My husband and I prefer the beach at its most dramatic points: sunrise and sunset. Temperatures are kinder, crowds quieter. In between, we'll trade the sun for the warmth of his-and-hers robes; the buzz of the beach for the hush of the spa. It's simple to plan our kind of couple's retreat in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, where barrier islands, and spas that echo their natural elements, offer seclusion that leads to seduction.
Second honeymoon
Though you can eye Clearwater – and make the short trip to Dunedin – from Honeymoon Island State Park, the prevailing developments here are bird nests and gopher tortoise burrows hidden amid palms, pines and sea grapes. Impeccable facilities, nature trails and a color-saturated beach (picture bold umbrellas, bright-white sand and jewel-toned waters) enhance the park's allure, but if you arrive early enough on a weekend, you can explore it under the serene spell of morning – and feed each other pancakes at the concession area.
Stop in the nature center for a water-all-around view and humorous look at the island's 1930s and '40s persona as Honeymoon Isle, luring newlyweds to thatched bungalows developed here by a New Yorker. The bungalows are gone, but beachfront swings tempt us to linger.
Caladesi castaways
Take seclusion a step further by ferrying from Honeymoon Island to Caladesi Island State Park (a marina accommodates private boaters). Past the mangrove-shrouded approach, most visitors head straight for the shore. We instead start at the picnic area, silent save for a breeze tousling the palms. Later, we reserve lounge chairs united under a wide umbrella to savor these sands repeatedly recognized by the Clean Beaches Council and coastal expert Dr. Beach. A couple walks in-step with a rented double kayak toward the teal Gulf of Mexico; a woman searches the surf's bounty for coquina shells to be used in sailors' valentines. We're content meditating on the sand and sea before us, dunes behind and osprey overhead.
Fortplay
TripAdvisor (in 2008) and Dr. Beach (in 2005) made their infatuation with Fort De Soto Park well known, but you can still find your own stretch of sand here. Schedule a weekday morning for each other, park at the far end of the North Beach lot and then pass beneath pines and over inlets to smooth sand. The Gulf offers a study in blue; beach elder dots the dunes with green. Stay all day to discover hidden nooks by bike, canoe and kayak, or simply loll about waiting for the sun to set.
Spa retreats
Savor moments spent with your sweetie at intimate spas around St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Choose from a menu of sensual treatments aimed at relaxing and rejuvenating couples.
The Loews Don CeSar Hotel is right on St. Pete Beach, voted TripAdvisor's No. 1 Beach in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world for 2012. Its Spa Oceana offers a sensual feast of terry-soft seating, organic and mosaic accents and a coffee-with-cream palette punctuated by bold blues. The Honeymooner's Retreat package involves bath rituals, exfoliation, massage and facials inside the windowed couple's room (improved only by a sunrise or sunset). Relax or take your massage together in a cabana on the Gulf-front rooftop lounge.
Any long-term lovers will tell you that a little space goes a long way in preserving a relationship. Duly noted at Sandpearl Spa at the Sandpearl Resort, a Clearwater Beach sanctuary where the Spa Sampler Package includes a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure.
A local spa staple, the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa received some revitalization therapy of its own with a wave of renovations revealed in April 2007. The result? An entirely new space from reception to treatment rooms and a tree-shaded tranquility garden overlooking Tampa Bay. Cuddle up here between your couple’s massage, signature caviar facial and spa lunch (ask for the couple's experience options).
Freelancer Samantha Crespo is based in St. Petersburg, where she lives in a house full of native Floridians: herself, her husband, her daughter – even her dog.
