Most romantic beaches of the Mediterranean

Dining off the fruits of the island can be one of the greatest pleasures for both locals and visitors to Santorini. When you become keenly aware that everything is fleeting, and savor every minute of your time on the island a meal can feel like the most decadent form of seduction. There's no shortage of restaurants perched like birds of prey atop the island's cliffs. And locally produced dry white wines made from assyrtiko grapes (Santorini is one of Greece's most important wine regions) seem like they were sent from the Gods to perfectly complement the fish caught just offshore.

"I tell my clients to avoid the peak months, July and August, if they can," says Shea, "But if that's when you find yourself in Greece — and who knows if you'll be back — you have to see Santorini."

The equally dramatic landscapes of Sicily beg more Mediterranean amore. Taormina, on the east side of the Italian isle, brings something primal to the equation, with testy Mt. Etna not far from the beach. The destination itself plays out on two levels, with the beach scene backed by a fairytale medieval village, just uphill, home to fabulous restaurants and seductive Italian espresso bars and nightlife.

"You've got this big volcano looming and these gorgeous beaches that are more sandy than rocky," says Beth Ruben, manager of custom travel planning with Select Italy, a luxury travel agent in Chicago. "You can be down at the beach at the Mazzaro Sea Palace, an amazing property, then take the funicular from the beach up to the medieval town."

Italians really do live the sweet life. "Long lunches, six-week vacations — everything can be put off until tomorrow. It's always so impressive to us, this way of thinking, because it's so foreign." So if you need some downtime to reconnect with your lover, then Taormina may be just the ticket.

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The French Riviera, too, has long been synonymous with romance. But if privacy is paramount, range beyond Cote d'Azur standbys à la St. Tropez, Nice and Cannes, where beachgoers, however beautiful, line every inch of sand during the peak summer months.

"Everyone sort of builds Nice up because of the beautiful rocky beaches. It's the south of France, so the expectations are so high," says Aaron Boyd of Denver, Colo., who vacationed in Nice in 2003. "But you get there and you're sort of let down."

Tobias Johansson / iStockphoto.com With Mt. Etna standing sentinel over this beach on Sicily's east coast, there's something decidedly primal about Taormina. But make no mistake—this is a high-class, high-society, sun-worshipping scene. Even Italy's fabulous designer duo, Dolce & Gabbana, profess their love for Taormina.

According to travel consultant Judy Nussbaum, an alternative Cote d'Azur locale with more intimate appeal is Le Lavandou, a seaside village located about 40 minutes southwest of St. Tropez. "Le Lavandou is a laid-back, purely European, French beach resort," she says. "It's not on the American radar at all yet — except for cruise passengers on the smaller, luxury ships (like Seabourne)."

For many people, the idea of Mediterranean romance conjures up Greece, France and Italy. But think of unexpected locales — like Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro.

At Cleopatra's Beach on Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast, even the pink-tinged sand reflects the color of love. It was here that the Hellenistic ruler of Egypt was allegedly courted by Marc Antony, who, as legend has it, created the beach in an attempt to woo his lover. Sigh-inducing, indeed — and that's before you even take a dip into the brisk, blue waters.

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