Embracing Georgia’s Southern Charm for the Perfect Romantic Getaway
Whether looking for a Valentine’s Day getaway, or a romantic retreat any time of the year, Georgia has the beauty and charm to seduce travelers from far and wide.
With its beautiful islands, romantic architecture, historic cities, and charming towns, Georgia offer a wide range of options for romantic getaways. Couples can enjoy sunset walks along stunning beaches, exploring new cities and towns, cozying up over candlelit dinners, and picnicking under the stars to live music.
Romantic Things to Do in Atlanta, Georgia
As the capital of Georgia, Atlanta has a long list of activities, venues, and experiences for couples to enjoy on a romantic getaway. Dubbed ‘the heart of the south’, Atlanta knows how to pluck the romantic heartstrings.
Lovers can grab a picnic and blanket and head to the Atlanta Botanic Gardens, where they can soak up live jazz under the stars. There are romantic and novelty restaurants to choose from, depending on the couple’s mood, and special events including the outdoor summer film festival, Screen on the Green.
Atlanta has also laid claim to the world’s largest aquarium, which offers special Valentine’s Day packages. These include adult sleepovers where couples can feel like they are spending the night under the sea, behind-the-scenes tours, and dinner and breakfast.
Sexy Savannah, Georgia, Popular For Romantic Getaways
The first colonial and state capital of Georgia, Savannah is filled with romantic architecture, beautiful gardens, and fountains in historic squares, intimate restaurants, and enchanting hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Every year millions of tourists head to Savannah, Georgia. The loved-up couples that join them can enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, exploring shops and cafes in the historic district, and snuggling on a boat cruise on the Savannah River.
Adventurous romantics can get the adrenalin pumping as they chase each other on jet skis, while those with a taste for the high life can sip champagne as they float above the city in a hot air balloon.
Georgia’s Cumberland Island
Georgia’s Cumberland Island is incredibly romantic and made world headlines when it was chosen as the venue for the wedding of one of the most famous bachelors of the 1980s and 1990s. It was here that John F Kennedy Jr married Carolyn Bassette in September 1996.
The evening ceremony took place in the Brack Chapel of the First African Baptist Church. Having no electricity, the church was lit with romantic candles and kerosene lamps.
Tourists are able to visit the church and enjoy dinner or drinks at the nearby Greyfield Inn, where the famous wedding reception was held.
Voted one of the top ten romantic retreats in the United States by Coastal Living magazine, Greyfield Inn was built in 1901 as a luxurious holiday home and converted to an inn in 1962.
Greyfield Inn boasts more than 200 acres of protected shoreline. Guests can only reach the Greyfield Inn by ferry, and with no televisions or radios, couples are able to get away from it all and enjoy each other’s company.
The Seductive Golden Isles of Georgia Perfect for a Romantic Getaway
Other popular romantic island getaways in Georgia include Jekyll Island, St Simons Island, Sea Island, and Little St Simons Island. Also known as the Golden Isles of Georgia.
The privately-owned Little St Simons Island has only been open to the public since the 1970s, and even today, only 32 people are allowed to stay on the island at any one time. This, and the fact that it can only be reached by boat, only adds to its romantic appeal for those who like the idea of being stranded together on an island.
Jekyll Island, St Simon’s Island, and Sea Island became elite resorts for some of America’s most prestigious families following the American Civil War, and still retain their charm. For those who like to share walks along pristine beaches, enjoy biking or hiking through maritime forests, or just like to curl up together surrounded by nature, the Golden Isles of Georgia are the place to go.
Romantic Getaways in North Georgia
Drive just an hour north of Atlanta, off Georgia 400, and you’ll reach the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the historic town of Dahlonega. In and around this town, where the U.S. gold rush began, are some fabulous inns, lodges, cabins, and bed-and-breakfasts that are ideal for a romantic escape.
In February, each inn has specials just for couples to mark a Valentine’s Day getaway, with special pricing and little romantic “extras”: boxes of chocolate in your room, complimentary champagne, decadent spa treatments, and more. Some deals are available throughout the month; others are just for Valentine’s Day weekend. Call each lodge to learn more about their February promotions.
But remember that the mountains of Northeast Georgia are spectacular in the warm-weather months as well. You can hike, bike, kayak, canoe, and tube in the hills and in the rivers surrounding Dahlonega, and then retire to your quaint lodging in the evening for a hot tub with your honey!
