Are you into grand romantic gestures? Or perhaps you are in the doghouse due to some major transgression? With Valentine’s Day approaching, Helen Raine explains why you just have to book the perfect trip… to a heart-shaped island.

Galesnjak, Croatia

Galesnjak is a near perfect heart shape.Galesnjak is a near perfect heart shape.

Island owner Vlado Juresko was quietly minding his own business when Google Earth suddenly sent him a gift literally from heaven: aerial photos of his island, Galesnjak, which revealed it to be a near perfect heart shape. Quicker than you can say, “gimmicky marriage proposal”, couples started besieging Juresko with requests to stay.

It helps that the deserted island is located in the deeply blue Adriatic Sea. What is less convenient is that there is currently nowhere to stay and that Juresko is in the throws of cutting down the dense vegetation to make it a better wedding venue.

Plus, in February, temperatures hover around 13°C which is a little nippy for all but the most ardent lovers. You would also need to take your own food and water.

If you remain undeterred, visit loversislandcroatia.com to book (presumably with your tent in tow) and, Juresko claims, “our love and passion will be taken with you, back home and spread all around the world”.

Either that, or you’ll be gett-ing a divorce because your beloved wasn’t sold on the primitive conditions.

Flights to Dubrovnik from Malta cost around €365 over Valentine’s weekend (www.skyscanner.net).

Tavarua, Fiji

A Valentine’s break in Tavarua is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.A Valentine’s break in Tavarua is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Let’s be honest, a trip to Fiji would be a fairly grand Valentine’s gesture in itself, so throwing in the heart shaped island might be seen as overkill. But if your spouse is a sucker for romance, Tavarua will be a big hit.

The island is a great place to learn to surf. Beginners start at Kiddieland right in front of the island and then graduate to seven awesome breaks, usually ridden by professionals. You can also scuba, snorkel and kayak or just hang out by the pool.

Accommodation is in 16 little bures (fancy huts) and the food is world class. Add to that the stars (poppingly bright), the moon (rising over the ocean), the water (absurdly clear and crammed with fish) and the beach (sandy, has a bar surrounded by hammocks and coconut palms) and it’s hard to imagine a more romantic location.

However, this little jaunt will not be cheap. Flights in February cost around €1,950 with Emirates (www.priceline.com) and a week at the resort costs €2,493 per couple, although that price includes transfers from the mainland, accommodation, full board, soft drinks and use of all facilities and most equipment (www.wavehunters.com). It’s a once in a lifetime trip.

Lake Walchensee, Germany

There is plenty to keep you busy at Lake Walchensee.There is plenty to keep you busy at Lake Walchensee.

Lake Walchensee is slap bang in the middle of the Bavarian Alps. This heart-shaped island that sprouts from the north-western shore is a delight in summer, when you can swim and windsurf in the lake or hike the nearby mountain paths.

In February, it’s distinctly snowy but if a spot of the white stuff (make that a blizzard) doesn’t put you off, then you can take your loved one to stay at the nearby traditional farmhouse Bauernhof Jörglbauer (www.sachenbacher-walchensee.de, from €50 per person, per night).

There’s plenty to keep you busy here. The lake will probably be frozen, which means you can hike on and around it, or try snowshoeing, cross country skiing and sledging.

At Walchensee village, you can take a short ski lift and hit the baby slopes. For more advanced skiing, there are six good locations nearby, including Herzogstand, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Leutasch.

Flights to Munich cost around €200 return in February (www.airmalta.com)

Makepeace Island, Australia

Richard Branson turned Makepeace Island into a luxurious Sunshine Coast playground.Richard Branson turned Makepeace Island into a luxurious Sunshine Coast playground.

Want to hang out like a tycoon? Richard Branson fell for heart-shaped Makepeace Island on the Noosa River in Queensland and turned it into a luxurious Sunshine Coast playground. There’s enough space for 20 people, and the resort fuses “luxury, nature and authentic Balinese design creating an idyllic place to escape and unwind”.

Previously, you had to hire the entire island to be able to stay, but as of this year, Makepeace is being relaunched as a ‘boutique resort’.

A night will still set you back around €550 per person. That includes all food, soft drinks and transfers. Over Valentine’s, if you stay four nights, you’ll get a fifth free. For terms and conditions and to book, visit www.makepeaceisland.com.

Flights to Australia with www.Emirates.com cost around €1,370 in February.

Kardia Island, Greece

Ancient castle in Methoni.Ancient castle in Methoni.

Kardia is actually a little rocky skerry off Sapientza Island in Greece. Sapientza has less than 10 inhabitants (the skerry has none), so your bid for romance is unlikely to be interrupted.

The nearest big city is Methoni which doesn’t make for particularly easy access from Malta (bus or rental car from Athens or Kalamata is the best bet). Nonetheless, when you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with some spectacular scenery.

A rocky backdrop dotted with hardy shrubs gives way to sandy beaches where the sea gradually turns from silver to turquoise and then the deepest marine blue. It’s perfect for swimming or snorkelling (pack a wetsuit for February).

The hotels Alex and Giota (www.alexgiota.com, rooms from €20) run a tour from Methoni; arrange with them to circumnavigate Kardia but be aware that the straits from Methoni to Sapientza can be treacherous and a cross-ing might be difficult or impossible in winter.

Flights in February are around €150 return with www.airmalta.com.

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