7 Romantic Florida Getaways

Whether it’s adventure or relaxation you and your valentine crave, the Sunshine State is home to some of the world’s most romantic sights and scenes

Imagine: you’re strolling along the beach, arm in arm with someone special, watching the moon rise over the ocean’s gentle, lapping waves on a warm night. What most would remember as the most romantic night of their lives is an average Saturday for many Floridians. This Valentine’s Day, revel in the romance that oozes out of nearly every part of Florida with this list of the state’s most romantic getaways and trip ideas. Whether you and your loved one are aiming to watch the tide roll in from the luxury of a hotel room or get down and dirty camping in one of Florida’s wild spaces, the options to create a night to remember are endless:

Take in an intimate live performance at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach

Walking into the Faena Hotel Miami Beach feels like performing a real-life Google image search of the word “sexy.” Plush, velvet furniture in red and gold beckon under bejeweled chandeliers and soft lighting. Upon entering your hotel room, you’ll find an abundance of deep crimson accents and animal print interiors, perhaps encouraging patrons to get in touch with their wild sides. 

The romance of the Faena isn’t simply contained to room décor. This oceanfront hotel sets itself apart with a full calendar of intimate, live performances held at its very own Faena Theater. On Febr. 15, cuddle up to your valentine in a private booth while enjoying dinner, cocktails, and the soothing sounds of Laufey, an Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter who’s made a name for herself internationally for her mixture of jazz and bedroom pop, or take in a tantalizing performance of the Allura Cabaret—the show combines seduction with fashion, futurism, and high-performance technology—each Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Get an adrenaline rush at Big Shoals State Park

For couples who equate romance to blood-pumping adventure, Big Shoals State Park awaits with some of Florida’s only whitewater rapids. Gaze down at the rapids from the top of 80-foot-tall limestone bluffs that tower over the banks of the Suwannee River and listen to the frenzied water rush and churn over the shoals. Shoals are sediments that are more resistant to water flow than other types, creating massive mud formations that may remind you of the rocks and boulders found across the American northeast. 

Only experienced couples should attempt to canoe or kayak down the Suwannee in this area, but don’t fret—with 28 miles of wet forest canopy to hike, bike, or horseback ride amid crops of purple greenfly orchids and wild turkey, deer, and gopher tortoises, Big Shoals State Park contains adventures waiting around every corner.

Stroll arm in arm through historic downtown St. Augustine

You’d be hard-pressed to find a destination in Florida more perfect for a pair of lovers than St. Augustine. Walk the cobblestoned streets of the Ancient City’s historic downtown district until you spot something that tickles your fancy, or get swept off your feet on a horse drawn carriage ride. Restaurants, hotels, boutiques, bars and the palace-like Flagler College campus (which used to be luxury resort the Hotel Ponce de León more than a century ago) line the downtown area’s narrow streets, and many of the buildings hail back to the 1700s, making date night feel like you’ve just been dropped into a historical romance novel. 

Stop by farm-to-table restaurant and craft cocktail bar The Ice Plant—housed in a century-old, literal ice factory—for some shareable small plates like smoked local fish dip and Florida rock shrimp beignets served with datil pepper remoulade, and don’t forget to pair your dishes with a signature cocktail crafted with local ingredients. The Slow Rush is made with chipotle rosemary infused tequila and dry curacao. 

End your date with a walk up to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, where you can enjoy sweeping views of the Ancient City’s Atlantic coast and marshes.

Enjoy peace and privacy at the adults-only Henderson Park Inn in Destin

For some couples, there’s no phrase more romantic than “no children allowed.” Lovers seeking unadulterated peace and quiet by the seashore will fall in love with Destin’s Henderson Park Inn. Bright and spacious rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows give guests unspoiled views of a less trafficked section of Florida’s Emerald Coast. 

If it happens to rain during your stay, take shelter indoors while pampering yourself and your loved one with a visit to the Spa at Henderson Beach Resort. Try floatation therapy, which encourages mindfulness and relaxation, or visit the Himalayan Salt Suite, whose health benefits include better breathing, better sleep, and healthier skin. 

Take a dreamy gondola tour of Fort Lauderdale

You don’t need to break the bank with a trip to Venice, Italy, to experience the romantic thrill of a gondola ride. Fort Lauderdale is home to an expansive network of canals threading in and out of the Intracoastal Waterway, and a handful of companies are ready to take you and your valentine out on the water in style. Las Olas Gondola offers authentic Venetian gondolas complete with a gondolier who plays soft music for you from the privacy of the back of the boat and a cabin in the boat’s center where you can enjoy refreshments you’ve brought. If you make arrangements in advance of your ride, your Las Olas gondolier will pretend to find a message in a bottle bobbing in the water, so you can surprise your loved one with some sweet sentiments.  

Get in touch with nature—and each other—while camping in the Everglades

For those times when the hustle and bustle of modern life simply becomes too much, get back in touch with Mother Nature—and your valentine—by camping at one of many available sites in the Florida Everglades. Depending on how rough and tumble you two are, the Florida Everglades National Park offers camping sites in both the front country and the wilderness backcountry. 

The Flamingo campground in the front country is a drive-in camp site boasting solar-heated showers, grills, picnic tables, hiking trails, canoe trails, and many spots to do a little saltwater fishing. For those looking for nearly complete solitude, Everglades National Park offers a host of chickees, elevated camping platforms right on the edges of the area’s many rivers and bays, only accessible by canoe, kayak, or motorboat. 

Revel in the glamour of The Don CeSar in St. Petersburg Beach

Since opening its doors nearly a century ago, the St. Petersburg Beach hotel The Don CeSar—affectionately referred to as the Pink Palace by locals for its vibrant color and Art Deco design—has gained a reputation for serving up so much glamour and luxury, its guests feel like they’ve become Hollywood starlets. Get all dolled up and take your valentine for an unforgettable meal at Maritana, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant serving up local seafood dishes like oysters, scallops, grilled octopus, and swordfish prepared with grapefruit and lemon sorrel. Top off your romantic evening by watching a fiery sunset over the Gulf of Mexico from the hotel’s new Beacon Pool Bar and Lookout. When night falls, retire to your newly renovated private room, decorated in soft blush tones and featuring murals of the area’s coastal birds.

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