Love heats up with the promise of sunny, seaside days and sultry nights.

"You feel a sweet intoxication that has little to do with rum, but rather with the thrill of new beginnings. Yes, you say, we have come to the right place."

You want activity. Spirited watersports. Pulsating nightlife. Hedonistic delights.

Your mate wants leisure time. Days spent under a tall coconut tree. Nights lulled by gentle trade winds and the rhythm of lapping waves as the moon rises over a silver sea.

In the Caribbean, you both will be happy. Whether your idea of a romantic getaway brings to mind a fiesta or siesta, this sprawling region delivers. Year-round warm weather makes possible the sybaritic delights for which the islands are known. Whether the two of you want to slip out of bed for a midnight dip in a private plunge pool or jog side by side on a sandy beach as the first rays of light illuminate the sky, you'll find that temperatures are just about always perfect. Even during the winter months, the only goose bumps you'll experience are the ones your partner delightfully produces.

For honeymooners and other romantic travelers, the Caribbean is a fertile region, sultry and rich, where love blooms and flourishes. Couples feel the pulse of life beat strongly here, whether dancing in crowded discos or strolling arm-in-arm on secluded moonlit beaches. Inhibitions are artfully soothed away by languid island rhythms, the sea gently lapping at your toes, the sing-song of patois, the ardent piping of tree frogs in the night. You feel a slight, sweet intoxication that has little to do with rum, but rather with the thrill of new beginnings. Yes, you say, we have come to the right place.

For some couples, that new beginning takes the form of a destination wedding or, for longtime lovers, a vow renewal. More and more couples are choosing to tie the knot in the sunny Caribbean. Recognizing this trend, many islands have relaxed their marriage requirements. Lovers will find that island weddings are becoming increasingly easy to arrange, with shorter (or no) residency periods, simplified paperwork, and usually no required blood tests. And with no legalities to tackle, vow renewals are even simpler, involving a few pre-trip e-mails or faxes to set up a ceremony site and extras that can range from steel pan bands to harpists. Brides have their choice of beach ceremonies, garden gazebos, historic sites and island chapels.

Many Caribbean resorts have on-site wedding coordinators to help with all the necessary paperwork and the details, whether the wedding party consists of just a bride and groom or a large, extended family. For the cost of a honeymoon, couples are able to enjoy both the wedding and the honeymoon. Many find this approach appealing for another romantic reason: the prospect of later vacationing at the spot where they once exchanged vows.

Fun in the Sun

Just about every honeymooner searches for the perfect beach, the ultimate stretch of sand where the two of you can bask under towering palms and feel the delicious glow of shared love beneath a tropical sun. Choices include well-known sites like St. Thomas's Magen's Bay, Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach, St. Martin's Orient Beach or St. John's appropriately-named Honeymoon Beach, as well as lightly visited beaches where you can make the only two sets of footprints in the sand.

The sea presents a world of options: lazy afternoons snorkeling hand-in-hand through waters as clear as white rum; scuba diving among coral mounts dotted with flora and fauna as colorful as gumdrops, or exploring the remnants of old ships still preserved in these warm waters. If the two of you don't yet scuba but would like to learn a new sport together, this is your chance. Many hotels offer resort courses and, after a lesson and some practice in the pool, you and your mate can share your virgin dive offshore that afternoon.

If your idea of activity takes a more leisurely slant, you'll find plenty of shopping options in the region. Many couples opt to purchase their wedding rings at the duty-free shops in some of the Caribbean's top shopping areas--St. Thomas, Sint Maarten, Aruba, Nassau, or Grand Cayman--while others opt for a sparkling souvenir of their romantic getaway.

Nightlife

On many islands, the nightlife is as hot as the daytime sun. Puerto Rico, Aruba, Nassau, and Sint Maarten sizzle when the sun sets and really heat up in the wee hours. Here, casino gambling is a favorite pastime and you can court Lady Luck at blackjack, poker, roulette, and other gaming tables. On other islands, nightlife might mean a fine meal, followed by the sounds of a local band and perhaps some barefoot dancing in the sand.

However you spend your time, every Caribbean day must eventually draw to a close, usually with a thrilling blaze of tropical colors. Enjoying sunset is an island obsession, so pick your spot with care (and try to arrive early). From St. Thomas' Paradise Point to Negril's Rick's Café, sunset watchers group for the daily show--and for the chance to spot the elusive green flash.

What is the green flash? Under the right conditions, as sunset cools into the sea, a momentary green sizzle appears on the horizon. Science explains it as the refraction of sunlight through the thick lens of the Earth's atmosphere. All agree it's a rare sight, requiring just the right combination of sun, sky and luck.

But for many couples, the real reason to seek the green flash is romance. According to island lore, couples who witness it are guaranteed true love. Contribution By Paris Permenter and John Bigley. See more in the Caribbean Escapes Luxury Travel Coffee Table Publication