1 MACKINAC ISLAND MICHIGAN Step back in time when you stay on Mackinac, off Michigan’s coast in Lake Huron. Reached by ferry, the quaint island is car-free so you can only get around by walking, renting a bike and taking a horse-drawn taxi or carriage. You can also hire a horse or rent a horse and buggy to drive yourself. Expect historic hotels with world-renowned chefs to quaint little eateries full of personality. Don't leave the island without trying some famous Mackinac Island fudge. 2 AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA A barrier island in the far north-east of the Sunshine State this genteel Southern Belle has seen eight different flags flying over it. You will find 13 miles of unspoilt and uncrowded beaches, pristine nature, luxury beachside resorts – some with golf – and fascinating history, particularly in vibrant downtown Fernandina Beach. In the centre of the island, Egan's Creek Greenway is a new protected 300-acre oasis of marsh landscape with walking and bike trails and home to wildlife like alligators, snakes, marsh rabbits and many birds. 3 NANTUCKET ISLAND, MASSACHUSETTS Crescent-shaped Nantucket has a long seafaring history and has been attracting well-heeled tourists in summer since the 19th century. Today it’s a favourite holiday haunt with stunning sandy beaches, wildlife-rich areas, picture-postcard lighthouses, yacht-filled harbours and Nantucket town’s cobbled streets and cedar shingle-covered houses. 4 LANAII, HAWAII Hawaii’s smallest inhabited island offers a luxury escape with secluded beaches and activities that include off-road 4x4 tours, whalewatching, ziplining over a rainforest, snorkelling, diving, hiking, horse riding and golf. Lanaii is nine miles from Maui, but feels a world away. 5 ROANOKE ISLAND, NORTH CAROLINA Mystery shrouds Outer Banks island Roanoke, where 115 English settlers disappeared soon after founding a colony in 1587. The Fort Raleigh National Historic Site marks the colony’s location, while the Roanoke Island Festival Park tells their story with interactive exhibits and replicas. Other attractions include the North Carolina Aquarium, nature trails and charming towns with local shops, dockside restaurants and art galleries. 6 ISLA DE VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO This tropical speck off the east coast of Puerto Rico has amazing pure white and soft black beaches. However, it is most visited for Mosquito Bay on its south coast, which is recognised as having the brightest bioluminescence waters in the world by Guinness World Records . Best experienced during a new moon, you can see the magical natural phenomenon, which sees organisms produce bursts of bright blue light, on kayak and motorboat tours. Wild horses roam the countryside, much of which is preserved as the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge. main image: Manele Golf Course on Lanai, Hawaii Inset: Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, a summer destination with dune-backed beaches SIX OF THE BEST U.S. Islands visitusa.org.uk 61
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