Morning

Stroll Down a Lovers Bridge. Wuzhizhou Island boasts beautiful white-sand beaches and water that’s so clear you can see the coral reefs as far as 40 feet down during your snorkeling excursion or ride in a glass-bottomed boat. Don’t miss Lovers Bridge, which earned its name from the couples who clung to each other as they navigated what once was a perilous steel-cable contraption on their way to a lookout point off the beach. It’s now a sturdy plank bridge, but why not hold hands anyway?

Midday

Find Gorgeous Gifts. Haitang Bay International Shopping Complex, the world’s largest duty-free center, has nearly 1 million square feet of designer and luxury boutiques, with more than 300 stores.

Afternoon

Be Surrounded by Flowers. One of the highlights inside Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park is the 2,800-acre Orchid Valley, which includes a footpath through the lush greenery of orchids, banyan trees and Chinese wisteria, as well as a floral workshop and a teahouse. When the neighboring Rose Valley is in season, visitors can whizz through the colorful, scent-filled growing fields on electric carts, then purchase rose-scented fragrances and other products at the flower plantation’s mercantile.

Face Your Fears. Another feature inside the forest park is the Dragon Chain rope bridge — at 550 feet long and 130 feet above the forest floor, it’s the longest, highest suspension bridge in Hainan. It’s also referred to as the Lovers Bridge, but this time it’s because legend says if couples walk it hand in hand, they’ll be together forever.

Evening

Luxuriate and Reinvigorate. The three-hour Ocean Escape journey at The Ritz-Carlton Spa Sanya, Yalong Bay includes a foot ritual, a full-body exfoliation with natural sea salts, a detoxification wrap with marine mud, and an aromatherapy massage that uses heated shells to radiate warmth and heat throughout the muscles. After your private butler drives you back to your oceanfront villa, you’ll drift off to sleep a new person.

Morning

Tour the Terrain. Reserve bicycles and start your morning by pedaling along the paths that wend through the mangrove reserves and the sandy beaches that surround The Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Yalong Bay.

Midday

Admire the Beauty of Buddhism. The verdant hills of the Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone create an incredible background for the 10-acre Buddhist temple and its architecture, garden and statues. Admire the 13-foot-tall gold and jade Kwan-yin statue, gilded with 221 pounds of gold and silver and adorned with 120 carats of South African diamonds as well as rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls and jade. And marvel at the 354-foot-tall copper statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin — the third-tallest statue in the world — which has three “aspects” facing different directions, so as to bless the entire world.

Afternoon

See the Lovers Rock. The two giant boulders at Tianya Haijiao were, according to legend, once young lovers who were pursued by agents sent by their families, who disapproved of their elopement. During a thunderstorm they jumped into the sea here — called “the End of the Earth” for its location as the farthest point south in China — and a flash of lightning transformed them into stone. They stand today as a symbol of eternal and faithful love — so much so that many couples are wed here.

Evening

Snap a Stunning Sunset Shot. The 12-mile Coconut Dream Walk is one of the few uninterrupted spots along the beaches of Sanya, which lends itself to, well, dreamy sunset views, with sandy beaches and coconut palms.

Climb High for Love. Marvel at the 39-foot-high granite centerpiece statue at Luhuitou Peak Park that represents a legendary pair of lovers — an intrepid hunter and a fairy who transformed herself into a deer to enchant him. Add your ribbon of love to the branches of a tree marked with the vow hai shi shan meng (“each other”), then admire the views of the sparkling city lights and sea below.

Toast Your Trip. Finish your trip with a delightful dinner and drinks at Sand, with views of Yalong Bay Beach. Opt for any of the locally caught seafood on the menu, including red snapper, grouper, prawns and lobster.

Morning

See the Village People.  Members of the indigenous Miao and Li minority groups still weave brocades, play nose flutes and live native lifestyles at Bing Lang Gu. Learn from local guides about

the groups’ tattooing traditions and folk art (and take the not-so-native zip-line to travel one village to the next).

Afternoon

Bridge the Gap. The lush forests of Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park are home to wild pigs, chameleons and more than 100 types of birds. Traverse the Dragon Chain rope bridge — 550 feet long, 130 feet above the forest floor — and find the mountaintop Longxingtianxia dragon sculpture.

Evening

Wind Down in the Water.  Relax on the white-sand beaches of Yalong Bay National Resort, one of the most picturesque places in Hainan province. The water’s extra-clear here, too, which makes it an ideal location for daytime snorkeling and scuba diving, as well.

Morning

Admire Buddhist Beauty. The Nanshan Temple was completed in 1998 — the 2,000th anniversary of Buddhism in China. Among the highlights: a 354-foot-tall copper statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin — taller than the Statue of Liberty — and a golden jade Kwan-yin statue, covered with 221 pounds of gold and silver and laden with South African diamonds and other jewels.

Afternoon

Discover Taoist Traditions. Explore the statues and natural wonders at Taoist Fairyland Park. Sanya’s oldest attraction dates back to 1187, when it was considered a home of gods. Today, the park includes a natural history museum and the verdant South Mountain, which has more than 30,000 “longevity pine” trees, many of which are more than 1,000 years old.

Evening

Go to the “End of the Earth.” Legend says the two giant boulders at Tianya Haijiao were once young lovers who jumped into the sea to avoid their disapproving families. The region’s name means “end of the sky and corner of the sea,” after the early belief that this was the edge of the world.

Morning

Explore Monkey Island. Take China’s longest oversea gondola for the ride to Nanwan Monkey Island. The 247-acre nature preserve is home to thousands of macaques. Many are so acclimated to people that they’ll accept treats.

Afternoon

Hit the Beach. The butterfly-shaped Wuzhizhou Island offers white-sand beaches and protected coral reefs, perfect for surfing, snorkeling and swimming. Landlubbers can explore Sunrise Rock, Lovers Bridge, Gold Turtle Stretching Toward the Sea and a temple for the goddess Matsu.

Evening

Abandon Your Duties. The world’s largest duty-free store, Haitang Bay International Shopping Complex has nearly 1 million square feet of designer and luxury boutiques — more than 300 stores in total.

Morning

Go Spelunking. A pair of large stalactites protrude from the ceiling of Luobi Cave, a 60-foot-tall cavern with wall carvings from the 1200s, and human fossils that date back 11,000 years. (Legend has it that anyone who comes in contact with the stalactites’ dripping water will become a talented writer.)

Afternoon

Submerse Yourself. Take a trek in a semi-submarine at Yalong Bay Undersea World and watch the tropical marine life flit past your windows about 7 feet underwater. Or strap on a pressure resistant helmed with its own oxygen supply and walk through vibrant coral reefs.

Evening

Get in the Swing of Things. The 18-hole Yalong Bay Golf Club, designed by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, has been named one of the top 10 courses in China. Kids 16 and under can take advantage of the free 26-tee driving range, too.

Morning

Put It in Park. The views inside Luhuitou Peak Park are almost as stunning as the sights of the city and sea that stretch out below its hillside perch. Its centerpiece statue represents a legendary pair of lovers — an intrepid hunter and a fairy who transformed herself into a deer to enchant him.

Afternoon

Market Daze. Have lunch prepared before your eyes at Chunyuan Seafood Square, the open-air market where vendors sell everything from shrimp to sea urchins, snapper to scallops.

Be a Lounge Act. After all that exploring, it’s time to relax! Choose a pool from the four options at The Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Yalong Bay — will it be the beachfront infinity-edge pool, one of the lagoon pools with cabanas, or the Ritz Kids pool with slides and water sprayers?

Evening

An All-star Ending. Forbes Travel Guide calls Sofia “Sanya’s one and only notable Italian restaurant,” which confirms it as an ideal place for your final dinner in the city. Then walk down to Sand beach bar and toast your vacation.