Top 20 romantic getaways (all under $250)

Los Poblanos Historic Inn&Cultural Center, Albuquerque ($155)
Curl up beside a roaring piñon fire in your room ― laid for you daily by the attentive staff ― or work up an appetite exploring the more than 25 acres of fields, trails, and organic gardens at this 19th-century working dairy ranch turned inn. From $155, including breakfast.

Make it interesting:

Take a lesson in Southwestern art just by prowling the premises, where you’ll see works by prominent New Mexico artists like R.C. Gorman, Gustave Baumann, Laura Gilpin, and Peter Hurd. –K.A.

Blue Lake Ranch, near Durango, CO ($90)
Snowshoe or cross-country ski à deux past stands of 150-year-old cottonwoods along a riverside trail, or dogsled or ride horseback through the snowy woods nearby. Fuel up first with a hearty breakfast of tamales and scones (served with heavenly ranch-made preserves and wildflower honey). From $90, including breakfast; two-night minimum.

Make it interesting:

Spend an afternoon exploring the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings at nearby Mesa Verde National Park ($10 per vehicle). –Amy Marr

Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, Halfmoon Bay, B.C. ($167)
Cuddle up under a deep duvet while you listen to raindrops brush against the walls of your luxe tent-house suite. Roughing it this is not: Think fireplaces, heated tile floors, silk shoji ― plus the sound of winter waves against the shore. If you can force yourselves to part from these digs, explore the surrounding rain forest. Then hurry back with a blanket for some quiet time by the ocean on your private veranda. From $167 U.S. –Deana Lancaster

Villa Amor, Sayulita, Mexico ($110)
The 35 villas at this resort, some set into a terraced hillside with decks that have little or no railing, are a great place to feel a frisson. From this aerie you can take in all the sights and sounds of the beach without venturing anywhere. Mini kitchens (in some villas only) make it even easier to stay in. From $110 U.S., including breakfast.

Make it interesting:

Skinny-dip in your private cliffside plunge pool (request a villa that has one). –A. W.

Volcano Rainforest Retreat, Volcano, HI ($140)
In the secluded Sanctuary, light candles, make the Tibetan chimes kiss, play a CD of sensuous Indian music, and whisper words from a bedside book of meditations on love. As you snuggle under the Balinese-print quilt, you’ll feel a glow that comes only partly from the ornate cast-iron fireplace. From $140, including breakfast; two-night minimum; on the Big Island.

Make it beautiful:

Hide out in the open-air pavilion’s Japanese soaking tub, just big enough for two, surrounded by glistening ferns and sweet flowering ginger. –Bill Harby