12 most romantic islands in the South Pacific

(CNN)For more than 300 years, travelers have been coming to the South Pacific in search of romance.

Paul Gauguin, Marlon Brando, Fletcher Christian, Robert Louis Stevenson. We know the legends.

Today, the tradition continues with honeymooners, artists and dreamers who descend on the region each year.

With more than 20,000 islands spread across a watery area larger than Asia, Africa and Europe combined, there's plenty of South Pacific to discover.

Nearly all of the landfalls are romantic in some respect -- that makes choosing the most amorous islands a difficult deed.

Some stand out.

For ardent ambiance, natural beauty, culture and history, this dreamy dozen vie for the title of most romantic island in the South Pacific.

San Diego-based Joe Yogerst has written on travel, business and culture for the Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Conde Nast Traveler, Vogue and Forbes Traveler.

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