Where to Travel When Single: Valentine’s Day

00-20170124 walking-the-high-line-at-sunset Take a walk with your new love along the High Line in New York City.

Figuring out what to do on Valentine’s Day can be a pain for everyone, and sometimes even more so for singles (especially if you wish you weren’t). If Valentine’s Day has you feeling restless this year, why not turn that energy into wanderlust and hit the road? Toss your travel pack on and check out these perfect places if you’re flying solo (literally) on Valentine’s Day. There are also fun date suggestions for each place that are equally enjoyable alone or plus one since, hey, you never know who you might meet.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur has turned into a hotspot for surfing during the day and then hitting up a beachside club at night.
San Juan del Sur has turned into a hotspot for surfing during the day and then hitting up a beachside club at night.

Byron Howes

Nestled along Nicaragua’s southern Pacific coast, San Juan del Sur was once a sleepy fishing town and is now a slightly wild party town filled with the kinds of waves that surfers of all levels dream of. It’s lively enough that you’ll encounter a diverse set of people, but small enough that if you stay long enough, you’ll probably meet everyone. Just a grab a drink at one of the many bars and it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll walk out with a new friend by the end of the night.

Date idea: Rent boards and try your luck at surfing on Playa Maderas, known for some of the most consistent waves in the world.

New York City, USA

You never know who you might meet in the Big Apple.
You never know who you might meet in the Big Apple.

Lauri Väin

New York and its five boroughs offer an endless variety of things to do on the daily—and that doesn’t change on Valentine’s Day. Looking for something fancy? Head to Manhattan and live it up. Looking for something trendy but relaxed? Bike through Brooklyn. And that’s just scratching the surface of what’s possible in the city that never sleeps. Considering that it’s swarming with 8.4 million others, you’ve got great odds at finding someone who’s spending their day exactly the way you are, whatever that may be.

Date idea: If you stumble across someone who is date-worthy during your time in the concrete jungle, consider taking a chilly walk along the High Line before dipping into one of the many bars the lie beneath.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Go to Rio in February and spend your day worrying about getting a tan instead of worrying about being alone on Valentine’s Day.
Go to Rio in February and spend your day worrying about getting a tan instead of worrying about being alone on Valentine’s Day.

seier+seier

Brazil’s Dia dos Namorados (Lovers’ Day) is celebrated on June 12th, so if you’re looking to escape the crowds of love that tend to fill up February 14th, they’ll be months away in Brazil. Heading to Rio is not only a great way to escape love day, but a wonderful excuse to check an iconic city off your list. If you are, however, hoping to meet someone, the city does have a reputation of crawling with beautiful people.

Date idea: Soak up the sun on Rio’s most famous beach, Ipanema.

Dubai, UAE

Public displays of romance are banned in Dubai, so you won’t even have to see googly-eyed couples on Valentine’s Day.
Public displays of romance are banned in Dubai, so you won’t even have to see googly-eyed couples on Valentine’s Day.

lensnmatter

If you’re trying to avoid anything that even resembles romance, then Dubai is the spot. Public affection of even the most modest kinds are banned, as is harassing women, under which almost every type of flirtation falls. If you’re looking to be left totally alone and probably even forget that it’s February 14th, get on over to Dubai.

Date idea: If you end up on a date anyway, have a look over the city from inside the walls of Iris in the Oberoi Hotel.

Ibiza, Spain

Ibiza is most popular in the summer, so making your way to this breathtaking tropical island in the winter during Valentine’s Day will reveal a side of the city that most people never see. And less crowds means more white sand beaches and turquoise waters for you (and maybe even a celebrity spotting!). Checking Ibiza out during the offseason is also a great chance to meet someone on the road who is also interested in atypical adventures.

Date idea: Take a Spanish class at Instituto de Idiomas Ibiza or make a point to seek out some almond trees that bloom in January and February.

San Francisco, USA

San Francisco is a fun city to explore solo or with a partner!
San Francisco is a fun city to explore solo or with a partner!

Adam Derewecki

There is hardly a more diverse way to spend America’s day of love than in San Francisco. Love is love is love in SF and if you’re looking to celebrate it, single or not, this is the city to be in. You’ll encounter happy couples and free spirited singles from all walks of romantic life meandering through the city along the Pacific coast. From the quirky Haight-Ashbury to Fisherman’s Wharf, there’s no shortage of unique neighborhoods to explore. And what’s more beautiful than diversity?

Date idea: Stroll through Golden Gate Park and take in the city’s icon.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Go snorkeling or spend some time at the sea turtle sanctuary at Isla Mujeres.
Go snorkeling or spend some time at the sea turtle sanctuary at Isla Mujeres.

Jon Cook

If you just want to escape it all and slip away into a little island paradise where no one can find you, Isla Mujeres off the Coast of Cancun in Mexico’s Quintana Roo state is the place to go. You’ll board a ferry to take you to the island and on the other side you will find a sleepy, tiny town with beachfront bars and all the sunshine you could ever dream of. But it’s not all sitting on the beach, there’s also quite a bit to do here—snorkeling around the coral reefs, visiting sea turtles, and exploring Mayan ruins.

Date idea: Explore Spiral Island, a place crafted entirely out of plastic bottles.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu was built in the 1400s, and we still don’t fully understand its exact purpose.
Machu Picchu was built in the 1400s, and we still don’t fully understand its exact purpose.

John and Jean Strother

Why not replace a Hallmark holiday with one you’ll never forget? Spend the day hiking around 7,970 feet above sea level and surround yourself with the beauty that of Machu Picchu’s three main structures: Inti Watana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Three Windows. It also doesn’t hurt that Machu Picchu is a trip a lot of people take for healing—if you’ve got a freshly broken heart, you’re almost guaranteed to meet someone you can commiserate with.

Date idea: Get post-hike spa treatment at Vida Spa—your body will thank you and there are plenty of options for couple’s massages if you meet someone magical on the trail.

Igatpuri, India

A 10-day silent retreat can rejuvenate your spirit. And you won’t even have to talk to anyone else about your V-day plans.
A 10-day silent retreat can rejuvenate your spirit. And you won’t even have to talk to anyone else about your V-day plans.

Krabiman

Vipassana is a 10-day retreat that practitioners claim changes lives. Those unbridaled by a relationship this year should definitely take advantage by doing some soul work in this rigorous, silent, and meditative retreat. Vipassana is becoming popular around the world, but India is where it came from and Igatpuri is home to the Dhamma Giri, which houses the Vipassana Research Institute.

Date idea: The whole Vipassana shebang! What better way to get to know someone that tackling something extreme together right at the outset ala The Craziest OkCupid Date Ever.

Your Own City

Even if you can’t travel to a far off destination, there are still plenty of ways to make your home into an adventure. Treat yourself to a dinner out or a good drink at a new place you’ve been meaning to try, or organize something with a crew of other singles—you’re absolutely not the only solo person wondering how to spend Valentine’s Day.

Date idea: Anything that’s new! Hit up a new trail, take your dog to a new park, or simply walk around a part of the city you don’t usually spend much time in.

Originally written by RootsRated for Craghoppers.

Featured image provided by Ashu Mathura