These are the top 10 date destinations in Atlantic Canada, according to local romance writers

The Algonquin Resort, located in the coastal town of St. Andrews by-the-Sea, N.B., has welcomed guests for over a century. (Andrea Jerrett/ CTV Atlantic)

Many people may be thinking of romantic places to visit this Valentine’s Day, or are dreaming of warmer days to do so.

The Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada organization thinks the Atlantic region has a wide range of date destinations to choose from and recently narrowed them down to a top 10 list.

The group’s president, Deborah Hale, says the list was the brainchild of the group’s promotional chair, local writer Michelle Helliwell.

“We just thought that Atlantic Canada really is a romantic place and, because it’s familiar, people don’t really think about that, but we really wanted to celebrate it,” says Hale.

She adds that it was hard to narrow it down to just 10 places.

“I mean really, even since we got that 10 -- and we had a big pool to choose from voting down from that -- but I think we could’ve had way more.”

Hale cast her vote for “A picnic at Kelly's Beach at New Brunswick’s Kouchibouguac National Park” where she is originally from.

“The boardwalk and the dunes and the surf – it’s just such a romantic and beautiful place,” she says.

The other dates on the list are:

• Dinner and a wine tasting at Domaine de Grand Pre winery in Grand Pré, N.S.
• Stargazing at Rainbow Haven Beach in Cow Bay, N.S.
• Touring the art gallery and grabbing lunch at The Dunes in Brackley Beach, P.E.I.
• Strolling and shopping at Fisherman’s Cove in Eastern Passage, N.S.
• Walking the winding paths of the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S.
• Hiking the majesty of Western Brook Pond in Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park
• An evening of dinner and dancing at The Shore Club in Hubbards N.S.
• A beautiful dinner at The Algonquin in St. Andrews, N.B.
• Taking in the cheesy fun of the Secret Gardens and Haunted Mansion in Kensington, P.E.I.

Hale says the Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada organization is made up of more than 30 authors who have written more than 200 novels.

“We get together once a month or so -- have meetings, talk about writing craft, promotion and support one another. We have a writer’s retreat coming up in the spring and we’re really looking forward to that,” she says.

Hale believes the romance genre is still so popular today because it’s “optimistic.”

“People want to believe in love, they want to believe in happy endings, especially when the world is kind of confusing and things aren’t going that great,” she said.

“It’s nice to be able to lose yourself in a romance novel where people are going to overcome hardships and find love and lasting happiness… it’s a bit of a fantasy but a lot of our members have partners they’ve been with for a long, long time – including me – and so we know that it might be a fantasy, but it’s also a possibility.”