Weddings, honeymoons, and anniversaries often inspire a quiet retreat. Sunset beach walks, couples’ spa treatments, shopping for fine art or jewelry, dinner by candlelight, and movies on the beach are just a few of the ways to celebrate the occasion. With swim-up bars, private soaking tubs, and full-service spas, several resorts along the Los Cabos Corridor excel in creating that intimate setting. Farther afield, bohemian Todos Santos adds a layer of art and culture to the romance.

Travelers with a week or more can experience the many dimensions of the lower Baja peninsula by making a circular route around the Cape Region via paved highways Mexico 1 and Mexico 19. Extending a total distance of approximately 564 kilometers (350 mi), this route takes visitors along the lower slopes of the Sierra de la Laguna, through the sierra’s former mining towns, across the plains of La Paz, and along the coastlines of the East and West Capes as well as the Corridor between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.

Although a number of places in and around Cancún have the makings of a romantic getaway—picturesque beaches, elegant restaurants, relaxing spas, and cozy accommodations—we picked our favorite for this itinerary: Tulum.

The beaches are spectacular, and the cabaña-style hotels exude a quiet romantic charm like nowhere else. Many offer professional massages and other spa treatments, while others specialize in gourmet dining.

Most of Cancún’s top hotels boast excellent spa facilities, but Spa del Mar (Blvd. Kukulcán Km. 14, tel. 998/881-2000, www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien, 6 a.m.–10 p.m. daily) at Le Méridien Resort is surely one of the best. The 15,000-square-foot European-style destination includes saunas, whirlpool tubs, cold plunge pools, a modern fitness room (including yoga, Pilates, aerobics, and spinning classes), and, of course, a wide variety of skin and body treatments. Prices are far from cheap—from US$60 for an herbal bath and up—but it’s a fine way to pamper yourself.

Spas

Hotel Villa Rolandi (Carr. Sac Bajo 15–16, tel. 998/999-2000, www.villarolandi.com, 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m. daily) has a full-service spa that specializes in using the positive energy and elements of the ocean. A full line of massages, body treatments, and facials is offered.

This itinerary tours Chile’s favorite vacation area, the lakes and volcanoes south of the Río Biobío. All along the route, it offers a wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking, climbing, cycling, mountain biking, and white-water rafting. The weather here is fickle and you may need to be flexible in organizing your activities to take best advantage of the finest days.

Reached by an improved gravel road that heads north out of Curacautín for 35 kilometers, the once humble hot springs resort of Termas de Tolhuaca has morphed into a spa, but it’s still a pretty good value by international standards and a good alternative for those who want to visit Parque Nacional Tolhuaca but don’t want to camp in the park, which is nine kilometers farther on by road. The resort began in 1898, but today’s facility is a dramatic improvement over the rustic Russian-built original.

Barely a wide spot in the road, 18 kilometers east of Curacautín and 680 meters above sea level, Manzanar is home to Hotel Termas de Termas de Tolhuaca (tel./fax 045/881200, www.termasdemanzanar.cl), a riverside spa resort set back from the south side of the highway.

It offers accommodations options ranging from simple rooms with shared bath (US$38/67 s/d for B&B to US$58/104 s/d with full board) to cabañas with private baths and Jacuzzis (US$55/102 s/d for B&B to US$77/139 with full board).

On the Río Liucura northeast of Pucón, Termas de Huife is the area’s most upmarket option, a modern chalet-style resort with spa facilities in 40°C waters and offering massage therapy. For US$14 in summer, US$11 the rest of the year, day-trippers can use the outdoor pools. The resort provides its own transportation from Pucón for $25 return, but infrequent buses also pass near the entrance. Restaurant and cafeteria meals are available.

Hotel Termas de Puyehue (Ruta 215, Km 76, tel. 02/2936000, fax 02/2831010, www.puyehue.cl, US$132/154–149/174 s/d, with suites up to US$376) sits at the junction where the main highway continues toward Anticura and the Argentine border; a paved lateral heads to Aguas Calientes, a more modest hot springs, and the Antillanca sector of Parque Nacional Puyehue.