South Coast region offers inns, resorts for a memorable romantic getaway

A luxury resort perched on a cliff with ocean views as far as the eye can see: It’s the setting for a perfect romantic getaway. Your room or suite will have a private balcony with ocean view, luxurious bedding and perhaps a fireplace. You can arrange for a side-by-side massage in the tranquil on-site spa, or relax together in the indoor or outdoor hot tub. Take a dip in the indoor or outdoor pool, stroll in the gardens, grab a cocktail by the pool or sip wine at night by the fire pit. Dine at The Tiller, the signature restaurant suspended over the ocean. Arrange for a sunset cruise, a kayak trip on a river, a scenic hike or bike ride.

The beach is romantic every season of the year, whether it’s strolling along the dramatic seascape in winter, watching the sunsets together in the spring and fall or plunking an umbrella down in the summer sand. And you can’t get closer to the beach than the Sea Cliff House, which sits directly on beautiful Old Orchard Beach, ME. Stay in an oceanview room or suite, or in a room with ocean views and a whirlpool tub. The hotel has a pool and hot tub with a great view of the dunes and ocean beyond. Stroll 10 minutes down to Old Orchard Beach’s famous pier, with fun activities, dining and entertainment. Or opt for quieter pursuits, like the boardwalk at Ferry Beach State Park or a river cruise from Camp Ellis.

Escape to a romantic 1880s inn surrounded by natural woodland gardens and fountains and perched in one of Maine’s loveliest seaport villages. The Inn at Tanglewood Hall, in York Harbor, ME, offers six exquisitely restored rooms and suites, all with gas or electric fireplaces. The elegant York Harbor Suite has a breezy screened private sunroom porch, and the Garden Canopy Room overlooks gardens, fountains and woodlands, with a raised high four-poster bed. Breakfast on the wraparound veranda (also great for evening snuggling in a two-person hammock), then take the romantic Cliff Walk to the beach. Ask about the inn’s package that includes romantic dinners at an award-winning restaurant in wooded gardens, or one that also includes champagne and chocolate truffles in your room.

The cottage suites at The Dunes on the Waterfront, 12 secluded acres just across a tidal river from Ogunquit Beach, have romance written all over them. These perfect white clapboard, green-shuttered getaways not only have fantastic views of the river and dunes, they also come with hardwood floors, wood-burning fireplaces and kitchens. Walk to village shops and restaurants, take a rowboat to the beach at high tide, stroll along a walking trail, relax in the resort’s heated outdoor pool, rent a canoe for two or just enjoy morning pastries and coffee on your private screened-in porch. A special two-night romance package includes roses, cake, sparkling cider, a breakfast in town and a delivered continental breakfast.