The best lesbian honeymoon destinations combine three things: a place where your marriage is recognised, a local culture that welcomes two women travelling together, and the kind of trip you both want, whether that is volcanic hot springs or a slow week of island beaches. The six places below meet all three. Each one recognises same-sex marriage in law, and each suits a different style of honeymoon.
If you are still in the planning stage, our complete lesbian wedding planning guide covers everything from the budget to the guest list. This post picks up where the wedding ends.
Lesbian honeymoon destinations at a glance
- Lesbos, Greece: for history, quiet beaches and a women’s festival every September.
- Iceland: for landscapes, hot springs and a country with a long record on equality.
- Portugal: for food, wine, city breaks and the Algarve coast.
- Costa Rica: for rainforest, wildlife and beachfront villas.
- Riviera Maya, Mexico: for Caribbean beaches, cenotes and Maya ruins.
- New Zealand: for road trips, luxury lodges and fiords.
1. Lesbos and the Greek islands
Lesbos is the island of the poet Sappho, and the village of Skala Eresos on its west coast has welcomed women travellers for decades. The International Eressos Women’s Festival takes place there each September, with music, workshops and gatherings on the beach. Outside festival weeks, Skala Eresos is a small, slow place: a long dark-sand beach, tavernas along the waterfront and sunsets over the Aegean.
Greece became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalise same-sex civil marriage when its parliament passed the law in February 2024. You can combine Lesbos with livelier islands such as Mykonos or Santorini, or with a few days in Athens. Out Of Office plans island-hopping honeymoons across Greece, which makes the ferry and flight connections between islands much simpler.
2. Iceland
Iceland legalised same-sex marriage in 2010, and its then Prime Minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the first openly lesbian head of government, married her partner on the day the law came into force. That sense of quiet acceptance runs through the country.
A honeymoon here is about scale and contrast. You can soak in geothermal lagoons, walk on glaciers, watch for whales and puffins in summer, or chase the Northern Lights in the darker months. Reykjavik is small and walkable, with good restaurants and a relaxed bar scene. For ideas on routes and lodges, see Out Of Office’s Iceland honeymoon page.
3. Portugal
Portugal has recognised same-sex marriage since 2010, and it is one of the easiest honeymoons to arrange from the UK. Lisbon and Porto both have welcoming LGBTQ+ scenes, with fado bars, tiled streets and long lunches. The Douro Valley is ideal for a few days among the vineyards, and the Algarve gives you cliffs, coves and warm sea for most of the year.
A good plan for a week or ten days is a city at each end and the coast or the vineyards in between. Out Of Office’s Portugal honeymoon specialists can join the pieces together.
4. Costa Rica
Costa Rica became the first country in Central America to legalise same-sex marriage, in May 2020. It suits couples who want nature first: cloud forest, volcanoes, hot springs, sloths and toucans, then a run of beach days on the Pacific coast.
Most honeymooners split their time between an inland eco-lodge and a beachfront villa. The rainy season, which locals call the green season, brings lush landscapes and quieter roads, so ask about weather on each coast before you fix dates. Out Of Office has a dedicated Costa Rica honeymoon guide with sample stays.
5. Riviera Maya, Mexico
Same-sex marriage has been legal in every Mexican state since October 2022. The Riviera Maya, on the Caribbean coast south of Cancún, is the obvious choice for a beach honeymoon: white sand, warm sea, swimming in cenotes (freshwater sinkholes) and day trips to Maya sites such as Tulum.
The region has everything from large all-inclusive resorts to small boutique hotels in Tulum and Playa del Carmen. If you would like privacy and a quieter pace, a smaller adults-only hotel is often the better fit. Out Of Office covers the area in its Riviera Maya honeymoons.
6. New Zealand
New Zealand’s marriage equality law came into force in August 2013. It is a long way from the UK, which is a good reason to treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime trip of two or three weeks rather than a short break.
A typical route starts in Auckland, heads north to the Bay of Islands, then flies south to Queenstown for lakes, mountains and wine, with a day in Fiordland for Milford Sound. Luxury lodges here are a highlight in their own right. Out Of Office plans New Zealand honeymoons for both gay and lesbian couples.
How to choose between them
Start with the kind of days you want. If you want to do very little, the Riviera Maya or a Greek island will suit you. If you want to explore, Iceland, Costa Rica and New Zealand reward an active itinerary. If you want food, wine and cities, Portugal is hard to beat.
Then think about timing and travel. A wedding in late spring or summer lines up well with Greece and Portugal. A winter wedding might point you towards Mexico or New Zealand, where it is summer. Our guide to the pros and cons of a destination wedding is worth reading if you are thinking of marrying abroad and honeymooning in the same place.
Laws and attitudes are not the same in every country, so check the current position before you book. GLW’s guide to where same-sex marriage is legal is a good starting point, and the UK government’s foreign travel advice has a section on local laws for LGBT+ travellers in each country. For more ideas, including Italy and Thailand, see our list of top honeymoon destinations for newlyweds and our guide to planning a wedding in Italy.
Plan it with people who know
A honeymoon is the one trip where you should not have to think about logistics. Our sister travel company, Out Of Office, has LGBTQ+ travel specialists who plan every part of a tailor-made lesbian honeymoon, from flights and transfers to the right room in the right hotel, and they know which places will make two brides feel at home.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best destination for a lesbian honeymoon?
There is no single best place. Lesbos in Greece has the strongest connection to women’s history, Iceland and Portugal are easy and welcoming, and Costa Rica, the Riviera Maya and New Zealand suit couples who want beaches or adventure. Choose the trip you both want first, then check the country’s laws.
Is it safe for two women to honeymoon abroad?
In the six destinations above, same-sex marriage is legal and LGBTQ+ travellers are widely welcomed. Elsewhere, the position varies a great deal. Check where same-sex marriage is legal and the UK government’s foreign travel advice for the country before you book.
When should we book our honeymoon?
Book once you have fixed your wedding date, ideally several months ahead, so you have the best choice of rooms and flights. Long-haul trips such as New Zealand need the most planning. If you are still working through the wedding itself, our lesbian wedding planning guide includes a timeline.
Photo: Yuliya Matuzava on Unsplash
