Amelia Island, FL

Located just off the coast of northeast Florida, Amelia Island is easy to reach, but hard to forget.

With 13 miles of beautiful beaches, abundant native wildlife, and pristine waters, this barrier island has long been a beloved destination for visitors and residents alike.

Amelia Island is part of the Sea Islands chain of barrier islands, on the U.S. state of Florida’s Atlantic coast.

It has a history of Spanish, French, British and American rule.

Today it’s a popular holiday destination known for its luxury resorts, golf courses and numerous sandy beaches. Main Beach Park has sand dunes, a boardwalk and public sports and recreation facilities.

Best Hotels on Amelia Island, FL
Omni Amelia Island Resort
The Villas of Amelia Island
The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Hilton Head Island, SC

Hilton Head Island is part of the Low-country region in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It’s known for Atlantic Ocean beaches and golf courses.

The Harbour Town Lighthouse and Museum marks the southwest tip.

The Coastal Discovery Museum features heritage buildings, trees and themed gardens.

Between the island and mainland, the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge salt marsh hosts deer, alligators and birds.

Best Hotels on Hilton Head Island, SC
Montage Palmetto Bluff
Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa

Nantucket, MA

Nantucket is better known as a refined vacation destination. And it’s becoming more posh by the year.

Located about 30 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, this tiny island relishes its isolation, beckoning to the upper-crust prepsters and Northeastern bluebloods looking for a summer escape.  

Nantucket welcomes other visitors as well, as long as they’re willing to splurge.

Room rates and dinner plates are quite pricey, but some of the most popular island activities can be experienced on the cheap.

After all, a proper Nantucket visit is about riding through the cobblestone streets on your rental bike or lazing about on the shore with a beach-time read.

So pack your swimsuit and leave your car at the ferry docks: It’s time to escape the mainland. 

Nantucket, a tiny, isolated island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is a summer destination with dune-backed beaches.

It’s marked by unpainted cedar-shingled buildings, many surrounded by manicured privets.

The wharves and cobblestoned streets of the Town of Nantucket are lined with restaurants, high-end boutiques and steepled churches.

The town’s Whaling Museum recounts the island’s role as a 19th-century whaling hub. ― Google

Best Hotels on Nantucket, MA
White Elephant
The Nantucket Hotel & Resort
Hotel Pippa

Maui, HI

Maui is an island in the Central Pacific, part of the Hawaiian archipelago.

Sprawling Haleakala National Park encompasses the island’s highest peak, volcanic Haleakala, as well as the pools and waterfalls of Ohe’o Gulch, accessed via scenic, winding Hana Highway.

The island’s 30 miles of beaches include golden-crescent Kapalua, sheltered from strong currents by lava-rock promontories.

Maui is not nearly as large as the Big Island, nor is it as small as Lanai, as bustling as Oahu or as quiet as Kauai.

For many Hawaii vacationers, Maui is just right – offering a taste of just about everything the Aloha State has to offer, from impressive wildlife to intriguing history and culture.

While on a visit here, you can shimmy alongside professional hula dancers, golf along coastal fairways, sail down a zip line, snorkel alongside five different types of sea turtles or simply lounge along some of Hawaii’s most notable beaches.

One of the archipelago’s most popular tourism spots, Maui can be found sandwiched between the Big Island and the much tinier Molokai (which you can explore by signing up for one of the best Maui tours).

Maui is divided into five distinct regions: Many travelers base themselves along the coasts of South Maui (home to the famous Wailea Beach) or West Maui, where the sands of Kaanapali Beach and the music from the Old Lahaina Luau are located. But the rest of the island should not be missed.

Travel along the Road to Hana to experience East Maui’s scenic coastline, explore Haleakala – the world’s largest dormant volcano – in the Upcountry and discover the former tribal battlegrounds of Central Maui’s Iao Valley State Park.

And for a bird’s-eye view of it all, reserve a spot on one of Maui’s best helicopter tours.

Best Hotels in Maui
Montage Kapalua Bay
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
Hotel Wailea

Big Island, Kona, HI

Kailua-Kona is a town on the west coast of Hawaii Island (the Big Island).

Colorful coral lies off Kamakahonu Beach.

Kailua Pier has boat moorings.

The sunny Kona District stretches almost two-thirds of the entire West side of the island of Hawaii—from just south of ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (Waikoloa Beach Resort) to Manukā Park (Kaʻū).

Along this expansive area, you’ll find everything from coffee farms to historic Hawaiian landmarks. 

Other significant historic places include Kealakekua Bay to the south, where Captain James Cook first set foot on the island in 1778 and where he was eventually killed.

South of Kealakekua Bay is Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, a well-restored Hawaiian “place of refuge.” North of Kailua-Kona is the Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historic Park, a 1160-acre park that lets you explore early heiau (temples), fishponds and petroglyphs.

Shielded from winds by Maunaloa, south Kona’s calm and clear waters are perfect for snorkeling, diving, sailing and spotting dolphins and honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles).

One of Kona’s most memorable experiences is going on a manta ray boat tour to scuba or snorkel with these gentle, graceful sea creatures.

Kona is also famous for its deep-sea fishing, hosting the International Billfish Tournament (August) every year.

Best Hotels on Kona, HI
White Elephant
The Nantucket Hotel & Resort
Hotel Pippa

Marco Island, FL

Marco Island is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico off Southwest Florida, linked to the mainland by bridges south of the city of Naples.

Marco, the largest of Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, is tucked away in the Gulf of Mexico.

It is a small, comfortable Island, 6 miles by 4 miles, linked to the mainland by two bridges.

It’s home to resort hotels, beaches, marinas and golf courses, as well as a network of inland waterways.

A long, sandy beach covers most of the west coast, with resort hotels in the south.

Tigertail Beach Park has a tidal lagoon, popular for kayaking and paddle boarding.

Best Hotels on Marco, FL
Marco Beach Ocean Resort
View all Photos
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
The Charter Club of Marco Beach
Club Regency of Marco Island

Santa Catalina Island, CA

Santa Catalina, one of California’s Channel Islands, lies southwest of Los Angeles. It’s known for its wildlife, dive sites and Mt. Orizaba, its highest peak.

The resort town of Two Harbors lies to the north.

To the south, in the city of Avalon, palm trees and cabanas line Descanso Beach. Avalon’s circular, art deco Catalina Casino is a cultural center with a movie theater, ballroom and museum.

Swaying palms, white-sand beaches, and melt-your-heart sunsets—that’s what you’ll find at island getaway Santa Catalina Island, just 22 miles off the Southern California coast.

Catalina, as everyone calls it, has all the elements you want in an island retreat—appealing lodgings, tempting seafood restaurants, beachy splendor, and family-friendly water sports.

But you’ll also discover the unexpected, including a star-studded history—Marilyn Monroe lived here—exotic gardens, and even a wine estate.

Climb aboard the Catalina Express passenger ferry for the one-hour ride across the sea from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Dana Point, or take the Catalina Flyer from Newport Beach.

Or, splurge on a 15-minute helicopter ride from various Southern California locations to quickly soar over the Pacific Ocean to Avalon (island tours are also available).

Once you arrive, get around with rented golf carts or bikes, or just amble around on foot to explore the town of Avalon, play along Descanso Beach, or stroll down bustling Green Pleasure Pier, home to the Catalina Island Visitors Center, several restaurants, and other activities.

There’s also a taxi stand in the center of town, and a fixed-route bus service runs regularly in the summer, plus weekends in the off season.

Catalina Island is a favorite spot for those in love with the outdoors and water sports, but the island also offers some exceptional dining experiences.

Enjoy fresh seafood—on this island, restaurants often catch their own fish—at places like the NDMK Fish House and The Bluewater Grill in Avalon, or, in Two Harbors, Harbor Reef Restaurant.

Best Hotels on Santa Catalina, CA
Aurora Hotel
Hotel Metropole
Hotel Vista Del Mar
Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel

Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, sits in the Atlantic just south of Cape Cod.

A longtime New England summer colony, it encompasses harbor towns and lighthouses, sandy beaches and farmland. It’s accessible only by boat or air.

Vineyard Haven, on the eastern end, is a ferry port and the island’s commercial center.

Rustic farmland. Pristine beaches framed by windswept dunes.

Seaside towns aglow with periwinkle hydrangeas.

This bucolic New England island, just 40 minutes from Cape Cod and accessible only by plane or ferry, feels as remote as it is luxuriously slow-paced.

Oak Bluffs has Carpenter Gothic cottages and an iconic carousel.

Best Hotels on Martha’s Vineyard, MA
The Harbor View Hotel
Winnetu Oceanside Resort
The Charlotte Inn
The Hob Knob
The Christopher