Readers have sent me emails and letters asking my advice about the most romantic destination in the world for Valentine's Day. Paris, Venice, Marrakech, Istanbul or Copenhagen immediately spring to mind as places imbued with romance.

One of my personal favourites, however, is Puerto Vallarta (pronounced 'vay-art-ah'), on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The oldest part of town, called Villa Romantica, has cobbled streets, centuries-old churches painted pink, and steep, green jungles tumbling down to the green shoals of the Pacific.

The town is redolent with romance and natural beauty - the old cathedral looks like a work of art,

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