Riviera Maya, Mexico
After you've said "I do,Palm Court the last thing you want to do is test the strength of your new marriage by enduring an agonizing day of air travel. Luckily, honeymoon paradise is just a three-hour direct flight away at The Cieba Del Mar Resort & Spa (pictured above; ciebadelmar.com) in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
U.S. Airways offers direct flights from Charlotte Douglas to the Cancun airport, where a driver will gather you and your bags and whisk you to the resort where check-in comes complete with signature champagne cocktail. The picturesque resort has plenty to offer for both adventure-seeking active couples and low-key lounge-loving couples alike. Our advice: before you head out to go zip-lining or cave swimming, spend at least a full day by the pool, where there's a full-service, swim-up bar and lounge chairs that are partially submerged in water to keep you cool. Prefer the ocean instead? The beach, which is full of thatched umbrellas for shade, is just steps away.
The full-service spa and salon offers up all the usual massage standards (Swedish, hot stone, deep tissue), but its signature treatments (like the Top'nikte Massage), which include touches of traditional Mayan cultural rituals, that can't be missed. On-site dining is decadent (there's even a late-night sushi bar) so consider springing for the all-inclusive gourmet luxury plan when you book your reservation so you can take full advantage of all the available Mexican-fusion cuisine.
The resort boasts several penthouse suites that are perfect for honeymooners, each featuring its own private pool, large sun deck, and elegant stone bathtub with views of the ocean ($830 to $1,400 depending on the date of your reservation).
- Rates start at $133. Ceiba's five-day/four-night romance package features a private candlelight dinner for two and fifty-minute couple's massage starting at $740 per couple.
- Getting there: US Airways flies direct to Cancun International Airport daily.
- Jenn Grabenstetter
Photo: The Cieba Del Mar Resort & Spa
