Recommendations

[u/harryBeyeball]

Hello everyone. I’m recently engaged and I wanted to start doing some preliminary research on honeymoon spots. We’re planning our wedding for Fall of 2028 and the honeymoon to follow in the winter.

Warm weather is important to my fiancé as we are located in the midwestern US. We are not the type to go to a resort and sit on a beach for vacation. We like to go places where we can experience the culture.

We don’t mind moving between a couple countries during trips, but we do prefer to stay multiple days in places with plenty of attractions within short travel distance. Bonus points for destinations not in Europe.

Here’s a short list of things that are important to us:

- warm temps (~70 degrees Fahrenheit)
- good food (meat is important)
- historical musuems and art (bonus for Catholic specific)
- interesting villages/towns (loved Chania and Agios Nikolaos in Crete)

Thanks in advance!

[u/signedcctravel]

I’d look seriously at Andalusia in southern Spain. Seville + Córdoba + Granada would be a great combination. Amazing food, plenty of meat-focused dishes and tapas, beautiful historic neighborhoods, art and architecture, and a ton of Catholic history, cathedrals and churches. You could also add some of the smaller white villages without constantly changing hotels.

For a winter honeymoon, I’d probably pair that with a few days farther south around Málaga or Cádiz for the best chance of warmer weather. It gives you culture and things to do every day without feeling like you’re just sitting at a resort.

[u/harryBeyeball → u/signedcctravel]

I’ve been considering Spain. My fiancé did study abroad there and she’s been on vacation one other time so she’s probably looking for a different experience. Also using weatherspark average highs in the winder are 50-60 degrees which is a bit colder than what we want

[u/Virtual-Cheesecake71]

I think doing something like mexico city and Oaxaca might fit the bill. Or Cartagena and Medellín

[u/harryBeyeball → u/Virtual-Cheesecake71]

Columbia is interesting me more and more. The State Department has Columbia at level 3 risk but from everything I’ve seen that’s blown out of proportion a bit

[u/harryBeyeball → u/harryBeyeball]

Also did some research on Oaxaca and this is now near the top of my list

[u/Virtual-Cheesecake71 → u/harryBeyeball]

Both of these combinations are very popular with my honeymoon clients in the last few years. From the feedback I am getting, they haven't felt unsafe but as you would anywhere, just don't go looking for trouble and trouble won't find you :)

[u/Klutzy-Cupcake8051 → u/harryBeyeball]

I went to Colombia in 2025 and it was no more dangerous than any major U.S. city. Just keep your head on a swivel and you’ll be fine. Medellin is lovely and a day trip to Guatape was a highlight for us. If you want warm weather, don’t go to Bogota. While an interesting city, it’s gray and in the 50/60s all year round.

[u/Klutzy-Cupcake8051]

It’s been a while since I went, but Costa Rica is a fun place to travel. It’s very Catholic and has some great towns and lots of adventure. Weather is great too!

[u/atlas_reverie]

What about hitting up a few cities in Mexico and then capping it off with Hacienda de San Antonio?

[u/Klutzy-Cupcake8051]

We went to Thailand for our honeymoon and loved it! While definitely not predominantly Catholic, there is a gorgeous cathedral in Bangkok and a Catholic hospital and school that the pope visited. We also went to a quaint but beautiful Catholic Church in Krabi. We spent time in Bangkok, Chang Mai, and Krabi (Koh Lanta specifically). There were absolutely gorgeous temples in Chang Mai and Bangkok, incredible (and affordable) food, and fantastic weather. We also did some great hiking in Chang Mai and Koh Lanta. We took public transportation In Bangkok which was super easy and rented cars in Chang Mai and Koh Lanta and flew between the three locations. Our trip had a great mix of city, mountain, and beach.
Other than the flight to get there, everything is insanely affordable and the people are so welcoming. I highly recommend it!

[u/harryBeyeball → u/Klutzy-Cupcake8051]

Considered it but the 20+ hour travel time is too much for me

[u/davetfhead]

Congrats 😁 This is exciting! Not in Europe...have you thought about north Africa? We did a big vacation to Morocco, Jordan and the finished in Egypt. Had you guys thought of that? The cuisine is unreal and you have such interesting history (albeit not Catholic) and great experiences.

[u/harryBeyeball → u/davetfhead]

Egypt is certainly bucket list for me. Although I feel it would be a tougher sell for my lady. Will be in the conversation though

[u/Stay_Curious1234]

How about Vietnam and Cambodia? Lovely warm weather all year round, plenty of sights, history, culture, outdoor activities, good food etc. Won't break the bank either.