. Strada di Buddeo, Frazione San Pantaleo, tel: +39 078 9183 1365, www.petrasegretaresort.com
SWEET NOTHINGS:
”Non posso vivere senza di te” (Non poss-oh viv-air-ay sen-zah dee the) – “I can’t live without you”.
LOVE TOKEN:
Traditionally, a guy will give his sweetheart a butterfly-shaped pendant; a Sardinian girlfriend might give her man a pocket knife carved in mouflon (wild sheep horn).
POP THE QUESTION:
Caffè Nina, a cosy bar, is perfect for a surprise proposal. Sundown is deliriously romantic – all rustic yellow stone, al fresco tables and chilled Prosecco – but thanks to the informal setting, she won’t suspect a thing. Piazza della Chiesa, San Pantaleo, tel: +39 33 8368 7288, www.caffenina.it
Corsica
Bathed in dazzling sunshine, Corsica’s turquoise sea, pretty fishing ports, sandy coves and Michelin-starred restaurants make this a truly special beach holiday. To the east you’ll find St Florent – a pleasure-seeker’s paradise dubbed Corsica’s answer to St Tropez. To the west lies the rugged Valinco Gulf and, down south, chic Porto Vecchio sits alongside the stunning ruins of Bonifacio.
HOT DATE:
Indulge in a traditional five-course feast at Restaurant U Tiano in Bastia. This cosy, family-run trattoria is hidden away down a side street and up a flight of rickety stairs – you’ll feel as though you’ve stumbled on a local secret. Start by ordering an apero of Cap Corse, a fortified wine similar to Martini, and finish with a stroll around Bastia’s beautiful Vieux Port. 4 Rue Monseigneur Rigo, Bastia, tel: +33 (0)4 9531 3667
LOVE NEST:
Surrounded by orange trees and olive groves, and overlooking a harbour of fishing boats, the Hotel Castel Brando is textbook romance. Request a suite in the main building, an exquisitely restored 19th-century manor house. Erbalunga, tel: +33 (0)4 9530 1030, www.castelbrando.com
DATING DOS AND DON’TS:
Do observe Corsica’s unwritten dress-code. Dark and neutral colours are favoured, so leave your sequins in the suitcase. Don’t offer to go Dutch – splitting the bill is rare in Corsica, even among friends.
SWEET NOTHING:
“Ti tengu cara” (tee tangoo kara) – “I love you”.
LOVE TOKEN:
A coral necklace. Corsican coral is a very deep red, thanks to the current in the Bonifacio straights.
POP THE QUESTION:
Head to Erbalunga, an absurdly picturesque fishing village on Corsica’s east coast, just 9km from Bastia. Wander the cobbled streets until you reach the ruined Genoese tower. At sunset, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more romantic spot on all of Corsica.
Lourdes
A world famous pilgrimage site might seem an unconventional lovers’ getaway, but Lourdes has a romance all its own – an intoxicating mix of spectacle, spirituality and scenery, nestled in the foothills of the Pyrénées. When the crowds snake through the streets by candlelight it’s impossible not to feel moved.
HOT DATE:
Take a taxi to Batrès, a chocolate-box mountain village two miles outside Lourdes. Stop for lunch at Au Bon Accueil, where you’ll tuck into local specialities and marvel at the awesome mountain setting. Book a table outside on the terrace. Au Bon Accueil, Bartrès, Rue de l’Eglise, tel: +33 (0)5 6294 0167
LOVE NEST:
Huge, comfortable rooms and glorious façade aside, the Grand Hôtel Moderne enjoys a brilliant location 50 paces from The Sanctuary (Lourdes’ famous shrine). The hotel’s restaurant is great fun – all old-school starched tablecloths and swaying palms. 21 Avenue Bernadette Soubirous, tel: + 33 (0)5 6294 1232, www.grandhotelmoderne.com
DATING DOS AND DON’TS:
Do respect Lourdes’ status as a place of worship and avoid enthusiastic PDAs. Don’t dismiss its nightlife – by sunset the town is bustling.
SWEET NOTHING:
“Je t’adore” (Juh tad-ore) – “I adore you”.
LOVE TOKEN:
Lozenges Malespine – “blessed mint pastels” made with Lourdes’ miraculous waters.
POP THE QUESTION:
The Pic du Midi is one of the most famous peaks in the Pyrénées, accessible by cable car from La Mongie, and at the top is a fabulous observatory known as “the star ship”. It’s a great place to propose – the cable car ride is incredibly scenic and at the summit, looking out over snowcapped peaks, you feel you’re on top of the world.
