Santorini, Cyclades

Santorini is a beauty without rival. This collapsed volcano, layered with cubist white villages and blue-domed churches that echo the Aegean, makes for a fairytale backdrop to any romance. Hence the brisk trade in weddings and honeymoons – and unforgettable escapes for anyone in love. Stay

Katikies Hotel (katikies.com) tumbles down the Caldera in fashionable Oia, its blinding white exteriors and interiors touched up daily to maintain their heavenly illusion. Impeccable cave-like suites all capture sublime views, while the hotel’s three infinity pools melt into the Aegean. There’s also a champagne bar and the Mikrasia rooftop restaurant, which is the place for elegant Greek feasting and unforgettable sunsets.

Eat and drink

For candlelit dinners with commanding island views, Ambrosia Restaurant at Oia (restaurant-ambrosia.com) is the epitome of a romantic night out. Loukas Pelekanos’s eponymous eatery (pelekanos restaurant.gr) dishes up 360-degree views from the terrace and modernised Greek cuisine on the plate. Selene Meze & Wine (selene. gr), in Pyrgos village, is a destination taverna hemmed by vineyards that serves only Santorini wines and produce.

Explore

The energetic could hike from Fira to Oia (it can take up to five hours) on the volcano’s rim or visit Akrotiri, a Bronze Age settlement buried under molten lava, Pompeii-like. For dramatic beach backdrops go to black-sand Perissa and Red Beach, named for the soaring cliffs flanking the shore.