I have been to Mallorca around 20 times and it is about as far removed from your lists of "wants" as can be. The last adjective that I would use is exotic. It has retained much of it's particular Catalan culture even in the face of the huge numbers of northern Europeans who descend there each summer. There are large areas where mass tourist resorts dominate but much of the island is beautiful and fairly high end. We have also combined Mallorca with the very short hop over to Barcelona, this can be a very cheap air route.

We spent our honeymoon on a borrowed farm in Andalucia but we had just graduated and money was tight. Personally, I would look at somewhere a little more edgy like say Sicily.

Thanks for the suggestion and the anti-Mallorca part along with its pluses. We're looking into staying at Cap Rocat, a former fortress, near Calva Blava. Are there particular areas of Mallorca that you particularly enjoyed? We might look into Sicily too as well, but again worried about how crowded it is supposed to be. Though the food looks amazing!

How about Sardinia?

That is different!

Cap Rocat is very new and very up market. I am aware of it and it looks special. It has a private beach and stunning views of the Bay of Palma. It s quite isolated and in a strange location as the resorts down the road are down market.

I agree with gina, Sardinia is beautiful and we have been there 6 times.

Look at
http://www.lacoluccia.it/hotel_lusso_sardegna-1332.html

Or

http://www.charmingsardinia.com/sardinia/hotel-faro-capospartivento-chia.html

gaucho

I don't want to detract from the exotic nature of these places. To us they are 2 hours away and fairly routine destinations, other from say the States will have along journey and a different view. We visit The Bahamas which for most Brits is hugely exotic. Many Southern States visitors simply shrug and say "it's ok here".

Sicily would meet all your requirements, but it will be really hot in August.

I've been to the Azores for only a short visit, but loved it and think you would find everything you want there. Fantastic food!

Have you considered Croatia? Also hot, but beautiful coast, islands and beaches.

San Sebastian area of Spain?

How about Seville? Our second favourite city after Savannah. Incredibly romantic and still retains a huge amount of its own culture. Combine this with a tour of Andalucia, including Granada, Tarifa (surfing and whale watching), Malaga and the beautiful Costa De La Luz.

Southern spain - August - HOT tho it is delightful. I second the suggestion of San Sebastian, maybe Barcelona and San Sebastian? great food, beaches in both locals, lots of sports in San Sebastian - water ones and also hiking. Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

Cap Rocat is a jewel, and a great place for a honeymoon. But then Sicily has it charms and the Azores is a great destination.

San Sebastian is for food and wine lovers, someone who likes to shop, and for those who want to get out and explore the city and surrounding countryside. There are only a few places I would recommend in the area for anyone on a honeymoon. Two of the best are the Hotel Villa Soro and Hotel Iturregi, situated down the coast in Getaria. Both are owned by the same gentleman who owns Cap Rocat. But August in San Sebastian is also the time of the San Sebastian International Film Festival, so hopefully your dates would allow you to miss this event, when rooms are scarce and prices climb into the sky.

Thank you for all the great suggestions for locales and hotels. Is San Sebastian quite rainy in August? And Malaga sounds lovely too, though is it more crowded than San Sebastian in August?

Malaga will be packed in August, as will Majorca, and most of the Canary islands. You may even be too late to find decent accommodation in some of those places.
The Canaries are not for foodies either, much as I love going there.
Can't speak for the Azores but I always think of them as an older persons destination. Could be wrong of course, but that is the impression I get.

I would opt for Hawaii, even if I were American.

Robert

Thanks for the information about the other hotels, I hadn't realised that there was a group.

Gaucho

Look at the links Robert posted and then the photographs of Cap Rocat. Two hotels look like they should be in Canada the other looks like an African hotel. Should give you a good idea about climate.

The past two years we have spent the last two weeks of July in NE Sardinia and the East coast of Mallorca. Of those 4 weeks I can only remember eating outside in the evening maybe 5 times. On many days it was too cold and windy to swim in the sea in Sardinia. This was unusual. After 40 years of over 100 trips to Southern Europe in high summer, my lasting memories are trying to sleep in the pool as it was too hot at night.

Last summer, I checked the temperatures of Andalucia to see if they were any better. Seville seemed to be around 100 for much of July and August.

I would also agree with the above.

The north coast of Spain is one of the few coastal areas of Europe we haven't reached.The food, hiking, beaches and landscapes look incredible. It has, for a long time, had a reputation as being one of the top European food destinations.

I think the SS film festival is in mid-Sept.

You're right about the film festival. It's from 21-29 September (www.sansebastianfestival.com).

Semana Grande (Aste Nagusia), one of San Sebastian-Donostia's major festivals, is from 11-18 August this year, while the International Jazz Festival is in late July. All in all, it will be a very busy summer season in Donostia again this year.

Say, did you catch that suggestion of Croatia? It might be just the spot for you. In his last show Anthony Bourdain raved about Croatian food and wine. The Istrian peninsula is like Umbria, hilltowns, vineyards, and truffles -- but with a beautiful seacoast. There are more than a thousand islands along the Adriatic coast, some of which are national parks. With ferries, boats, and beaches.

And Croatia has historical sights, like the beautiful walled town of Dubrovnik; Split, which is built in and around a Roman palace; and Korcula, supposedly the birthplace of Marco Polo.

Sardinia sounds good. Another thought is one of the quieter Greek islands.

Thanks again for the suggestions. We actually went to Croatia and the Istrian peninsula two summers ago combined with a Venice sidetrip. Loved it! And hoping to find a similar combo. Greece, my fiance is being a worrywort about with its troubles as he is worried about strikes and dealing with that for transportation. Will look into northern Spain more closely as I think we will just miss the festivals in August. I do love heat though! And will check out Sardinia too.

Oh my god the answer is Maui, Kaui or the big Island.
San Sebastian would also be great although they say 2 out of 5 days is a beach day. My honeymoon was on Maui and it was dreamy.

Seems to me that Sicily and Andalucia, much though I love them both, would be way too hot in August. The same is probably true of Sardinia. Hawaii is lovely and, considering how crowded most of Southern Europe will be that time of year, might be a good alternative.

Mamcalice

I have been through 116 in Anadalucia and 85 in Savannah, I prefer dry Andalucia. I could walk in Savannah with 100% humidity.

Sardinia is an island with very consistent winds. It rarely gets above 85 dry heat, very bearable.

Shhhh about the Azores ! Let's keep them to ourselves. The above is a commercial advertisement and should be deleted. Someone thought that only older people visited them. No, but the people who do have traveled extensively, and the Azores is a gap-filler, just like Iceland is today. The Azores is a gorgeous paradise which is somewhat difficult to reach. It is not Ibiza and is not a "foodie" place, tho' the food is excellent. This couple has traveled a bit, so the Azores may be just the place for their honeymoon. It certainly won't be crowded like the rest of Europe in August. I would start with San Miguel, the principal island, and then the central group. If time allows, Flores and Corvo can be visited.

Going to throw in a bone now:
MADEIRA ISLAND
what a honeymoon that would be

Bedar... not an ad, just a nice essay! And hard to reach? You have regular direct flights from Boston, it is just a 4 hour flight. Thank God it is not ibiza - it is not over developed + overpriced. BTW, Sao, not San Miguel.

This is definitely an advertisement for Aideia da Cuada, but cleverly done. None the less...

Robert - I spent a week there in 2005, and wrote it up... not an ad...

When I say "hard to reach", I mean that it is not serviced by most major airlines, excluding TAP. Right, unlike Ibiza, it doesn't experience mass tourism and probably won't because of the lack of beaches, TG. I spent the summers of 1990, 1991, and 1998 there. Loved it. Shhhh ! Let's send people to other places - Ibiza, San Sebasian, Majorca, Greece, wherever - and keep the Azores a secret, please.

The Azores are, without question, some of the most beautiful islands in the world… and yet they remain a closely-guarded secret by tourists in the know. Visitors are still discovering the Azores, and only 240,000 Azoreans live within the archipelago’s 868 square miles.

Although the Azoreans speak Portuguese, travelers can always find someone who speaks English and residents are always happy to help.

The Azores have recently earned several accolades for their exceptional travel and tourism experiences:

• The National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations named the Azores as the world’s second most appealing islands destination
• One of 10 Best Values, USA Today
• Top 10 Places for Whale Watching, Sherman’s Travel
• Top 10 Islands You Never Heard Of, Budget Travel
• Two World Heritage Sites, designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)