At the beginning of every new year, love is in the air at Covington. That’s because December is the most popular month for engagements in the United States, and all those newly betrothed couples start planning their honeymoons soon after the holidays. As you may guess, there is no single best honeymoon destination. It all depends on what you like to do, when you want to travel, and your budget. We’ve chosen some of the best honeymoon destinations that rise to the top of the list in different categories.

Best Beach Honeymoon Destinations

Few things are more romantic than strolling hand in hand along a white sand beach with Tiffany-box-blue water lapping at your toes. The Caribbean offers many beautiful beaches, but we think Turks and Caicos takes the prize. Specifically, Grace Bay Beach is one of the best beaches in the world and the perfect setting for several luxury resorts.

The Maroma Beach area of Riviera Maya is just 30 miles south of Cancun, but a world away from the heavily touristed hot spot. All-inclusive resorts allow honeymooners to focus on themselves and not constantly pulling out their wallet. Farther south, the beaches of Belize are a well-kept secret. The Placencia Peninsula is known as “barefoot perfect” and offers excellent food, cozy accommodations and a bit of nightlife. Ambergris Caye also has beautiful white sand and the world’s second largest barrier reef just a half-mile offshore.

Best Honeymoon Destinations for Active Adventure

Some couples thrive on adventure and want to start their lives together by sharing an active experience. New Zealand is the original home of adventure. You can explore mountains, rainforests, and beaches by hiking, cycling, kayaking, jet boating, snorkeling, and bungee jumping. Add the gorgeous landscapes and friendly people, and it’s easily a top honeymoon destination.

The “shoestring” country of Chile offers a variety of adventure from top to bottom. Delight in sandboarding and unparalleled stargazing in the high and dry Atacama Desert. Sip and savor Chilean wines with the Andes as a backdrop in the wine regions near Santiago. Trek through the spectacular landscapes of granite peaks, flowering fields, and turquoise lakes of Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia.

For eco-adventure honeymoons, it’s hard to top Cosa Rica. You can fly through the rainforest canopy on a zipline, climb a volcano, go white-water rafting, and learn about environmental preservation for a rich array of plants and animals.

Best Honeymoon Cities

The world is full of vibrant cities and you could make a case for many being the best honeymoon destination, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t start with the City of Love, Paris. Romance is everywhere there from a sparkling night view of the Eiffel Tower to a lovers’ stroll along the River Seine, to sharing a bottle of vino at a sidewalk café as the world marches by. We also love the spectacular setting impressive architecture, and cosmopolitan feel of Sydney, Australia. London is a modern and exciting city with just the right mix of historical grandeur, international flair, and cultural pursuits to keep honeymooners as active as they want.

Vancouver, Canada is relaxed and outdoorsy with abundant natural beauty in an urban setting, yet has a vibrant art scene, and a multi-cultural community with a fondness for healthy eating. Couples who have an appetite for revelry instead will enjoy the extraordinary feast that is New Orleans. It is at once romantic, spiritual, and off-beat with lovely cast-iron balconies, talented jazz musicians, and quirky cemetery tours.

Best Honeymoon Destinations for Other Interests

The most important factor in planning the perfect honeymoon is for it to fit the newlyweds’ interest and personalities. If you’re wild about wildlife, you would enjoy the Galapagos or a safari in Tanzania or Namibia. Maybe you want to immerse yourselves in authentic culture – consider Japan, Bhutan, Italy or Peru where you’re certain to experience new foods, customs, and languages.

If tropical splendor is your love language, think Hawaii, Bora Bora, or Fiji. Or maybe a romantic overwater bungalow in the Seychelles or Maldives is your dream trip. And then South Africa could arguably be considered the best honeymoon destination of them all because it scores in every category we’ve mentioned!

As you can see, there really is no one single best honeymoon destination. Talk to each other about what you’d like to see and do on your special trip and then talk to one of the honeymoon specialists at Covington. With their personal travel experience and global connections at the most interesting destinations in the world, they’ll make your trip planning simple so you can spend your time worrying about who has to sit next to crazy Aunt Georgina at the reception.