A Valentine’s Day for two...

Love is in the air, so Helen Raine looks around everywhere for unique getaways to make next month’s Valentine’s Day extra special.

Hold the dull red roses and cancel the annual booking at the local Italian restaurant; it’s time to reinvent February 14. Yes, Valentine’s Day is deeply mired in consumerism, but you don’t have to follow the herd in embracing the worst of the cheesy hearts and flowers traditions.

Getting away from the everyday hassles is much more likely to reignite the passion in your relationship than night at Luigi’s, from whence you will stumble home too full of wine and carbohydrates to be of much use to anyone.

So instead, book a break that your significant other will never forget, doing something that can only be done as a couple (no, not that sort of something... although these holidays stand a better chance of putting your lover in the mood than a box of chocs from the local supermarket).

A bubble for two

In Mauritius you can find a unique experience for the loved-up: a submarine for two. You pilot the machine yourself and top speed is about 3km/h.

The sub is equipped with emergency breathing equipment, as a leak would rather spoil the romantic mood otherwise, and a rescue diver will guide you along.

If you don’t dive, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore the marine environment without even getting your hair wet, as well as an opportunity to spend some quality time bobbing about with your beloved beneath the waves.

Blue Safari (www.blue-safari.com) is based in Grand Baie, Mauritius. Trip is €133 for 40 minutes.

Go tandem

Tandem riding requires a certain degree of co-ordination, the very thing to bring a couple together. You should also be able to go longer distances faster than a solo rider (well, that’s the theory and presumes that you haven’t argued over directions by the end of the first kilometre).

Cicloturisme, based in Gerona, Spain, offers a solution to that potential problem. They will transfer your bike to Olot and set you off with directions down an old railway route back to Gerona.

It’s an easy ride through beautiful countryside and you can’t really get lost. With the wind in your hair, romance should blossom.

Visit www.cicloturisme.com. Tandem rental €34 per day, transfer to Olot €98.

Double kayak to Greek paradise

If a bicycle made for two doesn’t float your boat, how about a double sea kayak? Sea Kayak Milos (www.seakayakgreece.com) offers five days of kayaking, camping and bed-and-breakfasts around the eastern island of Milos.

Paddle through crystal clear waters then rest your weary arms relaxing on sun-drenched pebble beaches before cooking up dinner on the rocks by your campsite as the sun goes down. If you’re not sure your relationship could take quite such an extended expedition, they also run day tours.

A one-day guided kayak trip costs €65 including lunch. A five-day trip costs €490.

Laze together in a couple’s hammock

In terms of romance, it’s hard to beat lying in a double hammock under a starry night.

The Island Hotel in Gouves, Crete has beautiful wood-mounted versions in perfect spots for star gazing, as well as double loungers by the pool.

It’s a couples-only hotel located near the beach with achingly cool, nature-inspired interior design.

The only snag is that the hotel opens in May, but it will give your Valentine plenty of time to book leave from work.

Visit www.theislandhotel.gr. Rates start at €95 per room.

Saucy salsa in sizzling Spain

George Bernard Shaw claimed that dancing is, “The vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalised by music”. So improving your combined vertical abilities on a ‘sizzling’ salsa dancing course in Spain should reap dividends for your love life.

Visit www.gotolearn.com and you will find a seven-day course in the heart of Ibiza old town, with salsa dancing in the morning and Spanish classes as a additional bonus in the afternoon.

From €315 per person.

Shall I compare thee to, erm, er...

If you’d love to express the deep regard you have for your other half in words, but find yourself with poet’s block, book yourselves onto a poetry course.

The Poetry School (www.poetryschool.com) offers a series of short courses throughout the year. You too could shortly be scribing loving missives with the fluency of Shakespeare. Well, almost...

Wish upon a star in the glowing sea

Mosquito Bay may not be a romantic name, but this sectionof the Puerto Rican coast has a special secret.

Take a private guide and a double kayak out to the ‘black hole’ in the middle of the bay, jump into the water and your entire body will be glowing with an ethereal light.

The bay is full of phosphorescence, tiny plankton which emit flashes of light when the water is disturbed. The delight of waving a limb lazily through the water and watching it burst into underwater starlight is hard to beat.

Throw in the fact that the ocean is particularly salty here because of the near proximity of the mangrove swamps, so you can float on your back in the darkness and admire the shooting stars, and you have possibly one of the most romantic experiences on earth.

Island Adventures offers tours from the Vieques Island (eastern Puerto Rico), visit www.biobay.com.