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Underrated Honeymoon Destinations for 2027

Nine places one step off the obvious path, and the kind of couple each one is for.

Honeymoon & Milestone Greece · Anguilla · Sardinia · Portugal · Zambia Tahiti · Swedish Lapland · Malta · Namibia

✦ Updated October 2026✦ Jea Breshears · Journeys with JB

Greece was just named the most popular luxury honeymoon destination for 2027, ahead of Bali and the Maldives. I love Greece, and that ranking is exactly why I want you looking one step off the obvious path. The places on this list give you the same feeling as the famous ones, with fewer crowds and more of the trip to yourselves.

Each one is matched to a type of couple, with the hotels I would actually book, the best months to go, and how you get there. Use the filter to narrow by what you want out of the days, or read all nine and see which one you keep coming back to. If you already know your month, my Where to Go When tool is a good next stop.

The nine, side by side

Tap a destination to jump to the full write-up.

Nine underrated honeymoon destinations for 2027 compared: the type of couple each suits, where to stay, and when to go.
Destination Best for Where I'd stay Best time
Tinos, Syros & Ithaca The Greece dreamers Odera Tinos · Aeolis Tinos Suites May, June & September
Anguilla The barefoot beach couple Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel · Malliouhana December to April
Sardinia's Costa Smeralda The Mediterranean glam couple Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel · Cheval Blanc Pitrizza June & September
Alentejo, the Douro & Porto The food and wine couple São Lourenço do Barrocal · Six Senses Douro Valley May, June, Sept & Oct
Zambia The safari couple Time + Tide Chinzombo · Tongabezi Lodge June to October
Tahiti's Quiet Islands The overwater villa couple Le Taha'a by Pearl Resorts · Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts May to October
Swedish Lapland The cozy cold weather couple Arctic Bath · Treehotel December to March
Malta & Gozo The culture and city couple Rosselli AX Privilege · Iniala Harbour House Apr to June, Sept & Oct
Namibia The adventure couple &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge · Little Kulala May to October

Already have one in mind? Tell me your dates and I will tell you what is actually open, with the partner perks added where they apply.

Greece · Europe

Beach & Water Culture & Food

Tinos, Syros & Ithaca

The Greece dreamers

If your heart is set on Greece, go one island over. Tinos and Syros are in the Cyclades, so you still get the whitewashed villages and that impossible blue, with long taverna dinners and far fewer crowds than Santorini or Mykonos. Ithaca sits in the Ionian Sea, greener and quieter, and it makes a lovely final stop.

Where I would stay

Odera Tinos: Suites carved into a cliff on the island's quieter southwest coast, with tubs made from local Tinos marble and a small cove below.

Aeolis Tinos Suites: Suites and villas, some with private pools, set among olive groves and vineyards in the village of Triantaros.

Aristide, Syros: A design-led boutique hotel in Ermoupoli, the island's elegant old capital.

Perantzada 1811, Ithaca: A boutique art hotel in Vathy, Ithaca's harbor town.

Best time May, June & September
Getting there Ferry from Athens, 2 to 5 hrs
Pace Slow island days

Good to know

July and August bring the meltemi, the strong summer wind across the Cyclades, along with peak crowds. Tinos has no airport, so most couples take the ferry from Athens or hop over from Mykonos in about 30 minutes. Ithaca has no airport either and is reached by ferry from Kefalonia, so it works best as its own stop at the end.

Anguilla · Caribbean

Beach & Water Seclusion & Romance

Anguilla

The barefoot beach couple

Anguilla is the quiet alternative to St. Barths and Turks and Caicos. It is a low-key island of long white sand beaches and some of the best food in the Caribbean, so the days are simple: swim, nap, and decide where you are having lunch.

Where I would stay

Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel: Whitewashed villas along the curve of Maundays Bay.

Malliouhana: Set on a bluff above Meads Bay, with the beach right below.

Zemi Beach House: On Shoal Bay East, one of the island's best known beaches.

Best time December to April
Getting there Nonstop from Miami
Pace Beach, lunch, repeat

Good to know

American Airlines flies nonstop from Miami, and you can also connect through St. Maarten and finish with a short boat ride. Hurricane season runs June through November, and some resorts close for part of the late summer and fall, so plan around that. Holiday weeks book up first.

Sardinia, Italy · Europe

Beach & Water Seclusion & Romance

Sardinia's Costa Smeralda

The Mediterranean glam couple · Relaunching 2027

Everyone says Amalfi. I say Sardinia's northeast coast, where granite coves meet water so clear and turquoise it looks unreal, and the best hotels sit right on the sand.

Where I would stay

Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel: A Costa Smeralda classic on its own stretch of beach.

Cheval Blanc Pitrizza: The former Hotel Pitrizza, relaunching as Cheval Blanc with just 65 rooms, suites and villas, 16 of them with private pools. The brand is targeting 2027.

Hotel Cala di Volpe: The famous one, livelier and more social.

Best time June & September
Getting there Fly into Olbia
Pace Long lunches, boat days

Good to know

August is Italy's holiday month, and the coast is at its busiest and most expensive. Save a day for a boat out to the La Maddalena islands. Cheval Blanc Pitrizza's relaunch date is still being confirmed, so I will check it for your dates before we plan around it.

Portugal · Europe

Culture & Food

Alentejo, the Douro & Porto

The food and wine couple

Portugal gives you two very different wine regions and one of Europe's great food cities in a single, easy trip. Start with the sunbaked plains of the Alentejo, follow the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley, and finish in Porto.

Where I would stay

São Lourenço do Barrocal: A restored farm estate near Monsaraz in the Alentejo, with its own vineyards.

Six Senses Douro Valley: A restored manor house above the Douro River, with vineyard views and a standout spa.

The Yeatman: A wine hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia, looking across the river at Porto.

Best time May, June, Sept & Oct
Getting there Fly into Lisbon or Porto
Pace Tastings and long dinners

Good to know

September is harvest season in the Douro and the most fun month to be there. Six Senses is about 75 minutes by car from Porto's airport, and the Alentejo is about two hours from Lisbon, so this route works best with a driver or a rental car.

Zambia · Africa

Adventure & Activity Seclusion & Romance

Zambia

The safari couple

Kenya and Tanzania get the headlines. Zambia gets you out on foot. South Luangwa is known as the home of the walking safari, and you will share sightings with far fewer vehicles than in the big name parks. Then you finish at Victoria Falls.

Where I would stay

Time + Tide Chinzombo: Villas on the Luangwa River in South Luangwa. It is open all year, and walking safari season starts in May.

Tongabezi Lodge: On the Zambezi River upstream of Victoria Falls. They also run the trips out to Livingstone Island, right at the edge of the falls.

Best time June to October
Getting there Via Lusaka to Mfuwe
Pace Early starts, slow afternoons

Good to know

Several South Luangwa camps close during the rains, so the dry season is when you have the most choice. Livingstone Island visits depend on the Zambezi's water level, so they are seasonal. For the falls, you fly into Livingstone.

French Polynesia · South Pacific

Beach & Water Seclusion & Romance

Tahiti's Quiet Islands

The overwater villa couple

Bora Bora is the postcard, but the islands around it give you the same lagoon fantasy with fewer people and, often, better value.

Where I would stay

Le Taha'a by Pearl Resorts: On its own private motu, about 35 minutes by boat from Raiatea.

Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts: Just 37 bungalows on a pink sand beach in the Tuamotus, about an hour's flight from Papeete.

The Brando: On the private atoll of Tetiaroa, the ultimate splurge.

Best time May to October
Getting there Fly to Papeete, then hop
Pace Snorkel, swim, sunset

Good to know

Le Tikehau is charming more than glossy. Its standard overwater bungalows are cooled by ceiling fans only, so I book the Overwater Suites, which add air conditioning and direct lagoon access. Inter-island flights run on Air Tahiti, and it is easy to pair two islands in one trip.

Sweden · Europe

Adventure & Activity Seclusion & Romance

Swedish Lapland

The cozy cold weather couple

If your dream honeymoon involves the northern lights, a sauna and a wood fire, Swedish Lapland gets a fraction of the attention Iceland and Finland do, and its design hotels are something special.

Where I would stay

Arctic Bath: A circular spa hotel on the Lule River in Harads. It floats in summer and freezes into the ice in winter.

Treehotel: Design treehouses in the forest, also in Harads, so the two pair easily.

Icehotel: In Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna. Spend one night in an ice room, then move to a warm room.

Best time December to March
Getting there Fly Stockholm to Luleå
Pace Cozy and outdoorsy

Good to know

Harads is about an hour's drive from Luleå's airport. For Icehotel, fly into Kiruna instead. The ice rooms are open December to April. The northern lights are never guaranteed, so plan several nights up north to give yourselves the best odds.

Malta · Europe

Culture & Food

Malta & Gozo

The culture and city couple

Malta packs honey-colored Baroque streets, thousands of years of history and real Mediterranean sea days into one small island nation. Spend a few nights in Valletta, then slow right down on Gozo.

Where I would stay

Rosselli AX Privilege: Just 24 rooms in a 17th century Baroque palazzo in Valletta.

Iniala Harbour House: In Valletta, facing the Grand Harbour, with ION Harbour by Simon Rogan on the roof. It holds two Michelin stars.

Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz: The slow end of the trip, on Gozo.

Best time Apr to June, Sept & Oct
Getting there Connect via a European hub
Pace City nights, sea days

Good to know

English is one of Malta's official languages, which makes it an easy first trip to Europe. Gozo is a short ferry ride from the main island. Book a private boat to Comino's Blue Lagoon early in the day, before the crowds arrive.

Namibia · Africa

Adventure & Activity Seclusion & Romance

Namibia

The adventure couple

Namibia is for couples who want drama: the red dunes of Sossusvlei, the dead camelthorn trees of Deadvlei, the wild Skeleton Coast, and some of the darkest night skies anywhere.

Where I would stay

&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge: Suites with skylights over the bed for stargazing.

Little Kulala: Suites with private pools and an exclusive gate into Sossusvlei, so you reach the dunes before the public gates open.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp or Shipwreck Lodge: Remote stays on the Skeleton Coast for the wildest part of the trip.

Best time May to October
Getting there Fly into Windhoek
Pace Big days, quiet nights

Good to know

Distances in Namibia are long, so many couples fly between lodges by light aircraft rather than spending whole days in the car. It pairs beautifully with a few nights in Cape Town at the end.

Not sure which one is you?

Tell me how you want your first trip as a married couple to feel, and I will match you to the right place, the right hotel and the right month. Every hotel here can be booked through Journeys with JB, often with perks like upgrades, resort credit or breakfast that you would not get booking direct.

Plan This Honeymoon

Curated through Journeys with JB's trusted travel partnerships · Fully customizable to your dates and travel style

Frequently Asked

What are the most underrated honeymoon destinations for 2027?

My picks are Tinos, Syros and Ithaca in Greece, Anguilla, Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, Portugal's Alentejo and Douro Valley, Zambia, the quieter islands of French Polynesia, Swedish Lapland, Malta and Gozo, and Namibia. Each one gives you the feel of a more famous destination with fewer crowds.

What is a good alternative to Santorini for a honeymoon?

Tinos and Syros. They are Cycladic islands with the same whitewashed villages and blue water, far fewer crowds, and easy ferry links from Athens. May, June and September are the best months.

Is Anguilla good for a honeymoon?

Yes. It is one of the quietest luxury islands in the Caribbean, known for its beaches and its food. December through April is the best time to go, and American Airlines flies there nonstop from Miami.

What is a good alternative to Bora Bora?

Taha'a and Tikehau. Le Taha'a sits on its own private motu, and Le Tikehau is a small resort on a pink sand beach in the Tuamotus. Both give you the overwater bungalow experience with fewer people around. May through October is the dry season.

Where can you see the northern lights on a honeymoon?

Swedish Lapland is a great choice. Stay at Arctic Bath and Treehotel in Harads, then add a night at Icehotel near Kiruna. December through March gives you long, dark nights, though the lights are never guaranteed.

How far in advance should you book a 2027 honeymoon?

Nine to twelve months out gives you the real choice of rooms and rates, and even earlier for short seasons like dry season safaris in Zambia or the summer months in Greece and Sardinia.

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