I'm always chasing the bluest water and when I first stepped foot onto the Four Seasons Bora Bora's beaches years ago, my jaw dropped - the water really is THAT blue. The Four Seasons is the epitome of luxury in Bora Bora and I returned this year to find it just as lovely as ever! From the spacious overwater bungalows to the spa’s stunning vitality pools to the warm service, it’s a truly romantic beach destination.

You’ve definitely seen this exquisite resort’s stunning jetties and wide-reaching shallow lagoon on social media, but trust me, the experience of being there is even more unimaginably beautiful. Waterslides from your villa straight into the ocean bring a child-like sense of fun to a romantic getaway, and the beaches feature blindingly white sand. Sister resort Soneva Fushi, JOALI, and The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort are great options as well.

I just came back from a couple of weeks in Queensland, Australia and Thala Beach combined two of northern Queensland’s best features - a lush rainforest & private golden sand beach - into one eco-retreat. The Coral Sea Bungalows are a personal favorite, with views over the treetops toward the beach and sea. Enjoy a fresh coconut from their own coconut palm grove down on the beach or in one of their two rock pools! Silky Oaks Lodge is an upscale option located for day trips to Great Barrier Reef!

This desert-chic resort occupies a wide, empty strip of Cabo’s beaches and pairs gorgeous Japanese minimalist aesthetics with the mouth-watering food the Nobu chain is famous for. A personal fave tip for staying here: the happy hour is a killer deal; perfectly timed for the colorful Baja sunsets, it makes for a lovely early date night option. An alternative on the other side of El Arco is The Cape Thompson, which is also very design-forward with its own beach and a rooftop bar.

While you make not think of a lake’s shore as a traditional beach vacation, it would be hard to find an alpine waterfront setting more romantic than the picturesque Park Hotel Vitznau. This became my husband’s favorite property we’ve ever visited after our stay in the summer of 2021, but unlike other “beach” destinations, it’s just as beautiful in the winter as in summer (though I’m personally partial to a summer visit - I’m a warm-weather girl!). A lake view room is a must!

Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago (a national park) off the Mozambique coastline has been on my list since the opening of ultra-luxe (and ultra-gorgeous) Kisawa Sanctuary in 2021. Kisawa’s residences dot the resort’s white-sand beaches and rates are all-inclusive, meaning you only have to think about how to maximize both the adventurous and indulgent offerings of the resort when there. I’m hoping to get here in 2023!

One of my most memorable beach vacations ever in terms of pure, natural beauty was a trip to a remote private island in Fiji that could be rented for exclusive use. The accommodations were primitive, sure - with no running water, showers were from a bucket and the bathroom was an outhouse! - but the island and beach itself were unparalleled in their beauty. Nowadays, I’d return to a more comfortable resort like the nearby COMO Laucala Island, with options over Fiji’s 300+ islands.

You’d think an ill-timed solo trip to El Nido in summer 2014 in which my entire trip was rained out would leave me sour on the destination, but the magnificent coastline and dramatic limestone cliffs were so jarringly beautiful that I’d still wholeheartedly recommend a trip to the island of Palawan (avoid monsoon season for a more memorable trip!). You’ll find more budget-friendly and luxe options like Cauayan Island Resort and El Nido Resorts Lagen Island among Palawan’s offerings.

I can’t say enough about the luxury hotel scene across Mexico, and One&Only’s newer outpost north of Sayulita is a spectacular example of thoughtful design that takes inspiration from its surroundings. Individual villas are perched in the rainforest and one of the pools, a jaw-dropping adults-only marvel, juts out over a cliffside hanging over a swimmable beach. Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s Pujol lends his expertise to on-site restaurant Carao where we celebrated a big group birthday dinner.

This is on my bucket list filed under “a girl a can dream,” but if you want to splash out for an absolutely over-the-top, ultra-luxurious beach vacation with a loved one, make your way to this private island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania. When rented out, this one-villa private island is yours exclusively, so you could also bring friends if you wanted to share the love. (I’m your friend, right?)