The serene beaches of the Peter Island Resort in the British Virgin Islands.

By Jennifer Ceaser and David Kaufman

Got a honeymoon, anniversary, or just a relaxing couples escapade that won’t take too long to reach from the U.S.? These three tropical destinations are ideal.

Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

There’s something so glamorous about traveling to a destination by boat — the wind whipping through your hair, the cool ocean spray on your sun-warmed skin, your island refuge gradually appearing on the horizon. And unless you book a pricey helicopter, it’s the only way to get to Peter Island Resort, a private retreat hidden in the 60-odd British Virgin Islands chain.

The classic, low-key resort has been around for decades, yet its appeal to honeymooners and couples hasn’t dimmed in the slightest — even as shiny new properties pop up around the Caribbean. In large part, the allure is privacy: The resort counts just 52 rooms and three villas, spread across 1,800 mountainous acres.

With five separate beaches, you’re practically guaranteed a little slice of ocean paradise all to yourself. Like the aptly named Honeymoon Beach, a tiny wedge of white sand where just the two of you can relax under the shade of palm trees. If you don’t mind sharing with other guests, there’s White Bay Beach, a quarter-mile stretch of sand dotted with six thatched huts. There, you can spend the entire day swimming, sunbathing and snorkeling — it’s the protected side of the island, so the water is as calm and blue as it comes — then duck into your cabana to enjoy a hand-delivered lunch.

Other can’t-miss romantic interludes: an early-evening foray to the precipitous top of Sunset Loop, where you can kick back on Adirondack chairs, sip wine, and nibble on cheese while the sky obliges with a spectacular array of reds, pinks and oranges. Or try the couple’s massage at the 10,000-square-foot spa — ideally, in one of the two oceanfront bohios.

The luxurious accommodations at the Peter Island Resort.

Of course, as honeymooners, you’ll be spending quite a bit of time in your room — we’d opt for one of the 20 spacious beachfront junior suites with bathtubs for two, patios or terraces, and direct access to Deadman’s Beach (from $900/night). At opposite ends of the spectrum: 32 somewhat snug ocean-view rooms, with newly renovated bathrooms, start at $400/night, while villas, ranging from three to six bedrooms, begin at $2,660/night.

And while they say love is all you need, a little food couldn’t hurt. Beyond the casual Deadman’s Beach Bar & Grill and the resort’s signature Tradewinds restaurant, a Thursday night Vintner’s Dinner includes five courses matched with five wines, along with excellent wine-pairing tips from food and beverage director Rimple Nayyar.

St. Regis Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico

St. Regis Bahia Beach in Puerto Rico offers guests a beautiful tropical locale.

Some newlyweds fly thousands of miles to a far-flung tropical locale, arriving exhausted. Others prefer to get the honeymoon started quickly. The latter can hop from the grim concourses of JFK to a chaise lounge in Puerto Rico’s St. Regis Bahia Beach resort in four-and-a-half hours flat.

Set on 438 oceanfront acres in the shadow of the El Yunque Rain Forest, the property has all the luxurious trappings you’d expect from the brand: exquisite dining (at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant, Fern), lots of pampering (at the 10,000-square-foot Remède Spa) and amusements galore (nature trails, a bird sanctuary, kayaking on a private lake, tennis courts, and an 18-hole golf course). Its 139 rooms (from $559/ night) include 35 spacious, honeymoon-friendly oceanfront suites (from $1,159/night), with terraces overlooking the Atlantic and a two-mile-long, crescent-shaped beach just steps away.

Lovebirds can book the Honeymoon Stillness Retreat ($585) at the spa, featuring a private yoga session, couples massage, and lunch in the couples villa, appointed with a private outdoor Jacuzzi.

Ocean Club, Bahamas

The charming oasis of the Ocean Club in the Bahamas.

Tucked into a quiet corner of Paradise Island just moments from the Bahamian capital of Nassau, the 36-acre One&Only Ocean Club served as a sexy oasis for Daniel Craig’s James Bond in “Casino Royale.” First opened in 1962, the resort retains much of its jet-set glitz and glamour, thanks to a series of multimillion-dollar makeovers and its now iconic pièce de résistance: a 14th-century terraced French Augustinian cloister first purchased by William Randolph Hearst.

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Today, the resort’s 105 elegantly designed rooms (from $625/night) have welcomed endless honeymooners. Its most indulgent accommodations are a trio of private villas (from $9,500/night) — beachfront compounds with private swimming pools, butler and chef service, and lush gardens. With their own direct beach access, indoor/outdoor dining rooms and hidden surprises — like jungle-shrouded al fresco Jacuzzis — the villas leave little reason to ever set foot in the main resort. But that would mean missing its six tennis courts, chic Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant and, of course, those medieval cloisters magically transported from the Old World to the New.