Discover a Miscellany of Valentine's Romance in the Hamptons

Romance is in the air this Valentine’s Day in the Hamptons. Whether you celebrate on Wednesday, February 14 or wait until the weekend, the South Fork has plenty of fun and sexy good times a happy couple can enjoy from Montauk to Westhampton Beach.

Snuggle up with eats, sips and the one you love in a cozy igloo. Several Hamptons restaurants and dining destinations offer private igloos for up to six guests this winter, including the Baker House 1650 at 181 Main Street in East Hampton (631-324-4081, bakerhouse1650.com); Gurney’s in Montauk (631-668-2345, gurneysresorts.com/montauk/dining/igloos-sea); or Southampton Ice Rink at 668 County Road 39 (631-283-2158, southamptonicerink.com/igloos) where you could follow your burgers with some couples skating.

Speaking of couples skating, bring your Valentine to a local ice rink and show off your skills or hold on to each other for dear life! In addition to Southampton Ice Rink, visit Buckskill Winter Club at 178 Buckskill Road in East Hampton (631-324-2243, buckskillwinterclub.com) for a public skate or book a private lesson for the two of you. A bit farther afield, the brand new Peconic Ice Rinks is also open for skating at 5789 Middle Country Road, Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton (631-953-6300, peconicicerinks.com).

For art fans, exploring local galleries is a nice couples’ activity. And it’s even more romantic with a special Valentine-themed show. Go visit Love Is the Drug at The White Room Gallery in East Hampton (3 Railroad Avenue) featuring John Grande, Rebecca Russo and Grace Baley. All three artists work in uniquely different styles, but the group show is all about love and desire. Grande paints stiletto heels, stocking-clad legs, a sordid hotel room and more, while Russo uses pens and brushes to paint seductive red lips and famous faces, and Baley makes glass mosaics of icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix and Jean-Michel Basquiat. 631-237-1481, thewhiteroom.gallery.

If you’re feeling outdoorsy, and you’re lucky enough to have a partner who also enjoys time outside, a winter walk can be a beautiful bonding experience in the Hamptons. Keep each other warm while hunting for rocks along the beach on Montauk Point. A bit further west, check out the Montauk Walking Dunes — a set of dunes that actually “walk” and shift daily with the wind, often engulfing entire trees in their path — but be warned, it gets windy!

Another great walk, with the added fun of feeding wild chickadees by hand, the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildife Refuge at 2595 Noyac Road in Sag Harbor can feel like a scene from a Disney movie on the right day, or at the very least it will be a lovely walk in the woods that concludes on a secluded beach.

Dining out together is the thing to do on Valentine’s Day, so check out our weekly “Food Seen” column for all the best holiday restaurant specials and menus, but don’t forget there are all sorts of other places serving perfect food to be shared. Fondue is a fabulous lovers’ treat, and it’s available at The American Hotel bar on Main Street in Sag Harbor daily at 4 p.m. to go with your drinks — they also happen to have one of the finest wine lists in the country. And check out Bistro Ete at 760 Montauk Highway in Water Mill to order your own fondue with raclette and fontina cheese, served with bread and potato poppers. bistroete.com

If you feel like getting in the mood on Valentine’s Day, maybe drop by Little Beach Harvest for some recreational, and totally legal, cannabis products at 56 Montauk Highway Southampton. Now fully operational, the Shinnecock tribe’s dispensary has a wide range of edibles, pre-rolls, tinctures, teas, vapes, concentrates and flower for all level of experience. Then take it home and and enjoy an evening of passion safely together. Order ahead for pickup by visiting their website, littlebeachharvest.com.

And/or spice things up with some sexy lingerie from a local shop like Peace Love Hamptons at 120 Main Street in Westhampton Beach, Bonne Nuit at 55 Main Street in East Hampton, or Complements at 2486 Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton.

Perhaps take all that wine, food, cannabis and lingerie out to a hotel for Valentine’s night. Why not, right? Go fancy or cheap and sultry — whatever floats your boat, the Hamptons is here for you.

Canoe Place Inn & Cottages has several things on the menu for Valentine’s weekend, including a steamy Flamenco dance show with guitarist Pedro Cortes, featuring the dancer La Conja on Friday, February 16; and Romeo & Juliet by candlelight and a candlelight concert tribute to Coldplay on Saturday, February 17.

Whether you try these ideas, build upon them or do your own thing, bit of creativity can go a long way toward making your Valentine’s Day or weekend a beautiful success here in the Hamptons. Just make sure to do something you both love and enjoy it together.