Chapter 4: Island Escapes

142

Waiheke Island

Auckland’s Offshore Jewel

Auckland, New Zealand

You could do it as a day trip, really; Waiheke Island is just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland by ferry. Plenty of Waiheke islanders commute into the city each day, and plenty of Aucklanders buzz out here for an afternoon of fun and sun.

But once you’re here, why not kick back and stay awhile? Though it’s only 19km (12 miles) long, hilly Waiheke Island is New Zealand’s third-most-populous island, after the North and South islands, which means it’s a sophisticated retreat—no roughing-it required. Though most of the attractions are clustered on the more populous western end, the island’s just big enough to present a challenge for those who didn’t bring their cars over on the car ferry (and that’s a lot of visitors, given how tough it is to get car-ferry reservations at peak travel times). The trick is to figure out what you’re interested in, because there are many different sides to cultured Waiheke.

There’s art, for example—several artists have made the island their home, giving it a distinctly Bohemian vibe; grab a copy of the Waiheke Island Art Map from the visitor center to find out which ones welcome visitors to their studios. Or check out some of the award-winning wineries that take advantage of Waiheke’s Mediterranean-like climate—most of them also have excellent restaurants attached (get a comprehensive list at www.waihekewine.co.nz). Weekend winery tours at Stonyridge (80 Onetangi Rd.; 64/9/372-8822; www.stonyridge.com Te Whau Vineyard & Restaurant (218 Te Whau Dr.; 64/9/372-7191; www.tewhau.com and Passage Rock Wines & Restaurant (438 Orapiu Rd.; 64/9/372-7257; www.passagerockwines.co.nz) come highly recommended. And where there’s wine, there’s bound to be olive oil—discover the superb extra-virgin stuff at Rangihoua Estate (1 Gordons Rd., Rocky Bay; 64/9/372-6214; www.rangihoua.co.nz). If you’re a history nut, you can explore all the layers of Waiheke’s history, from the old Maori settlement site at the Waiheke Island Historic Village & Museum (165 Onetangi Rd.; 64/9/372-7143) to the World War II gun emplacements and tunnels at Stony Batter (Man O’ War Bay Rd.).

Previous: Lewis Farm on Block Island. Above: The ferry to Waiheke Island.

Almost half of Waiheke’s 90km (56 miles) of coastline is beach, and we’re talking fine white sand here. The longest, and probably the best, is stunning Onetangi Bay, where you can swim and surf in crystal-clear water with views as far as the eye can see. Little Oneroa, near the main shopping town of Oneroa, is another popular beach; for more of a wilderness setting, try the crescent-shaped beach of Whakanewha Regional Park, where the warm shallow waters are great for kids. (The nearby wetlands are great for bird-watching as well.) The rocky cove of Blackpool attracts kayakers, Putiki Bay gets the boating crowd, and Surfdale is a top location for, you guessed it, surfers. —HH

Tourist office, Artworks Courtyard, Oneroa ( 64/9/372-2941; www.waihekenz.com).

Auckland.

Matiatia, 35 min. from Pier 2, Auckland; car ferry from Half Moon Bay to Kennedy Point on Waiheke.

$ Midway Motel, 1 Whakaite Rd., Ostend ( 64/9/372-8023; www.waihekemotel.co.nz). $$$ Te Whau Lodge, 36 Vintage Lane, Te Whau Point ( 64/9/372-2288; www.tewhaulodge.co.nz).

tour Ananda Tours ( 64/9/372-7530 or 64/27/233-4565; www.ananda.co.nz). Fullers ( 64/9/367-9111; www.fullers.co.nz). Jaguar Tours ( 64/9/372-7312; www.waihekejaguartours.co.nz).

143

Sandhamn

Yachters & Stockholm Day-Trippers

Stockholm, Sweden

A city of islands itself, Stockholm is just the beginning of an archipelago that stretches eastward to the Baltic Sea, with thousands of skerries and islets; some are large and densely inhabited, some are developed for tourism, and many are just rocky outcroppings to sail around. But among the Swedish capital’s extensive collection of islands, there is one summer resort that is beloved above all others: Sandhamn. “Sand Harbor,” as the name translates in English, lies at the eastern edge of the archipelago, a 2-hour boat ride from Stockholm. For the boaters of the region, Sandhamn is synonymous with sailing, as many summer weekends see important and glamorous regattas take to the waters off the island. But for non-yachters simply looking for a day trip or weekend getaway from the city, little Sandhamn is also just an idyllic place with a slow pace and rustic nature.

Technically, this barely 3-sq.-km (11⁄4-sq.-mile) island is called Sandön, but everyone calls it by the name of the marina and village, Sandhamn. From June to September, the 350-boat harbor is often filled to capacity, the biggest weekend being the Gotland Runt (Round Gotland Race, the most prestigious in the Baltic) at the beginning of July. Typically Swedish clapboard architecture lines the harbor, where the charming hotels and cafes are always abuzz with summer residents or day-trippers waiting for the boat back to Stockholm. Among the village’s restaurants, Sandhamns Värdshus is one of the most popular, with an alfresco wooden deck overlooking the port.

Head away from the water, and Sandhamn town quickly fades away to lovely pine groves crisscrossed by flat walking and biking paths. Here and there, set discreetly among the trees like set pieces in an Ikea country-living spread, are the summer cottages of those lucky enough to own property here. Though they were once affordable, even the most diminutive resort homes on Sandhamn now cost hundreds of thousands of euros. Still, Sandhamn is refreshingly not a glitzy or exclusive-feeling place. Everyone, from the Swedish super-rich to mere mortals, gets around on foot or bicycle, and every outing is invigorated by the fresh scent of pines.

The sand- and pine-fringed shores of Sandhamn have some of the best beaches in the Stockholm archipelago, but the favorite spot for sunbathing and swimming is a beach called Trouville on the southern side of the island, about a 15-minute walk from Sandhamn town. Even in the height of summer, however, the waters of the Baltic Sea remain cold; many Swedes brave the low temperature and swim anyway, while visitors from warmer climates may find the water too frigid to take the plunge. Locals have a jokingly disparaging term for them—badkruka (“bath pot”)—and this epithet is to be avoided at all costs: I suggest you brace yourself and jump in. —SM

www.sandhamn.se or www.sandhamn.com.

Stockholm Arlanda.

From Stockholm (Strandvägen), Waxholmsbolaget, 2 hr. ( 46/8/6795830; www.waxholmsbolaget.se).

$$$ Sands Hotell, 130 39 Sandhamn ( 46/8/57153020; ww.sandshotell.se).

144

Seurasaari

Museum Among the Woods

Helsinki, Finland

In 1890, this Helsinki island’s woods, wetlands, and rocky slopes became a public park. It was at this immediately popular picnic and party spot that Finns got their first exposure to such summertime staples as fireworks and ice cream. But Seurasaari saw its most important development as a recreational area in 1909, with the inauguration of the Seurasaaren Ulkomuseo (Seurasaari Open-Air Museum). Based on the model of the Skansen open-air park in Stockholm (see Djurgården ), Seurasaari’s characteristic Scandinavian landscape became home to dozens of examples of historic Finnish architecture, folksy wooden structures that were moved here in their entirety from every region of Finland.

The capital of Finland is not an urban jungle to begin with: Even central Helsinki is sprinkled with plenty of parks and green areas. Seurasaari, then, removed from downtown by a mere 5km (3 miles) but never inhabited, feels positively rural. Before its incarnation as a park, in fact, the island was known as Fölisö (Foul Island, as it was a grounds for grazing animals whose stink could get pretty rank). The animals are long gone, and year-round—it’s enchantingly deserted in winter—visitors can stroll beneath the bowers of pines and spruces and enjoy the quiet of peaceful Seurasaari. Summer, however, is the only time when it’s possible to enter the 87 transplanted farmsteads, churches, and traditional houses of the Open-Air Museum. Seurasaari is at its most festive during the Midsummer celebration (dates vary, but in 2010, it’s June 25), with traditional crafts displays, folk dancing, and music performances. Every year, one newlywed couple is chosen to light the huge bonfire along the coast of Seurasaari, igniting the main event of this island’s Midsummer party.

Celebrants at a Seurasaari festival.

The warm weather and long-light season is also when Helsinkiers take to Seurasaari with provisions in tow for lazy picnics, whether on the island’s Baltic beaches or on the smooth rock slopes that seem tailor-made for lounging. Most beachgoers wear bathing suits on Seurasaari, but it may be worth knowing that the island has a nudist beach—one of only three in Finland—though the men’s and women’s areas are strictly separated. Finns are known for their daredevil winter swims, and on Seurasaari they can find a patch in the ice, equipped with a swimming platform and ladder, where they can make like polar bears and plunge into the frigid sea. Unfortunately, the “traditional sauna” building of the Open-Air Museum is not available to them afterward!

Until the construction of the wooden Seurasaari bridge in the 1890s (connecting the island to the Meilahti district of Helsinki), boats were the only means of transport here. In summer, ferries still run between central Helsinki’s Market Square and Seurasaari. —SM

www.hel.fi or www.nba.fi/en/seurasaari_openairmuseum.

Helsinki (6km/33⁄4 miles).

From Market Square (Kauppatori), 15 min.

$$$ Hotel Glo, Kluuvikatu 4 ( 358/9/5840-9540; www.palacekamp.fi).

145

Ponza

Roman Summer Holiday

Rome, Italy

Ask any hip Roman what’s the best nearby island to escape to in summer, and you’ll get the same answer over and over: Ponza. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone, even among seasoned Italy travelers. While the more famous islands of Capri and Ischia , to the south, are well known to foreign tourists, Ponza has been the insider domain of Italians for decades, untainted by mass tourism. Surrounded by calm emerald waters, crescent-shaped Ponza is an island of striking natural beauty, from its lizard-like contours to its moonscape-y rock formations. All over the island, yellow broom and prickly pear flourish on verdant hillsides. And thanks to Ponza’s ancient roots—it’s believed to be the island where Circe detained Odysseus in the Odyssey—there are some fascinating archaeological remains here that you won’t find, or be able to explore quite as casually, anywhere else in Italy.

While there’s a definite upscale feel here, the island’s style is resolutely simple and low-key. You won’t find any ritzy hotels or glitzy nightclubs, no megayachts or high-end shopping, no ambitious gourmet restaurants, and not even much English spoken—and that’s exactly the way regular visitors and year-round ponzese residents like it. Most accommodations are summer villas or apartments that vacationers either own or rent for weeks at a time, though for shorter stays, there are a few hotels and B&Bs. Restaurants are folksy and family-friendly, serving fresh seafood caught by local fishermen.

Spectacular Chiaia di Luna beach is the crown jewel of Ponza’s natural attractions (accessed from the port via one of the many ancient Roman tunnels on the island). Its name, “half-moon,” refers as much to the curve of the bay here as to the stunning and very lunar-looking wall of limestone that towers 200m (656 ft.) above the beach. Shaded by the rock wall in the morning and enjoying full sun all afternoon, Chiaia di Luna is Ponza’s most popular beach and one of the few on the island with a broad stretch of sand.

A bus connects the port with the island’s other inhabited areas, but the ideal way to experience Ponza is to rent a small rubber motorboat (gommone): There are dozens of rental outfits, and it’s a hassle-free affair given the safe sea conditions and Italy’s lax attitude toward liability. Rudder in hand, you can explore the enchanting coves and promontories of Ponza’s squiggly coast at your own pace. Navigate your way around Spaccapurpi (a natural arch that looks uncannily like a pair of pants), and then drop anchor at Cala Felce, a tiny, secluded beach with shallow, crystalline waters perfect for swimming. When seas are calm, you can set your gommone on full throttle and zip over to the nearby island of Palmarola, whose virgin coves and sea grottoes make for beatific bobbing under the Mediterranean sun. Before bringing your boat back into port, don’t miss Ponza’s Grotte di Pilato, a series of arched caves where an ingenious Roman-era murenario (eel traps and tanks) is preserved.

Besides boating, swimming, and taking in the beauty of the island, the “action” on Ponza centers around the picturesque port, where people who all seem to know each other stop for a caffè freddo (iced espresso) or grab a seat on the orange stucco wall above the harbor to watch the comings and goings of ferries. For the younger crowd, the de rigueur social activity is hopping on a shuttle boat from the port to the beach at Frontone for loud music and cocktails at sunset. —SM

www.ponza.com.

Rome-Leonardo da Vinci (67km/42 miles to Anzio).

Caremar ( 39/081/3172999; www.caremar.it) operates several boats June–Sept from Anzio. 2 hr.

$$$ La Limonaia a Mare B&B, Via Dragonara ( 39/077/180511; www.ponza.com/limonaia).

146

Isla Taboga

Away from the Masses

Panama City, Panama

Visitors to bustling Panama City have long drifted over to fragrant Isla Taboga, which is just a 19km (12-mile) ferry ride from the city. Known as the “Island of Flowers,” for its abundance of bougainvillea, hibiscus, and jasmine, it’s a great place to unwind and spend a day on the beach. The ferry ride over is a treat in itself: It offers great views of Panama City and ships waiting to transit the canal.

No cars are allowed on the island, but it’s only 4km (21⁄2 miles) long, so most of its 1,000 residents get around by foot or golf carts. It’s a short walk from the beach to the fishing village of San Pedro, where you’ll find a few restaurants and hotels. The most famous attraction here is the Iglesia San Pedro, the second-oldest church in the western hemisphere, located in the center of town. Throughout the town, you’ll find shrines devoted to the Virgen del Carmen, the patron saint of fishermen throughout Latin America. There are a few other historic buildings and ruins nearby, but most of the island comprises the simple homes of the island’s fishermen along with the weekend homes of Panama City residents. The west side of the island is devoted to the Taboga Wildlife Refuge that protects nesting brown pelicans, but it’s mostly off-limits to visitors.

History buffs should find Isla Tobago’s role in Panama’s development fascinating. The island was established in 1524, and became the starting point for conquistador Francisco Pizarro on his way to conquering Peru. In the 17th century, the island was the haunt of treasure-seeking pirates, including famous Welsh buccaneer Henry Morgan. Evidence of pirate booty was found in 1998, when more than 1,000 silver coins dating to the 17th century were unearthed. In the 19th century, the island became a port for the Pacific Steamship Navigation Company, which attracted hundreds of Irish immigrants. It also played host to painter Paul Gauguin in 1887 and was a training ground for the U.S. military during World War II.

If you’d like to get into the water and explore, most of the hotels here will rent snorkel gear. The best beach is Playa Restinga, in front of the old Hotel Taboga (now closed), going past the pier after the end of town. Like all beaches on the island, this beach is free; the best time to visit is during the weekday since it gets more “crowded” during the weekend. Getting here is easy anytime, however: Just hop a ferry from Panama City and you’ll be away from it all in less than an hour. —JD

www.taboga.panamanow.com.

Panama City.

The Calypso Queen and The Calypso Princess ( 507/314-1730). 45 min. from the Isla Naos pier on the Amador Causeway.

$$ Cerrito Tropical, Tobago ( 507/6489-0074; www.cerritotropicalpanama.com $$ Vereda Tropical Hotel, Tobago ( 507/250-2154; www.veredatropicalhotel.com).

147

Ile d’Orléans

The Market-Garden of Québec

Québec City, Canada

As urban centers go, Québec City is already remarkably quaint. Still, when its denizens want to trade its picturesque alleys, fortresses, and castles for a more rural storybook setting, where do they go? Downriver to Ile d’Orléans. Whether it’s biking the island’s perimeter and taking in majestic vistas of the St. Lawrence River, or stopping at family-run farms to pick fresh fruit, Ile d’Orléans offers day-trippers a real back-to-the-farm experience, with plenty of scenery and recreation thrown in for good measure.

Lying within easy striking distance (20km/12 miles east) of Québec City, the island sits in the middle of the St. Lawrence River like a giant pair of lips. Its surface, 34km (21 miles) long by 6km (33⁄4 miles) wide, is a patchwork of long, slatlike farm plots that make it the primary market source for Québec City’s gourmet food shops and farm-to-table restaurants. Against the Technicolor blues of sky and river, the green and golden fields yield grains for bread and cereal, plus seasonal fruit like apples and strawberries, and maple trees for—what else?—all things maple, the official flavor of Québec. The island is circumscribed by the Chemin Royal, or “royal road” (Rte. 368), and the classic excursion involves driving or biking along the road, pulling over at any farm stand that looks tempting. Ile d’Orléans is divided into six villages, of which three—Saint-Jean, Saint-Laurent, and Sainte-Pétronille—are regularly listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of Québec. Near the westernmost village of Sainte-Pétronille, a lookout point affords marvelous views of the Québec City area’s most celebrated natural attraction, Montmorency Falls, just across the river.

The Huron nation knew Ile d’Orléans as Minigo, and explorer Jacques Cartier, who set foot here in 1535, dubbed it Ile de Bacchus—after the Roman god of wine—for its abundance of wild grapes. Later it was renamed Ile d’Orléans in honor of the then king of France. The island was one of the first parts of Québec to be settled by the French, and an astonishing number of French Canadians today can trace their ancestry to the early western inhabitants of Ile d’Orléans.

Until 1935, the island was reachable only by ferry. Although ferries still run from the Québec City docks, nowadays drivers can easily reach the island by crossing over the Pont de l’Ile (also known as the Taschereau Bridge). Though the island is now less isolated, the stewards of the island’s culture have done an outstanding job of preserving the long-standing traditions here—Ile d’Orléans really does feel like a step back in time. —SM

Tourist office: 490, côte du Pont, Saint-Pierre-de-l’Ile-d’Orléans ( 418/828-9411; www.iledOrleans.com).

Québec City–Jean Lesage.

15km (91⁄3 miles) west of Québec City.

$$ B&B Dans les Bras de Morphée, 225, chemin Royal, Saint-Jean-de-l’Ile-d’Orléans ( 418/829-3792; www.danslesbrasdemorphee.com $$$ Dominion 1912, 126 rue Saint-Pierre, Québec City ( 888/833-5253 in the U.S., or 418/692-2224; www.hoteldominion.com).

Island Hopping the Faroe Islands: Nordic Retreats

The Faroe Islands lie in the heart of the Gulf Stream about halfway between Scotland and Iceland. Its archipelago of 18 islands—an autonomous province of Denmark—covers over 1,295 sq. km (500 sq. miles), much of it coastline; so it’s not surprising that the primary occupation of its inhabitants is fishing. These slow-paced, relaxing islands are rocky, with low peaks and cliffs dominating the coastline, and are home to wildlife like puffins and fulmars. Its original residents were believed to be Gaelic hermit monks who arrived in the 6th century, introducing sheep and oat cultivation. Norsemen followed about 100 years later and their mark is felt in the Faroese language, which is rooted in Old Norse and spoken here in addition to English.

Vágar Island is the first island you’ll see upon arriving in the Faroes by plane, as it hosts the airport. Visitors are greeted by breathtaking vistas as they approach the island, including great views of the quaint village of Sørvágur. Vagar connects with many other Faroe islands through a tunnel under the Vestmanna sound, which makes it a great home base. (Islands not served by the tunnel have car-ferry connections, so it’s easy to hop around all of them by car.) Vagar means “bays” and gets its name from three bays that surround its villages, the most famous being Sandavágur, the best preserved ancient village in the chain. The church of Sandavágur is home to a stone bearing 13th-century runes, an artifact of the island chain’s Viking past.

Eysturoy Island is the second-largest island in the chain and is often referred to as the only bridge over the Atlantic, spanning the channel of Sundani to connect with the island of Streymoy (see below). The rugged landscape boasts over 60 mountain peaks, including Slaettaratindur, the highest peak in the archipelago. A road barrels under the mountain leading to the quaint village of Eiôi, which is situated on an isthmus granting fantastic views of Slaettaratindur. The village of Oyndarfjørôur here is primarily known as a hiking site but is also home to a beautiful church that features an altarpiece by Danish painter Eckersberg.

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

The largest island in this chain, Streymoy Island is divided into southern and northern regions. The capital city of Tórshavn is located in the south, and began as a Viking settlement. A walk through the capital’s narrow streets, dotted with tiny black-tarred houses, is like a trip back into the Middle Ages. A visit to the Faroese Natural History Museum (V. U. Hammershaimbs gøta 13; & 298/31-23-06) and the open-air museum Føroya Fornminnissavn (& 298/31-07-00; www.natmus.fo) in the nearby village of Hoyvík are both great places to put what you’re seeing into perspective. Northern Streymoy is broad and mountainous. It’s known for Fossa, the highest waterfall in the Faroes, as well as the Vestmanna Birdcliffs—a prime spot to see puffins, guillemots, fulmars, and kittiwakes. A boat tour can take you through its grottos and narrow sounds; visit www.puffin.fo/en for info.

Suôuroy Island is on the southernmost tip of the archipelago, and its distance from the other islands has led to the development of a language and culture different from the rest of the Faroes. It is said that its people are more open and approachable than the other island inhabitants and its landscape is idyllic, with green hills and steep cliffs favored by birds. Like the other islands in the chain, its back faces the Atlantic, while the east opens onto fjords. It is home to many villages, notably Tvøroyri, which was at one time an important trading spot; its buildings have been rehabbed and now include a museum. You’ll also find tranquil fishing villages, some with lovely old churches. The village of Hov is rumored to be where Viking chieftain Havgrimur ruled, and it takes its name from his pagan alter where sacrifices were made. His grave is the only chieftain burial site on the islands.

Visitors can reach the last major island in this chain, Kalsoy Island, the traditional way, via a wooden mail boat that makes its way to the spectacular green mountains of this northern isle and small villages like picturesque Mikladalur, the home of several famous Faroese painters. —JD

e www.faroeislands.com.

( Vagar Airport.

KSyðradalur or Kalsoy. www.aferry.co.uk/faroe-islands-ferries-uk.htm.

L $ Hotel Bolid, Niels Finsensgota, 51, FO-100, Tórshavn, Streymoy (www.faroeislandshotels.com/hotelbolid.htm). $$ Hotel Streym, Yvirir vio Strond 19, FO-110, Tórshavn, Streymoy (& 298/35-55-00; www.hotelstreym.com).

153

Grand Isle

The Cajun Bahamas

Louisiana, U.S.

A few things you’ll notice as you swing off the causeway and onto the last stretch of Hwy. 1: seagulls circling and screeching overhead; brown pelicans perched on weathered pier posts; the pervasive odor of fish, from sport fishermen piling onto chartered boats at the crack of dawn to seafood restaurants frying and fricasseeing well into the night. Most of all, you’ll notice how many of the houses are built on stilts—a haunting reminder that the Gulf Coast is also a hurricane coast, and these barrier islands are always the first hit.

A delicate filigree of islands, bays, lakes, and bayous, the southern coast of Louisiana looks like it’s disintegrating into the Gulf of Mexico, and in fact Grand Isle is—it loses a serious amount of beach every season, though an aggressive beach replenishment scheme counters that loss. Like the rest of the Gulf Coast, Grand Isle took a battering in 2005 from Hurricane Katrina, but Grand Islers are stubborn folks, fiercely attached to this fragile strip of sand and marsh at the mouth of Barataria Bay; they rebuilt at once. Hurricane Gustav in 2008? Grand Isle took a licking and kept on ticking.

The only inhabited barrier island in Louisiana, with a current population of around 1,500, Grand Isle was first settled in the 1700s, with smugglers Jean and Pierre Lafitte among its early residents. In the 19th century it was a fashionable resort—the adulterous heroine of Kate Chopin’s 1899 novel The Awakening first met her lover while summering on Grand Isle. Today, however, it’s much more laid-back, a mecca for recreational and commercial fishermen, handily located only a couple of hours south of both New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Premier among its annual events is the Tarpon Rodeo, the nation’s oldest fishing tournament, which has been held every July since 1928. The island itself is 8 miles (13km) long; marinas and motels line the highway until it ends in 100-acre (40-hectare) Grand Isle State Park ( 985/787-2559 or 888/787-2559; www.crt.state.la.us/Parks), with its fine yellow beaches, fishing piers, nature trail, and campgrounds, on the eastern tip of the island.

With more than 280 species of fish swimming in its warm clear waters, Grand Isle is often listed as one of America’s top-10 fishing destinations. You can head out into the gulf for tarpon, sailfish, and marlins; surf-fish in the bay for speckled trout and redfish; or drop a line from the Old Fishin’ Bridge for croaker and drum. Those oil rigs off the coast? They may spoil the view, but the legs of the rigs shelter so many fish, the anglers aren’t complaining. Fishing is so popular that most local motels provide a fish-cleaning room, and have kitchenettes in the rooms as well as barbecue pits outdoors, so that guests can feast on the catch of the day. Even little kids get into the action, taking nets into the shallow waters to go crabbing. A fresh crab you just caught yourself makes a mighty fine dinner, after all. —HH

Tourist office, GI Port Commission Building ( 985/787-2997; www.grand-isle.com).

New Orleans.

95-mile (153km) drive from New Orleans.

$$ Cajun Tide Beach Resort, 3032 Hwy. 1 ( 985/787-4726; www.cajuntidebeachresort.com $$ Island Paradise Suites, 140 Coulon Rigaud Lane ( 985/787-7800; www.islandparadisesuite.com).

154

Kodiak Island

Bear Bonanza

Alaska, U.S.

Kodiak Island is sometimes referred to by Ireland’s nickname, “the emerald isle,” but that nickname doesn’t do this Alaskan island’s varied terrain justice. In reality, Kodiak is an island of contrasts where visitors can enjoy mountainous terrain in the north and east or travel the 100 miles (161km) to the southern end to find tundra, bushes, and grassland. As the second-largest island in the U.S. and home to one of the country’s largest and most remote National Wildlife Refuges—it encompasses two-thirds of the island’s available land—this is the perfect place to leave civilization behind and reconnect with nature.

The island was formed 20,000 years ago by shifting glaciers, which left jagged peaks and fjordlike valleys. Today, it is the busiest fishing port in the Gulf of Alaska, best known for its salmon and crab, and many of its 13,000 or so residents work in canneries. Some are members of the native Koniaga tribe, or descendents of Russian fur traders who appeared on the scene in the 18th century. Kodiak is also known for having the largest Coast Guard station in the U.S.

Kodiak’s biggest claim to fame, however, has to be the Kodiak bear, the world’s largest carnivore. One of these full-grown bears can grow up to 10 feet (3m) tall and weigh over 1,500 pounds. To count on seeing one of these big bears, you need to get out on a plane or boat and visit at the right time of year. The easiest way is on a Kodiak-based floatplane. Landing on the water, you don rubber boots and walk up to half an hour to get to where bears congregate. In early July to early August, depending on salmon runs, flights land on Frazer Lake for viewing at Frazer fish pass. A .75-mile (1.2km) walk on a dirt lane leads to the viewing area. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge ( 888/408-3514 or 907/487-2600; http://kodiak.fws.gov) controls the viewing area.

Bears on Kodiak Island.

Once you’re done ogling the island’s bears, you’ll find plenty of other activities on hand, from whale-watching to fishing to kayaking to simply lounging on one of Kodiak’s beaches. Top off your visit with a trip to the city of Kodiak (on the northeast part of the island), where you’ll find shops full of native art as well as Russian arts and crafts, and a couple of museums.

There are two ways to get to Kodiak: by air or ferry. It’s a 1-hour flight from Anchorage, or 10 hours by ferry from Homer. The ferry ride is an adventure in itself, as the boats make their way through the Barren Islands, sometimes chartering choppy waters along the way. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provides a naturalist on each ferry, so the trips are informative as well as scenic. Once on the island, most visitors opt to rent a car to get around. Driving through this beautiful wilderness is an experience you won’t forget. But don’t forget to get out of your car—it’s the best way to take in sightings of the island’s abundant wildlife. —JD

Kodiak Visitor Information Center, 100 E. Marine Way ( 800/789-4782 or 907/486-4782; http://kodiak.org).

Anchorage (251 miles/404km).

Tustumena and Kennicott, Alaska Marine Highway System ( 800/624-0066 or 907/486-3800; www.ferryalaska.com).

Best Western Kodiak Inn, 236 W. Rezanof Dr. ( 907/486-5712; www.kodiakinn.com $$ A Smiling Bear Bed & Breakfast, near Fort Abercrombie ( 907/481-6390).

tour Helios Sea Tours ( 907/486-5310; http://home.gci.net/~len/newhelios).

155

Isla Holbox

Swimming with Whales

Mexico

It’s only about an hour from the raucous beach party that is Cancun, but Holbox Island is everything Cancun is not. Pronounced “Hole-bush,” Holbox is a return to a slower, more leisurely time. The island has the feel of an old-fashioned Caribbean destination, where the streets are dusted with sand and fishermen head out at sunrise to bring in the day’s catch. Even though all that separates the island from mainland Mexico is a shallow lagoon, Holbox is a genuine escape from the long arms of civilization: The island has no banks, no ATMs, no high-rises, and no cars; the preferred mode of transportation is golf cart—head to a rentadora and pick out a shiny one for yourself. U.S. dollars and Mexican pesos rule; credit cards are taken only at the larger hotels and restaurants. The island’s one beach bar is set down in the sands in front of the Hotel Faro Viejo (av. Juárez y Playa S/N; http://faroviejoholbox.com), where you can watch the sun melt into oranges and pinks on the milky horizon.

A sandy strip of coral island off the northeastern corner of the Yucatán Peninsula where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea, Holbox Island has one village, also called Holbox, home to 1,600 residents. For years, this sleepy little backwater was an insular hideaway, home to a tight-knit population, descendants of pirates and Mayan Indians, and most of them fishermen. But all that may be changing. Tourists are coming to Holbox in increasing numbers not just for the laid-back lifestyle; they are coming to swim alongside the hundreds of migrating whale sharks that began showing up some six years ago. The largest fish in the ocean—it can grow to 15m (49 ft.) long and weigh 10 tons—whale sharks have found the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico a hospitable summer feeding and mating ground. Swimming with these gentle giants is the undersea equivalent of a day on Holbox: quiet, dreamy, and positively reinvigorating.

The waters surrounding the island are a marine sanctuary, the Yum Balam Ecological Reserve, but to further protect the whale sharks, the Mexican government has decreed Isla Holbox to be the only port allowed to offer trips to swim with the whale sharks. A number of experienced operators and resorts run whale-shark excursions, including Holbox Tours & Travel ( 52/305/396-6987; www.holboxwhalesharktours.com).

Holbox also has 11km (63⁄4 miles) of flat, white-sand beaches lapped by shallow, placid, bottle-green seas. You can dip into the water right off the beach or head for a swim in the cool, clear waters of the freshwater lagoon that separates Holbox from the mainland, Yalahau Lagoon. —AF

www.holboxisland.com or www.holboxwhalesharktours.com.

Cancun to Chiquila (1 hr.).

Chiquila (10–45 min., depending on ferry; www.holboxmonkeys.com.mx).

$$$ Casa Sandra ( 52/984/875-2171; www.casasandra.com $$ Villa Delfines ( 52/984/875-2196; www.villasdelfines.com).

156

French Island

Back to the Bush

Australia

The ferry ride over here from Phillip Island takes only 30 minutes—but what a difference. Instead of smartly developed Wildlife Attractions, what you get on French Island is just . . . wildlife. And you’ll have to bushwalk, kayak, or cycle to see even that.

For most of its existence, French Island seemed more of a place you want to escape from than a place you want to escape to. Aboriginal Bunarog hunters were massacred here by the Gippsland tribe; hardscrabble 19th-century settlers cut down all the big trees to fuel their chicory kilns and salt evaporators; ragtag prisoners labored in the fields of a dreary prison farm, from 1916 to 1975. One early explorer described it as “a useless mass of scrub, with scarcity of water and barren soil.”

But as nearby Melbourne boomed and the mainland became more developed, an uninhabited backwater like French Island began to be a rare commodity. Those extensive mud flats, salt marshes, and mangrove lagoons may have been useless to farmers, but an incredible number of bird and fish species thrived there. As the tea tree scrub grew back with a vengeance, koalas and Sambur deer, not to mention rare potoroos (ratlike cousins of the kangaroo) multiplied in this predator-free environment.

In the 1960s, when it was still a prison, the government had big expansion plans for French Island—plans that included an airport, steel works, and other factories. Local environmentalists raised an outcry, believing that this isolated ecosystem was worth preserving. Thankfully, the government listened. Today the northern three-quarters of French Island, plus a swath of seagrass-rich waters off its north coast, is all national parkland; the wetlands in the northwest are designated RAMSAR sites, where 33 different species of wading birds live. The park is home to the largest colony of koalas in the state of Victoria, though you’ll have to spot them in the wild for yourselves. Orchids bloom all over the island, more than 100 different kinds, many of them found only here. At high tide, the beaches at Fairhaven and McLeod are lovely, quiet, sandy stretches, though there’s a muddy bottom at low tide. With a canoe or kayak, you can also explore stands of rare white mangroves, whose spreading roots harbor all sorts of shoreline species, as well as thick swarms of mosquitoes in summer.

Even today, only about 60 or 70 people live here, mostly sheep and cattle farmers, descendants of the original settlers. There’s only one shop; there are no power lines or sewers. You can bring a bike over on the ferry, but not a car—the only cars here are owned by residents and local tour guides, and the few roads are unsealed. Close as it is to Melbourne, it’s still a well-kept secret, with surprisingly few visitors. French Island may fall short of groomed perfection, but that’s not the point. For tranquillity and rough-and-ready charm, French Island can’t be beat. —HH

Tourist office ( 61/3/9585 5730 or 61/3/5980 1209). Park office, by the Tankerton jetty ( 61/3/5980 1294; www.parkweb.vic.gov.au).

Melbourne (60km/37 miles).

From Stony Point, 15 min., or from Cowes (Phillip Island ), 30 min.

$$ McLeod Eco Farm, Freeman’s Point ( 61/3/5980 1224; www.mcleodecofarm.com $$ Tortoise Head Lodge, Tankerton ( 61/3/5980 1234; www.tortoisehead.net).

tour French Island Eco Tours ( 61/1300/30-70-54 or 61/4/2917 7532; www.frenchislandecotours.com.au). French Island Tours ( 61/3/5980 1241; www.frenchislandtours.com.au). Wildlife Coast Cruises, Cowes ( 61/3/5952 3501; www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au).

157

Fasta Åland

Rugged Slice of Sweden

Åland Islands, Finland

Though Fasta (or Mainland) island, the largest in an archipelago of nearly 6,500, is an autonomous province of Finland, its culture is decidedly more inspired by Sweden—even the official language is Swedish. Because it’s situated between Finland and Sweden in the Baltic Sea, the island is popular with vacationing Swedes and Finns alike, who come for its beautiful scenery and nature trails. The rugged landscape encompasses fields, meadows, and dense woods—plus lots of red granite that lends a distinctive hue. This diversity of habitats provides a home for an equally diverse amount of wildlife, all of which are protected by the government.

This island’s natural beauty comes most alive at its nature preserves. You can choose to visit these on short guided tours that focus on nature or ones that also offer background into local history and culture. Book a tour through Getout Adventures, Svinö Färjfäste c/o Café Ingela, 226 30 Lumparland ( 358/40-871637).

Fasta Åland.

Mariehamn, the capital city, is home to 40% of the island’s population, and features two busy harbors, one at its eastern shore and another on its western shore. The town, a picturesque place that’s filled with wooden houses and colorful gardens, bustles with Baltic ferries that stop principally because Åland is not a part of the E.U. customs zone—meaning duty-free goods may be sold abroad. Those who wish to explore the island’s nautical history can visit the maritime museum Sjöfartsmuseum (Hamngatan 2; 358/18-19930; www.sjofartsmuseum.aland.fi), or the Museum Ship Pommern (www.mariehamn.ax/pommern) here.

As a maritime center, Fasta island also offers many opportunities to get out on the water to ski, bodyboard, and fish. Although the island has a number of traditional hotels (see below), you can opt to stay in luxury campgrounds, with spacious tents complete with fireplaces, if you prefer to sleep in the great outdoors. Just don’t leave this rugged wilderness behind without treating yourself to one of Finland’s most relaxing experiences—a good, hot sauna. Alandia Adventures, Stornasvagen 5 22410, Godby ( 358/40-5417413), can arrange outdoor activities, including camping, as well as spa treatments. —JD

Åland Tourist Information, Storagatan 8, Mariehamn (www.visitaland.com/en).

Mariehamn Airport.

Ålands Ferry, which is run by the Viking line (www.vikingline.fi/reservations); departs from Kappelskär and lands in Mariehamn.

$ Park Alandia Hotel, Norra Esplanadgatan 3, Mariehamn ( 358/18-14130). $ Pommern Hotel, Norrgatan 8–10, Mariehamn ( 358/18-15555; www.hotellpommern.aland.fi).

158

Ile au Haut

The High Island Lowdown

Maine, U.S.

Like its neighbor, Mount Desert Island , much of Ile au Haut—over half—is dedicated to Acadia National Park. Yet very few park visitors make it over to this other Penobscot Bay island, well south of the main park territory. Mount Desert has a nice solid causeway linking it to the Maine shore; Ile au Haut depends on a little mail boat, which chugs back and forth across 6 miles (9.7km) of water to the mainland. Only about 75 people, many of them lobstermen and their families, live here year-round; the population doubles (to a whopping 150 or so) in summer. There is a school on the island, but only about half a dozen kids go there, and for high school they have to commute by boat to the mainland.

That fancy French name—“high island”—came from explorer Samuel Champlain on his 1604 voyage up the Maine coast, and considering the mini–mountain range that cuts across this 6-mile-long (9.7km) island, it certainly fits. But fancy French names seem at odds with the laid-back small-town quality of Ile au Haut; say it like the islanders do, “Eye-la-Ho” (rhymes with “Idaho”) and you’re much more in tune with the place. The island was the last community in the U.S. to stop using crank telephones—that tells you all you need to know about the time warp quality of the place.

If you don’t have your own bike, you can rent one on the boat, and that’s a good idea, because you’ll want to explore beyond the quaint fishing village—for a start, head south of town to check out the Ile au Haut Lighthouse, less than a mile south of town, on Robinson’s Point. Built in 1907, this stout little brick lighthouse was the last traditional-style lighthouse built along this coast, and though it’s now automated—the keeper’s house has been turned into a bed-and-breakfast inn—it’s still a working light.

A park ranger meets every mail boat run in summer to give hikers bound for the park all the maps and advice they need. There are 18 miles (29km) of walking trails roaming around the park’s wooded hills, marshes, and rocky coves. The Long Pond trail loop heads to narrow mile-long Long Pond, a freshwater pond that’s great for swimming. The Goat trail is rewarding for bird-watchers, leading from the salt marshes to Squeaker Cove, where harlequin ducks bob on the water. The Western Head trail loops around the south tip of the island, where seals flop around the granite boulders and gulls circle overhead. Outside of the park on the eastern shore, Boom Beach is more smooth rocks than sand, but it’s a lovely place nonetheless; the Thunder Gulch trail is great on a hot summer day, shaded by spruce forest until it emerges on an ocean’s-edge rock ledge continually spritzed with sea spray. The word “picturesque” doesn’t even begin to cover it. —HH

www.isleauhaut.com.

From Stonington Maine to the town landing (45 min.); summers only, from Acadia National Park to Duck Harbor (1 hr., 15 min.). The Mail Boat ( 207/367-5193).

$ Acadia National Park campground ( 207/288-3338; www.nps.gov/acad). $$$ Inn at Ile au Haut ( 207/335-5141; www.innatileauhaut.com).

159

Shelter Island

Gimme Shelter

New York, U.S.

Like a prize clutched in the long pincer claw of Long Island, this quiet residential island nestles between the down-to-earth North Fork and glam-packed South Fork, protecting Peconic Bay from wide-open Gardiners Bay and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Car ferries shuttle continuously back and forth, one north to Greenpoint, the other south to North Haven, near Sag Harbor; Route 114 connects the two ferry landings, cutting across the belly of this ragged triangular island, moth-holed with coves, ponds, and inlets. Yet accessible as Shelter Island is, once you’re here you’ll feel that it’s a world unto itself.

Shelter Island was very much a shelter in its early years—its first settlers, in 1652, were royalist refugees from Cromwell’s England, as well as prominent Quakers seeking religious freedom. At first Shelter Island was devoted to farming, but with the rise of the whaling era, islanders turned to the sea (both Sag Harbor and Greenpoint were big whaling ports). Then, in 1871, Shelter Island discovered a new source of income: summer vacationers. Hotels, bathing pavilions, and yacht clubs sprang up, and farmland turned to summer homes—from camp-meeting cottage communities (like Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard ) to elaborate beachview sprawls of Victorian gingerbread. Today Shelter Island’s year-round population of 2,500—which includes several descendants of pre-Revolutionary settlers—swells to 8,000 in summer; many of the summer folk count as longtimers too, their families having summered here for four or five generations. There are four public beaches and a public golf course, but much of the island’s social life revolves around the private golf, beach club, and yacht club.

All of which begs the question: Can you come here for just 1 or 2 days and not feel like an outsider? Of course you can. Don’t expect a lot of culture and nightlife—there is minimal shopping, and no theaters, cinemas, or night clubs, for residents pride themselves on the island’s lack of “buzz”; there are only a few fine restaurants, which book up quickly in season. For nature lovers, however, the island couldn’t be better. Its southeastern third has been set aside as the 2,039-acre (825-hectare) Mashomack Preserve (off Rte. 114; 631/749-1001), where several walking trails explore a rich mosaic of tidal creeks, salt marshes, and tranquil beaches where piping plovers nest in spring. With all those calm, protected bays, Shelter Island provides plenty of scenic kayaking; Shelter Island Kayak Tours ( 631/749-1990) offers rentals and guided tours. Beaches here tend to be narrow strips of sand, but the protected waters are perfect for swimming; head to Crescent Beach or Silver Beach, both on the southwestern side of the island.

You can also walk around the Heights Historic District, the Victorian-era summer community southwest of Dering Harbor, or visit the Shelter Island Historical Society’s restored Havens House, 16 S. Ferry Rd. ( 631/749-0025; www.shelterislandhistorical.org Sylvester Manor, the estate of the island’s 17th-century English owners, isn’t open for tours, but a new young Sylvester heir is converting it to an ambitious organic farm—a sure sign that Shelter Island is meeting the future in its own freethinking way. —HH

www.shelter-island.org.

JFK Airport (98 miles/158km), LaGuardia Airport (96 miles/154km).

Greenport (2 hr., 50 min. from Manhattan).

Dering Harbor, 10 min. from Greenport; South Ferry, 10 min. from North Haven.

$$ Candlelite Inn, 3 S. Ferry Rd. ( 631/749-0676; www.thecandleliteinn.com $$ Ram’s Head Inn, 108 Ram Island Dr. ( 631/749-0811; www.shelterislandinns.com).

160

Campobello Island

FDR’s Rugged Getaway

Canada

In the summer, when Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt wanted to escape the pressures of political life, they took their family to the rustic island getaway of Campobello. FDR looked upon the island as his second home—his son Franklin, Jr., was born there and he fell ill with polio during one of his summer retreats on Campobello. (This incident was the inspiration for Sunrise at Campobello, a play and movie chronicling the story of FDR’s stubborn refusal to let his affliction get in the way of his destiny.)

Over the years, this rocky New Brunswick island has held a place for both native fisherman and wealthy families. Today, you can still see the grand houses built as summer homes sharing space with the homes of residents. You can also see the 34-room Roosevelt home, nestled in Roosevelt Campobello International Park. The park is a symbol of the friendship between Canada and the United States, and draws thousands of visitors each year. They are greeted by a series of buildings that include quaint cottages, a visitor’s center, and flower gardens. Outside, over 2,000 acres (809 hectares) of nature is on hand to explore, including walking trails, beaches, bogs, and oceanfront with fantastic rock formations.

The island is only about 20 miles (32km) long, located at the entrance of Passamaquoddy Bay. It is part of New Brunswick, Canada, but is also connected to Lubec, Maine, via the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge. Besides the park, the island offers abundant opportunities to enjoy nature: It’s an excellent site for birding, providing the opportunity to spot osprey and eagles in abundance. Unspoiled Herring Cove Provincial Park is located on the eastern coast. It features a mile-long sand and pebble beach and a 9-hole golf course. The adjacent campground offers shady or sheltered sites with niceties like showers, kitchen shelters, and playgrounds. Activities include guided nature walks and a whale-watching tour. For reservations, call Herring Cove Provincial Park and Golf Course ( 506/752-7010).

The island’s iconic East Quoddy Lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world, and a trip here wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Bay of Fundy to gaze at this picturesque structure. Although now automated, it keeps its 150-year vigil, signaling to boats on foggy nights. Intrepid souls can wade out at low tide for a better look, but it’s also a striking sight for those who would rather stay on land. —JD

The Campobello Welcome Center, 44 Rte. 774, Welshpool ( 506/752-7043; www.campobello.com).

St. John, New Brunswick.

East Coast Ferries ( 506/747-2159). Ferries run from Deer Island June–Sept (30 min).

23km (14-mile) drive from Whiting, Maine.

$ Lupine Lodge, 610 Rte. 774 ( 888/912-8880 or 506/752-2555; www.lupinelodge.com $$ Owen House, A Country Inn & Gallery, 11 Welspool St. ( 506/752-2977; www.owenhouse.ca).

161

Rota Island

Getting Your Feet Wet

Mariana Islands, Micronesia

Come on in, the water’s fine. The tropical island of Rota, part of a U.S. commonwealth within Micronesia, about 64km (40 miles) north of Guam , is a volcanic formation that rises some 488m (1,601 ft.), creating a spectacular backdrop for its unspoiled beaches. It draws people looking for a peaceful getaway, and is particularly popular with divers and snorkelers who come to explore its clear sparkling waters, coral reefs, and many shipwrecks—Rota and the 14 other islands of the Marianas played a significant role in World War II naval battles.

Most dives are just a 10- to 15-minute boat ride away from the island, and there are trips designed for divers of all skill levels. At Coral Garden, experienced divers can explore the remains of one of three World War II Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers scattered on the bottom of the ocean floor. Beginners can delight in dives where small, colorful fish swim along with them. It’s also easy to get a good view of stingrays gliding along the sand flats. You can set up a dive with Dive Rota (www.diverota.com/index.htm).

The western side of the island is known for its natural swimming hole, where you can take a refreshing dip after a long day in the sun, or just float along watching an unforgettable sunset. Of course, there really are no bad views on the island, and you may find it tempting to just lounge on the beach, taking it in. The island is known for its unhurried pace and welcoming islanders; about 3,000 residents live here year-round, many of them descendents of the native Chamorro and Carolinian tribes.

Rota is also home to many species of exotic flora and fauna. Don’t miss the chance to visit the Sagua’gaga Seabird Sanctuary, which features dozens of species, or Taisacana’s Botanical Gardens and Nature Trail, a great place to learn about indigenous plants. Other natural draws are the Tonga Cave, a natural stalactite cavern that served as a hospital for Japanese soldiers during the war, located in Songsong village. Just a mile away is the Rota Cave Museum, a giant limestone cave, thought to be about 10 million years old and featuring artifacts from the native Chamorro tribe to the World War II era.

When you’re ready to take some postcard-perfect shots, go to Songsong village, the island’s largest, and aim your camera at Wedding Cake Mountain, a formation that looks like—you guessed it—an elaborately layered cake. Such sweet scenery is just one reason this island is a decadent natural wonder. —JD

Mariana Visitors Authority ( 670/664-32001; www.mymarianas.com).

Rota International Airport.

$ BP Hotel and Restaurant ( 670/532-0468). $$ Rota Resort and Country Club ( 670/532-1155).

162

Block Island

The Word on the Block

Rhode Island, U.S.

Many a visitor has landed on this wind-whipped glacial outcrop, 12 miles (19km) off the Rhode Island coast, and thought immediately of Ireland—those dramatic clay cliffs, hundreds of sweet-water ponds nestling in the rolling green interior, dry-stone walls overgrown with moss, wild roses clambering over beach dunes. For centuries, since the first Europeans landed in 1661, Block Island was considered a desperate outpost, fit mostly for pirates, smugglers, and scavengers. Then the post–Civil War tourism boom hit, and Block Island found its calling. Today, most of its hotel rooms are still in those original rambling Victorian-style seaside inns; though there are only around 900 year-round residents, tens of thousands of visitors arrive every summer.

Somehow Block Island has been able to reap the benefits of tourism without letting it spoil the island’s throwback charm. Development so far remains under control—you won’t find any fast-food franchises or chain stores. Police officers tool around on bikes, and children tend lemonade stands in front of picket fences. There’s not much point in bringing a car over on the ferry, since the island is a mere 7 miles long by 3 miles wide (11×4.8km); there’s only one gas station, anyway. Most visitors make do with bicycles or mopeds, or call a taxi when they need to get somewhere faster.

Most of the action—and in summer it’s active indeed—is in Old Harbor. After you’ve strolled through the Block Island Historical Society Museum, Old Town Road at Ocean Avenue ( 401/466-2481), and pedaled out to tour the two 19th-century lighthouses—Southeast Lighthouse, on Mohegan Trail a couple miles south of Old Harbor, and North Lighthouse, on Corn Neck Road north of Crescent Beach—you’re done with sightseeing and ready to hit the beach. Block Island has 17 miles (27km) of beach, so there’s always a place to spread your towel. Only two beaches have lifeguards, food service, and rental facilities—Pebbly Beach, just south of the Old Harbor, and 3-mile-long (4.8km) Crescent Beach, north of Old Harbor. Other beaches, at the end of dirt roads off Corn Neck Road or West Side Road, may offer more solitude, if that’s what you’re after.

On Block Island’s winding scenic roads, cycling isn’t just transportation, it’s a way to coast down hills, cool off in patches of shady woods, stop for a dip in a pond, or admire sweeping ocean panoramas from the south coast’s 150-foot-high (46m) Mohegan Bluffs. You can also gallop on horseback along a beach (Rustic Rides Farm, W. Side Rd.; 401/466-5060), tramp along 17 miles (27km) of walking trails laid out by the Nature Conservancy (nearly a quarter of the island is conservation land), go parasailing (Block Island Parasail; 401/864-2474; www.blockislandparasail.com or kayak around Great Salt Pond—rent a kayak from Pond & Beyond (New Harbor; 401/466-5105; www.blockisland.com/kayakbi) or Champlin’s Resort, on Great Salt Pond ( 401/466-2641; www.champlinsresort.com Sailboats bob in the marinas, and sunburned guests sip cold drinks on the long porches of those historic inns. Yes, Block Island does summer vacation right. —HH

Tourist office, Old Harbor ferry landing ( 800/383-BIRI [383-2474] or 401/466-2474; www.blockislandchamber.com).

Block Island, 15-min. flight from Westerly, Rhode Island, on New England Airlines ( 800/243-2460; www.block-island.com/nea).

From Newport (2 hr.) or Point Judith (30-min. passenger ferry, 1-hr. car ferry; www.blockislandferry.com New London, Connecticut (1 hr., 15 min.; Block Island Express; 860/444-4624); Montauk, New York (1 hr., Viking Fleet; 888/358-7477).

$$$ Atlantic Inn, High St. ( 800/224-7422 or 401/466-5883; www.atlanticinn.com $$ Spring House Hotel, 902 Spring St. ( 800/234-9263 or 401/466-5844; www.springhousehotel.com).

163

Smith Island

Where the Past Comes to Life

Maryland, U.S.

Imagine a lazy summer day spent nosing along in a kayak or fishing in the heart of Chesapeake Bay. Then imagine having the bay practically to yourself, and you’re in Smith Island—the shallow waters around this Chesapeake Bay island lure herons, egrets, ibis, osprey, and pelicans in greater numbers than people. If it’s peace you’re looking for, Smith Island won’t disappoint—it’s still every bit as tranquil and untouched as Tom Horton described in his 1990s memoir Island Out of Time.

Smith Island is actually a cluster of islands making up Maryland’s largest inhabited offshore community. Its population of fewer than 300 people are scattered among the villages of Ewell, Rhodes Point, and Tylerton—the last of which is separated from the other villages by water. All three are bound together by the island chain’s seafood industry and strong Methodist roots. Change comes slowly to this remote part of Maryland, and both residents and visitors like it that way. Islanders even have their own distinctive brogue that’s similar to the West Country of England, passed down from the settlers who arrived here in the 1600s from Cornwall and Wales.

Most visitors are drawn to these remote islands to kayak, bird-watch, fish, and enjoy some excellent fresh seafood and a famous dessert, the multilayered Smith Island cake. This sugary concoction made of crème, frosting, and sometimes crushed candy bars is as closely associated with the island as Key lime pie is to Key West. You won’t find many shops, but the ones on hand often have the cake on offer, accompanied by fresh preserves. And you won’t find any bars, period. The island is dry. If you are staying at a B&B, check with the owners to see if they’ll allow you to bring your own liquor.

The boat that takes you here from the mainland will let you off in Ewell, where you can rent golf carts and bicycles (cars are not allowed) next to the Bayside Inn Restaurant. Before leaving Ewell, though, be sure to visit the Smith Island Center ( 410/425-3351) on Smith Island Road to get a sense of the island’s layout and history. On Ewell, you can also make a stop at the Middleton House on Caleb Road, the center for the Martin National Wildlife Refuge, which manages over 4,000 acres (1,619 hectares) of marshland. The refuge itself is not open to visitors, but it does host exhibits about area wildlife.

If fishing is your heart’s desire, head to Tylerton and venture out with Chesapeake Fishing Adventures, 2997 Tylerton Rd. ( 410/968-0175; www.cfadventures.com which offers a variety of charter packages from a lazy afternoon of casting to multiday trips. Fishing season in Maryland is from mid- to late April to December and it’s best to make reservations beforehand. Since Tylerton is separated from the island chain’s other villages, you’ll need to get there by boat. Try either the Captain Jason 11 ( 410/425-4471 or 410/251-4954) or Captain Waverly Evans ( 410/968-1904). The Captain Jason 11 can also be charted for bird-watching excursions. —JD

The Crisfield Visitor Center, 1003 W. Main St. ( 410/968-1543; www.visitsmithisland.com).

Crisfield Airport, then 12-mile (19km) boat ride.

Crisfield City Dock, Captain Otis Ray Tyler ( 410/968-1118).

$ Inn of Silent Music, Tylerton ( 410/425-3541 or 970/724-3809; www.innofsilentmusic.com $$ Susan’s on Smith Island Bed and Breakfast, 20759 Caleb Jones Rd., Ewell ( 410/425-2403).

164

Pawleys Island

Shabby Chic

South Carolina, U.S.

It’s fitting indeed that Pawleys Island’s signature gift item should be a rope hammock—what better way is there to enjoy a summer afternoon than to sling yourself between two trees and let the ocean breeze rock you to sleep?

Anyone who’s ever sweltered through a muggy, buggy Low Country August can sympathize with the 18th-century rice planters who packed up their households and moved to this breezy coastal strip every summer. Over the years, everyone from George Washington to Franklin Roosevelt to Winston Churchill followed suit. It’s more of a peninsula than an island, really, divided from the mainland only by the Waccamaw River, which runs parallel to the beachfront for about 30 miles (48km), from Murell’s Inlet to Wynah Bay. Technically, Pawleys Island is one 3-mile-long (4.8km) section between Pawleys Inlet and Midway Inlet, a narrow strip of houses along one road that’s set apart from the rest of the peninsula by a swath of tidal creeks and marshes, great for kayaking, bird-watching, and crabbing. However, the adjoining communities of Litchfield and Murrell’s Inlet also claim a Pawleys Island postal address, and although they are a little more built-up than historic Pawleys Island, development has still been kept at a minimum and the pace is laid-back.

What really matters is the Atlantic Ocean side of the peninsula, a nearly unbroken stretch of pale gleaming sand that’s cleaner and better-kept than almost any other part of the Grand Strand. Public access to the beach on Pawleys is often complicated, though, for most of the oceanfront land was snapped up years ago by private owners. Don’t be surprised by how ramshackle some of these century-old wooden beach houses look; that “arrogantly shabby” appearance is all part of the Pawleys Island vibe. For many visitors, coming to Pawleys means renting one of those houses near the beach, usually available on a weekly basis; local rental agencies to contact (months in advance) include Pawleys Island Realty ( 843/237-2000; www.pawleysislandrealty.com Lachicotte Company ( 800/422-4777 or 843/237-3366; www.lachicotte.com or the Dieter Company ( 800/950-6232 or 843/237-2813; www.dietercompany.com).

Fishing on Pawleys Island.

If you weren’t lucky enough to rent a beachfront property for your stay here, there’s still prime beach to be had nearby. Head north from Pawleys, past Litchfield Beach (also beautiful) to Huntington Beach State Park, along Hwy. 17, 3 miles (4.8km) south of Murrells Inlet ( 843/237-4440), a 2,500-acre (1,012-hectare) park that features a wide, firm orangish beach. It’s a great place for bird-watching, crabbing, and bicycling down the boardwalk, as well as camping, fishing, and swimming.

The golf courses aren’t technically on Pawleys Island, either, but there are at least a dozen superb courses a few minutes’ drive away, starting with the Jack Nicklaus–designed course at Pawley’s Plantation; just across Hwy. 17, you’ll find The Heritage Club, Caledonia Golf Club, and True Blue Golf Club. Contact the Waccamaw Golf Trail ( 888/293-7385; www.waccamawgolftrail.com for booking tee times at discounted rates. —HH

Tourist office, Hwy. 17 at the Planter’s Exchange ( 843/237-1921; www.visitgeorgetowncountysc.com).

Myrtle Beach International Airport.

20-mile (32km) drive from Myrtle Beach.

$$ Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, 70 Tanglewood Dr. ( 800/367-9959 or 843/237-6100; www.pawleysplantation.com $$ Seaview Inn, 414 Myrtle Ave. ( 843/237-4253; www.seaviewinn.net).

165

Molokai

The Hawaiian Outsider

Hawaii

Though it’s separated from the well-groomed resorts of West Maui only by the 9-mile-wide (14km) Pailolo Channel, Molokai is a world away from the entrenched tourism of the more famous Hawaiian islands. Beyond the geographical sense of the word, long and narrow Molokai truly is an island—isolated and unique, with a strong local flavor that has developed in spite of (or perhaps because of) its well-trodden Hawaiian brethren. More ethnic Hawaiians live on Molokai than anywhere else in the archipelago, so if you’re looking for what’s left of the “real” Hawaii—the good and the bad—give this island a try. There’s no glamour or luxury here; unlike its neighbor to the west, Lanai , Molokai has not emerged as a swank destination for the private jet set. However, for outdoor enthusiasts, the attractions of Molokai are unforgettable and intimate, and the north shore of the island has the highest sea cliffs in the world, at over 3,000 feet (914m) tall.

Molokai’s slender, slightly undulating shape, accented by a few peninsular notches, has earned it comparisons to the shape of a fish (many locals say it’s a shark), or, to less marine-inclined eyes, some sort of old-fashioned footwear. To get your bearings on Molokai, it helps to think of the island as a bedroom slipper. The heel is at the west, and the toe is at the east. Virtually all the western half of the slipper is a bare, red-dirt surface, while the eastern half of Molokai is mountainous and lush. Along the top of the slipper, from the instep to the toe, is where Molokai’s famous sea cliffs plunge dramatically toward the ocean. Molokai’s de rigueur tour is the breathtaking mule ride down the sea-cliff trail to Kalaupapa, a former leper colony and National Historic Site.

A mule tour down the Kalaupapa cliffs.

There are no high-rise hotels or condos here—“no buildings taller than a coconut tree,” as the marketing literature for the island proudly states. In the interest of preserving their island’s mana (Hawaiian traditions and way of life), residents have staunchly resisted “selling out” and following the lucrative tourism model of Maui and others. Their admirable stewardship, however, has caused them to have the highest unemployment rate of all the Hawaiian islands. Most attempts at resort-style developments—which would guarantee hundred of jobs—have failed on Molokai. In 2008, even the ecofriendly Molokai Ranch, the island’s largest employer, shut down all its operations (leaving 120 jobless) after coming up against stubborn local resistance to its plans for expansion.

With its sleepy red-dirt towns and relatively few options for dining and accommodations, Molokai works well for many visitors as a day trip from Maui, whether by air from Kahului or boat from Lahaina. Several helicopter tours from Maui fly over the Pailolo Channel for panoramic views of Molokai, including a dazzling mid-air view of those towering cliffs on the island’s northern coast. —SM

The Moore Center, 2 Kamoi St., Ste. 200, Kaunakakai ( 800/800-6367; www.molokai-hawaii.com or www.gohawaii.com/molokai.

Molokai airport (interisland flights from Honolulu and Maui).

From Lahaina, 90 min. Molokai-Maui Ferry ( 866/307-6524; www.molokaiferry.com).

$$ Dunbar Beachfront Cottages, Kainalu ( 800/673-0520; www.molokai-beachfront-cottages.com).

166

Corn Islands

The Real Deal

Nicaragua

Imagine a lush and lovely tropical island (or two) with unspoiled beaches and vibrant coral reefs, a friendly, low-key paradise that’s largely undiscovered by the globe-trotting hordes. A dreamy little place where there are no cruise ships, no malls, no celebs fleeing the paparazzi. For anyone who has a yen to live the laid-back caribeña lifestyle, this may be the spot for you.

The Corn Islands—Big and Little—are one of the best-kept secrets of the Caribbean. Just 81km (50 miles) off the coast of Nicaragua in the western Caribbean, the Corns are not luxe, by any means. Restaurants are open-air and topped by thatched roofs—and not of the Disney faux-thatched-roof variety, mind you. You will not be swathed in perfumed sheets or wrapped in cool minimalistic furnishings, but you can stay at charming and colorful little posadas, many run by European expats with style and panache. Looking to get somewhere fast? Golf carts are the preferred mode of rapid transit. And if it’s a sizzling nightlife you’re after, head to Aruba or St. Maarten —although the restaurant/disco Nico’s, located on Big Corn island’s south end, is a rocking good time on Sunday nights.

For lovers of tropical heat, the weather is obliging, with average temps of 29°C (84°F) year-round and winds from the east—people staying on the windward side of the islands get a nice little breeze at night to rock them to sleep. And both islands are ringed by stunning azure seas and coral reefs teeming with marine life. You’ll see huge staghorn coral formations, anemones, sea fans, sea stars, and all manner of fish, from sea devils to spotted drum. Dive Nautilus ( 505/575-5077; www.divebigcorn.com on Big Corn, offers dive, snorkeling, fishing, and glass-bottom-boat trips on both Big and Little Corn islands. Dive Little Corn (www.divelittlecorn.com that island’s only dive shop, offers dive and snorkeling trips as well as dive courses taught by PADI-certified instructors and kayak rentals.

One favorite dive spot is the rock/coral formation known as “Blowing Rock.” It rises 30m (98 ft.) from the sea floor, its craggy top visible above the ocean surface, with a colorful array of fish both small and large—including shark and barracuda. Fishing, in fact, is still the main industry here, and you will dine like a king on fresh fish and Caribbean lobster pulled from the sea—accompanied by home-baked coco (coconut) bread, of course.

Little Corn is even more primitive than Big Corn; it has no paved roads and no cars, which suits a growing number of travelers just fine. In fact, some prefer Little Corn’s über-laid-back quality of life to the “fast” lanes of Big Corn. Just about a square mile in size (versus 6-sq.-km-long/21⁄2-mile-long Big Corn), the island is little more than gorgeous white-sand beaches and tropical forest. To get from one place to the other, you bike or walk (or travel on horseback). When you’re not biking or walking, you’re paddling about in the clear emerald sea.

English is the main language on both islands; Nicaragua was a British colony until 1894, and its natives are descended from the original British settlers and freed slaves. The name “Corn Island” has nothing to do with corn, by the way. It’s an English bastardization of the Spanish word for meat, carne. The islands were used to store supplies, including meat, back in the 16th and 17th centuries. —AF

www.bigcornisland.com.

Big Corn: Managua or Bluefields (La Costena airline; 3 hr.).

Little Corn (water taxi from Big Corn: 30 min.).

$$ Casa Canada, Big Corn Island ( 505/644-0925; www.casa-canada.com $ Casa Iguana, Little Corn Island (www.casaiguana.net).

167

Caye Caulker

The “Go Slow” Island

Belize

For anyone who’s ever had the urge to flee the rat race and parachute onto a tropical island with velvety air and a breezy, barefoot lifestyle, Caye Caulker would likely fit the bill. It’s the kind of laid-back, sun-saturated spot that’s as inoculated to the rat race as a civilized place can be. It’s Mayberry in the tropics.

Located 1.6km (1 mile) west of the Belize Barrier Reef, this funky fishing village is an 8km-long (5-mile) island that’s situated a few miles south of Ambergris Caye . The vegetation is lush and tropical, houses are wooden clapboard, the streets are soft sand, and shoes are optional. The island motto is “Go Slow,” and the languid pace might drive Type A folks batty—especially when it comes to getting what they want when they want it—but others appreciate the leisurely, meditative vibe.

Belize is a flavorful stew of cultures, of Creole, Chinese, Mestizo, Indian, Maya, and more—and Caye Caulker has an authentic Belizean feel. Although tourism is now the island’s major industry, big business has not intruded here; visitors are catered to in small, personal ways. Lodging largely consists of family-run inns, gaily painted guesthouses, and weather-beaten motels on stilts planted in the sand. Dining is local and home-cooked. Look for fish, rice and beans, and curries. In lobster season, which begins in June and ends 9 months later, you can eat local spiny lobster just about every night at modest prices.

In spite of its modest, no-frills demeanor, Caye Caulker has a fairly spectacular draw: the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest continuous barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and one of the last unspoiled coral reefs in the world. It runs for 306km (190 miles) of rich and diverse marine habitat less than half a mile offshore. The diving and snorkeling along the reef is world-class. Just 16km (10 miles) north is the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, one of the most popular diving and snorkeling sites with a spectacular variety of marine life. Many people think the best diving in Belize lies on the outer atolls, just 20 minutes from Caye Caulker. Turneffe, the largest of the atolls, has a beautiful and varied underwater terrain. Recommended tour operators include Belize Diving Services ( 501/226-0143; www.belizedivingservice.com which has been operating full-service dive trips out of Caye Caulker since 1978, and Frenchie’s Diving ( 501/226-0234; www.frenchiesdivingbelize.com whose divemasters and captains have a combined 70 years of dive experience.

You can enjoy sailing, diving, birding, jungle tours, fishing, and windsurfing in the clear azure waters of the Caribbean here. One thing Caye Caulker does not have is big, wide, white-sand beaches. Sand beaches tend to be squeezed between mangrove forests and ocean, and sea grass grows in the wading shallows. Most people swim off the public piers that extend beyond the sea grass or at the Split, a gathering place to sip the local Belikin beer and watch the sunset. Go slow indeed. —AF

Caye Caulker.

www.belizetourism.org or www.cayecaulker.org.

Belize City to Caye Caulker (Tropic Air; 15 min.).

Water taxi (45 min.) between Belize City, Caye Caulker, and San Pedro (Ambergris Caye): Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association ( 501/223-5752; www.cayecaulkerwatertaxi.com).

$$ Iguana Reef Inn, Back St. ( 501/226-0213; www.iguanareefinn.com $ Seaside Cabanas, Front St. ( 501/226-0498; www.seasidecabanas.com).

168

Guadeloupe

The Butterfly

Guadeloupe moves to its own gentle rhythms. This French Overseas Territory has no grand resorts to compete with upscale neighbors like Antigua and St. Barts , and the shopping is certainly not as cosmopolitan as that on nearby Martinique . But then, a stay at an upscale hotel might hermetically seal you off from the soul of Guadeloupe, which lies in its small inns and B&B-style gites, rustic harborfront cafes, and beachside seafood shacks. The language and laws here are Gallic (the island has been a French administrative center since the 18th c.), but the flavor is pure Caribbean Creole, saucy and exuberant. If luxury linens and sleek minimalist surrounds mean a lot to you, head elsewhere—but if a quiet getaway to an authentic slice of the French West Indies sounds more to your liking, by all means come to Guadeloupe.

Physically, Guadeloupe is stunning. Its nickname, “The Butterfly Island,” comes from the shape of its two main islands, which are separated by a narrow channel called the Rivière Salée. Grand-Terre is largely flat and dry, with fine-sand beaches and sugar plantations. Basse-Terre is wild, lush, and mountainous, with an active volcano in Mount Soufriére, Guadeloupe’s highest peak. The Guadeloupe National Park is a real wonder: a 29,987-hectare (74,100-acre) park named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with a protected tropical forest, dense stands of giant ferns, and tumbling waterfalls. The beaches are classic Caribbean: The seas surrounding the island are teal blue and shadowed by palm-fringed beaches. Some, like Grand Terre, have incredibly soft white sand; others, like the west end of Basse Terre, have strands of black volcanic sand.

Jacques Cousteau once described the waters off Guadeloupe’s Pigeon Island as “one of the world’s 10 best diving spots” and the whole island still offers excellent opportunities for scuba diving. The allure is the relatively calm seas and La Réserve Cousteau, a kind of French national park with a number of stellar dive sites, where the underwater environment is rigidly protected. For information, contact the Centre International de la Plongée (C.I.P. Bouillante), Lieu-Dit Poirier, Malendure Plage, Pigeon ( 590/98-81-72; ww.cip-guadeloupe.com).

Renting a car is the best way to get around and see the island. Keep in mind that many of the roads are winding and often the thoroughfare of choice for meandering goats, cows, and stray dogs. Life on Guadeloupe moves to a languorous, lilting beat, and music and food play important roles in the day-to-day culture. For music, you won’t have to listen long to hear the irresistible double beat of zouk, the popular French West Indies music (by way of West Africa). For dining, the classic French food and wine in Guadeloupe are excellent, but the local Creole cuisine is divine; try land crab sautéed in coconut and hot pepper or fat freshwater crayfish (quassous) drenched in a spicy Creole sauce. Then toast to your good fortune with the island’s famous Ti-Punch, a sassy mix of rum, cane sugar juice, and lime. —AF

www.go2guadeloupe.com or >www.guadeloupe-info.com.

Pole Caraibes International Airport.

$$$ Hôtel Fleur d’Épée ( 590/90-40-00; www.hotel-fleur-depee.com). $$ Tainos Cottages ( 590/28-44-42; www.tainoscottages.com).

169

Quirimbus Archipelago

Painted Faces & Pristine Beaches

Mozambique

All too often, the conservation of precious resources becomes a consideration only when said resources are on the brink of extinction. In Mozambique, the Quirimbus Archipelago is a brilliant example of a nation putting measures in place to protect its natural treasures while they’re still in an unspoiled state. Even more amazing is that these bold and visionary steps were carried out by a government that coalesced only 10 years ago, following centuries of brutal colonial rule, civil wars, and natural disasters. By declaring both the Quirimbus Archipelago and the southern coast’s Bazaruto Archipelago protected national parks, Mozambique has, in the words of the World Wildlife Fund, become a “global leader in conservation.” In the process, it has helped preserve two of the most exquisitely untouched regions in the world.

A 250km (155-mile) stretch of 27 coral islands that traces the country’s northern coastline, the Quirimbus Archipelago has breathtaking Indian Ocean seas and pristine coral beaches where the sand is so white it almost burns your eyes. Some of these islands have never been developed; others, like historic Ibo Island, burned brightly as vital trading posts centuries ago but now exist in a suspended state of grand decay.

In contrast with the Bazaruto Archipelago, which has a slightly more sophisticated feel, these northern isles have a sleepy, spellbinding charm—it’s like stepping back hundreds of years into an Africa of ancient mosques, natives with painted faces, and faded colonial architecture. The islands have some of the richest, most pristine coral reefs in the world, and the government is taking great pains to oversee any tourism initiatives (in fact, the handful of resort operators are not only employing locals but also providing needed aid in healthcare and schools).

A lovely slip of sand in a turquoise sea, the 1km-long (1⁄2-mile) Medjumbe Island has gentle surf and outstanding diving, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, and windsurfing. New reefs are still being discovered. A stay in one of the resort’s 13 chalets is like owning your own tropical isle. In the southern end of the archipelago, Matemo Island not only has a luxury resort but is also the home of several indigenous villages, where locals make a living on subsistence fishing and build traditional wooden dhows. The island turns into Little Italy in August, when beach-loving Italians come for month-long stays.

From Matemo, it’s a 30-minute boat crossing to Ibo Island, next to the Ilha de Mozambique . This island was once East Africa’s most important trading center. Some historians trace the island’s origins back to 600 a.d., when it developed into a port for Arab traders, who dealt in gold, ivory, and slaves. The Portuguese took control of the archipelago around 1590, erecting a star-shaped fort, a cathedral, and beautiful public buildings—built on the burgeoning slave trade. Today, the once-elegant buildings are abandoned, left to rot when the Portuguese fled the country in 1975. Blanketed in mossy vines, the village is rich with the ghosts of the past: faded Portuguese tiles, rusted ironwork, old prison cells. Many of the Ibo Island native women wear white painted faces—a practice known as Muciro painting, a beauty regimen using a cream made from an indigenous plant. Be sure to look for the beautiful filigreed silver jewelry made locally, a native art that may be dying out.

The best time to visit the Quirimbus islands is from May to October; the region is hottest in December and January, and February and March mark the rainy season. —AF

www.mozambiquetourism.co.za.

Flights from Johannesburg, South Africa; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Nairobi, Kenya, to Pemba. Fly from Pemba to Quirimbus on charter flights arranged by lodges (20 min.–1 hr., depending on the island).

$$ Ibo Island Lodge ( 27/021/702-0285; www.iboisland.com $$$ Matemo Resort ( 27/011/658-0633; www.matemoresort.com $$$ Medjumbe Resort ( 27/011/658-0633; www.medjumberesort.com).

170

Caladesi Island

Blue Ribbon Beach

Florida, U.S.

Every year, Florida geologist Stephen Leatherman—aka Dr. Beach—publishes a list of America’s top beaches. Every year, Caladesi Island is right up there in the top 10—or at least it was until 2008, when Caladesi was named the number-one beach in America. After that, it’s now officially retired from competition.

Considering how many fine beaches there are along this Tampa–St. Petersburg coast, what makes Caladesi so special? For one thing, it’s uninhabited and undeveloped—a breath of fresh air among the densely built-up string of barrier islands fringing the St. Pete peninsula. Its calm, shallow waters are extraordinarily clear, much clearer than those of the next island to the south, the one actually named Clearwater. Its 4-mile-long (6.4km) gulfside beach is dazzling white sand that’s remarkably pristine—and because it isn’t raked daily like so many resort beaches are, you can find all sorts of unusual shells.

As for sun-worshiping hordes, you won’t find them on Caladesi, despite all Dr. Beach’s accolades—you can’t get here except by boat, and the number of visitors is purposely kept low. Only 62 passengers at a time can come over on the small ferry from neighboring Honeymoon Island, and they are allowed to stay only 4 hours; if you arrive on your own boat, you can moor at the marina at the island’s north end, but with only 108 slips, it tends to fill up in high season. There’s no hotel or campground (although many boat owners sleep overnight on their boats). Come here at the right time and you may well feel as if you have the island to yourself.

Caladesi (Spanish for “beautiful bayou”) once was the southern half of the unromantically named Hog Island, until a 1921 hurricane severed it in two. Honeymoon Island, the other half, is now connected to the mainland by the Dunedin Causeway, but Caladesi was left cut off by water. That isolation, however, turned out to be Caladesi’s strongest asset. Now a state park, Caladesi has been provided with a few useful amenities, clustered near the marina—picnic tables, showers and restrooms, a playground, a cafe, and a beach concession, where you can rent kayaks and canoes for exploring the mangrove forest on the other side of the island. Walkways have been built through the dunes, preserving their fragile ecosystems of sea oats, wildflowers, and palm trees; there’s also a marked nature trail through the pine flatwoods of the interior (keep your eyes peeled for ospreys, armadillos, and gopher tortoises).

But on the whole, it’s a quiet, unpruned bit of beachy wilderness, which makes it extremely popular with birds, from the beach’s shorebirds—American oystercatchers, black skimmers, royal and least terns, Wilson’s and piping plovers—to the water birds that hang around the mangroves, including pelicans, egrets, roseate spoonbills, and herons. Loggerhead and green turtles nest on the beaches, too. It’s the perfect antidote to the Tampa metro sprawl, so close and yet so totally different. —HH

Caladesi Island State Park ( 727/469-5918; www.floridastateparks.org/CaladesiIsland).

Tampa International (20 miles/32km).

20 min. from Honeymoon Island State Park (Caladesi Island Connection;  727/734-1501).

$ Barefoot Bay Resort & Marina, 401 E. Shore Dr., Clearwater Beach ( 866/447-3316 or 727/447-3316; www.barefootbayresort.com $$ Sheraton Sand Key Resort, 1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater Beach ( 800/325-3535 or 727/595-1611; www.sheratonsandkey.com).

171

Tinharé

Paradise Found

Brazil

No wonder so many honeymooners choose this tropical island as their getaway; it’s as remote as you can get. Morro de Säo Paulo boasts four beaches facing the open sea, with turquoise waters, natural swimming pools, and coral reefs. Inland, you’ll find lush vegetation along with exotic birds and monkeys. There are no cars and few street lights on the island. Once you land you’ll be greeted by locals offering to take your bags by wheelbarrow up the steep uphill trail from the docks to the main village. On the winding path, you’ll see small stores selling native wares, along with little restaurants and bars. After you are settled in your pousada (inn), you can get around like the natives do: by horse, donkey, tractor, or foot.

Morro de São Paulo is the largest town on the historic island of Tinharé, located in the region known as the Dende Coast. It suffered many attacks by French and Dutch ships during the 16th century and was considered an easy target by pirates. This legacy is evident by the presence of one of the island’s main features: a fort near the harbor built in the 17th century, close to the island’s beautiful lighthouse. Both offer panoramic views of the beaches and provide great places for dolphin spotting.

The true attractions here, though, are the beaches, all beautiful, and each with its own personality—all are named in reference to their distance from the main settlement. First Beach attracts surfers during the winter months, when the waves are at their most challenging. During the summer, visitors enjoy this beach’s crystal-clear waters and seaside restaurants, serving up spicy fare. Second Beach draws the young and young at heart with nightly luaus and music. Spirited parties are known to go on here until morning. Third Beach offers a more placid experience, drawing divers and snorkelers with its large barrier reef. Those who truly want to get away from it all can choose peaceful Fourth Beach, also known as the enchanted beach. If your ideal soundtrack is a light breeze stirring a palm tree, this is the island for you.

Although most pousadas and restaurants on the island accept credit cards, there’s no bank and just one ATM—so it’s best to bring some extra cash. If you’re getting to the island by water, your best bet is to go by catamaran, leaving from behind the Mercado Modelo in downtown Salvador. As you approach, you’ll see the remains of the fort that once protected this island paradise. —JD

CIT (Central de Informações Turisticas), Praça Aureliano Lima s/n ( 55/75/3652-1083; www.morrodesaopaulo.com.br).

Tinharé from Salvador International Airport (30 min. on Addey or Aerostar).

Catamarans depart from downtown Salvador from the Terminal Maritimo do Mercado Modelo. Lancha Ilhabela ( 55/71/9118-2393 or 55/71/9132-8262); Catamarã Farol do Morro ( 55/71/3319-4570); and Catamarã Biotur ( 55/75/3641-3327). 2 hr.

$$ Anima Hotel, Fourth Beach ( 55/75/3652-2077; www.animahotel.com $$ Pousada o Casarão, Praca Aureliano, Lima s/n ( 55/75/3652-1022; www.ocasarao.net).

Island Hopping the Seychelles: Indian Ocean Castaways

A sprinkling of pearls in a sea of ethereal blue, the 115-island archipelago of the Seychelles is one of the world’s most idyllic beach destinations. Set down in the West Indian Ocean some 1,800km (1,118 miles) from Africa’s east coast and only 4 degrees south of the equator, these once-isolated tropical isles have become synonymous with castaway island luxury. Only 16 islands currently have accommodations, but a big part of the Seychelles’ appeal is hopping from one stunning stretch of sand to another, snorkeling, diving, sailing, and soaking up the shimmering, sun-splashed atmosphere along the way.

The pristine beauty of these islands belies their fragility, and the Seychelles government is taking the high road in sustainable tourism—as in demanding small-scale, environmentally responsible development. What that means for the consumer are luxe, uncrowded accommodations, supremely personalized service, and correspondingly high rates. Fourteen islands are already protected marine reserves—in fact, 45% of this island nation is fully protected conservation land and nature reserves. Good thing, because these are the oldest living oceanic islands on earth, with 80 endemic species of flora and 2,000 endemic species of invertebrates.

A beach in the Seychelles.

The Seychelles are divided into two island clusters: the raised granite Inner Islands and the low-lying coral cays and atolls of the Outer Islands. Of the Inner Island group, Mahé is the nation’s largest island and the entry point for people flying into the Seychelles and the transportation hub for excursions to other islands in the archipelago, whether you go by air, ferry, or private or tour boat. It’s also the site of the country’s capital, Victoria. Mahé is the most populated island in the nation, by far: 90% of Seychelles citizens live on Mahé, some 72,000 people. Which goes to show how underpopulated these islands really are: The Seychelles has the smallest population of any nation in Africa.

Mahé may be the country’s financial, cultural, and social heart, but in the tradition of its sister islands it also has fabulous beaches, including the secluded Port Launay and Beau Vallon, a popular beach lined with lodgings and restaurants. But if you’ve just arrived and are itching to find a remote and uninhabited desert island, head to the Sainte-Anne Marine Park, a sea-and-sand sanctuary ringing six beautiful little islands: Sainte-Anne, Moyenne, Longue, Cerf, Round, and Cachèe. It’s a stupendous place to snorkel and noodle about in sparkling-clear seas, with thousands of colorful fish under your flippers. You can arrange full- and half-day trips with the Marine Charter Association ( 248/22-46-79).

The two other main islands of the Seychelles are Praslin and La Digue. In Praslin, the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Vallée de Mai ( 248/32-17-35; www.sif.sc) is a remnant of a prehistoric palm forest that some believe is the original Garden of Eden. It’s a richly biodiverse ecosystem, home to 6,000 Coco de Mer palms; these trees can live up to 400 years and produce the world’s largest seed. The forest is also the last refuge of the endangered black parrot, the national bird of Seychelles. Praslin may be the most touristed island in the archipelago; a number of excursions to neighboring islands leave from here.

Some travelers think that La Digue is the most beautiful island in the Seychelles, and there are countless magazine covers to prove it. The island has a leisurely, old-world pace and some of the nation’s most stunning beaches, including Anse Source d’Argent, a white-sand beauty studded with large granite boulders.

Bird Island, the northernmost island in the archipelago, is aptly named—from May to September, millions of sooty terns arrive here to nest. But it could just as well have been called Tortoise Island, for the giant land tortoises that make their home here. Bird Island is an eco-tourist’s dream: Only 7% of the island is used for development, but the island’s one 24-bungalow lodge lets you experience the wild island habitat in laid-back luxury. On North Island, an 11-chalet luxury ecotourism lodge is run by one of the world’s most respected outfitters, Wilderness Safaris (www.wilderness-safaris.com which is truly going wild here: working to return the island habitats to their native state, weeding out invasive species, and reintroducing indigenous species. The entire island of Cousin (p. 135) is a nature sanctuary where some 250,000 birds nest.

Of the Outer Islands, only two have accommodations: Alphonse and Des-croches. Each of these islands has one luxury lodge, lovely beaches, and opportunities for fly-fishing and diving. But for some, the Outer Island of St. François is the Seychelles’ most beautiful tropical isle, a palm-fringed reef surrounded by sand flats that offer superb bonefishing. A must-see in the Outer Islands is the country’s second World Heritage Site, the Aldabra Atoll, the largest raised coral atoll in the world; at its center is a massive lagoon with a vibrant marine environment. Aldabra is the home of the world’s largest population of giant land tortoises: Some 150,000 tortoises—the largest of which grows to nearly 360kg—live and thrive on this truly idyllic spot. —AF

www.seychelles.travel or www.sif.sc.

Seychelles International Airport (on Air Seychelles; www.airseychelles.com Air Seychelles and Helicopter Seychelles (www.helicopterseychelles.com provide charter flights to/from most of the Inner and Outer islands.

High-speed catamaran Cat Cocos (www.catcocos.com operates round-trips between Mahe and Praslin (45 min.).

$$ Clef de les Ilets, Beau Vallon, Mahé Island (www.clefdesiles.com $$$ North Island Seychelles, North Island ( 248/29-31-00; www.north-island.com).

182

Barbuda

Pink Pearl

From above, Barbuda looks like nothing so much as a pink pearl dropped into a rippling green sea. It’s small (just 176 sq. km/68 sq. miles), a mere dot in the ocean compared with its sister island, Antigua , 48km (30 miles) due north. It’s sparsely populated, with only 1,200 inhabitants, most of whom live in the island’s only village, Codrington. It’s sparsely visited: slightly off the beaten path and not easy to reach. The landscape is flat and scrubby, and most roads are unpaved. You can count the lodging options on one hand.

That’s the iffy news. The good—no, great—news is that Barbuda has some of the most breathtaking beaches in the entire Caribbean. Blushing pink-sand beaches and sugary white-sand beaches, take your pick—all lapped by gentle, azure seas. And, even better: The island is the ideal getaway for those looking for peace, quiet, and a lovely beach to call their own. It’s the kind of place where having nothing to do isn’t a complaint; it’s a blessing.

The island’s 27km (17 miles) of soft-sand beaches are protected by barrier reefs. Beaches on the southwestern shore rimming the Caribbean Sea stretch to the horizon for 16km (10 miles) and are best for swimming. Among them, the picture-perfect sand of Pink Sand Beach owes its blushing pink hues to crushed coral. Beaches on the island’s eastern shore fronting the Atlantic, such as Hog Bay and Rubbish Bay, are good for strolling and shell collecting.

If you want to see more of the island beyond the beaches, you can rent a four-wheel-drive or have a taxi driver give you a tour. In the 18th century, the island served as a breadbasket for the workers on Antigua’s sugar plantations and also supplied slave labor to work the sugar cane fields (all slaves were freed in 1834). The Codringtons, the family who leased much of Barbuda back in high colonial days, remain a ghostly presence on the island. The ruins of the 1720 Codrington estate, Highland House, are located on the highest point on the island. Other places to visit include the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, located in the island’s northwestern lagoon and accessible only by boat. The sanctuary contains more than 170 species of birds and is home to some 5,000 frigate birds. —AF

www.antigua-barbuda.org.

Antigua, V.C. Byrd International Airport (15 min.).

Barbuda Express ( 268/560-7989; www.antiguaferries.com 90 min.).

$$$ Coco Point Lodge ( 268/462-3816; www.cocopoint.com $$$ Lighthouse Bay Resort ( 888/214-8552; www.lighthousebayresort.com).

183

Formentera

Cool Antidote to Crazy Ibiza

Spain

For the young and style-conscious bella gente (beautiful people) of Italy, there is no summer escape with more cachet than the Spanish island of Formentera. Trendy Romans and Milanese come here in droves every July and August to soak up the island’s laid-back hippie vibe and pristine, sun-drenched, nudist-friendly beaches. The smallest of the Balearic islands, and only a 3km (13⁄4-mile) ferry ride from the legendary party isle of Ibiza , Formentera offers a different kind of hedonism for vacationers who prefer intimate bonfires over a raging club scene and Moroccan-motif boutique hotels to big, splashy resorts. And in certain circles, there is nothing like the smug satisfaction that comes from being able to tell people about your trip to insider-ish Formentera, province of gorgeous soccer players, their well-tanned showgirl flings, and the paparazzi who sell photos of them canoodling to the European tabloids.

Most who come to Formentera—it draws everyone from high-profile fashion designers wanting to keep a low profile to 25-year-old wannabe bohemians—choose the island because it’s so diametrically opposed to the Ibiza experience; some just come as a day’s detox trip from Ibiza when the wild revelry there gets to be too much. Though package tours are an increasingly popular way of getting to Formentera, there are still no high-rise condos, and no tacky all-inclusive “tourist villages.” Accommodations are independently run, small, and low-key, and the same is true of the dining and entertainment options on Formentera. The price tag for almost everything on the island is still fairly low by Mediterranean island standards.

This 83-sq.-km (32-sq.-mile) island is stretched out along three axes like an upside-down Y, and the best way to get around is on a moped, available for rent near the ferry dock in La Savina. The shoreline of Formentera is mostly rugged, with rocky coves and cliffs, but there are some truly beautiful beaches, where the sugary sand is blindingly white, and the crystal-clear water is a sublime shade of stony light green and perfect for snorkeling. Just off the northern tip of Formentera is the islet of Espalmador; the two are connected by a sandbar that you can walk across when the tide is low.

The busiest and best-equipped beach is Platja de ses Illetes, near La Savina; it’s a bathtub-like bay where yachts bob at anchor, their billionaire owners trolling the sands for younger babes. At Formentera’s other beaches, you’ll find none of that kind of atmosphere—just near-empty sands and idyllic spots for swimming. Almost all sunbathing here involves nudity of some kind—women tend to go without their bikini tops and men often sport “the full Monty.”

Other than relaxing on the beach and swimming, however, there isn’t a whole lot to do on Formentera: The island has no centralized “scene” to speak of, and anyone with an appetite for culture would actually do better wandering the old streets of Ibiza. For shoppers, Formen-tera’s boutiques, proffering ethno-chic woven items, are concentrated in the hamlet of Sant Ferran de Ses Roques. But the island’s slow pace and lack of drama (though there is a fair amount of posturing among the beautiful people who escape their stresses here, and among the yacht set at Platja Illetes) makes Formentera perfect if you need to catch up on sleep, or reading, or writing your own novel. And of course that blistering Mediterranean sun will send you home enviably bronzed. —SM

www.illesbalears.es.

Ibiza, then ferry.

From Ibiza (Eivissa) 30 min., Trasmapi (www.trasmapi.com or Umafisa (www.umafisa.com).

$$$ Sa Volta, Miramar 94, Es Pujols ( 34/97/132-81-25; www.savolta.com).

184

Kefalonia Island

Wish Fulfillment

Greece

When people think of a Greek island, most conjure up an image that is tidily fulfilled by the beautiful island of Kefalonia. This place has it all, including breathtaking mountains, forests bejeweled with tropical flowers, beaches with sparkling blue water, historic landmarks juxtaposed with new architecture, and a lively nightlife. As a sailing and trading capital in the region, it also has a cosmopolitan gloss that many of the other Greek islands don’t—but it’s nicely tempered by the down-to-earth beauty of its many beaches.

Myrtos, the island’s most famous beach, is located just north of Argostoli, its capital city, located on the southern part of the island. It is arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, surrounded by striking vertical cliffs. Visitors flock to enjoy its crystal-clear waters, or lounge on the beach looking out on passing boats. You’ll find other beautiful, but less crowded, beaches scattered throughout the island, many of them winners of The Blue Flag Award, Europe’s gold standard for clean, environmentally sound beaches and marinas. It’s easy to visit a different beach every day; just rent a car, moped, or motorcycle and be on your way.

Away from the beaches, the island boasts many attractions. Assos Castle, just outside of Argostoli, stands as an excellent example of a 16th-century Venetian fortress. The castle includes a domed building intended for convicts, and the prison yard and cells are still intact. You can drive part of the way there, but be prepared for a long walk up the hill to see the castle up close. Another popular spot for a day trip is Spili Melissani, a small enclosed lake known for its deep-blue color. You can take a guided rowboat and marvel at the sun playing off the brilliant hue of the water, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. Kefalonia is also known for its excellent wines, and a visit wouldn’t be complete without your sipping one of its excellent vintages. A laid-back afternoon could include a trip to Calliga Vineyard or Gentilini Vineyard, both near Argostoli. You can arrange a tour through the tourist office (see below for info).

Although Kefalonia is not known as a party island, there are plenty of bars and clubs to enjoy after the sun goes down, many of them located in Argostoli or on private resorts. If you go during summer, you may also be able to find a party on the beach. When all is said and done, perhaps the greatest gift that the island has to offer is relaxation. However you choose to spend your day, you definitely won’t need a watch to enjoy this island getaway. —JD

Argostoli Tourism Office, Port Authority Building on Ioannis Metaxa ( 30/26710/22-248).

Kefalonia Airport (8km/5 miles outside Argostoli).

Strintzis Line ( 30/21082/36-011 in Athens, 41⁄2 hr.).

$$ Hotel Ionian Plaza, Vallianou Square ( 30/26710/25-581). $ Mirabel Hotel, Vallianou Square ( 30/26710/25-381; www.mirabel.gr).

185

Usedom

The Singing Island

Germany and Poland

On the map, it looks like a curve of Baltic coast that somehow broke loose from Western Pomerania, with the Achterwasser and Stettiner Haff lakes rushing in to fill the gap. Though anchored to the German coast with bridges at both north and south ends (and a railway over the northern bridge), Usedom lies so far east that the eastern tip is actually part of Poland—you can walk down the beach from Ahlberg to the large commercial port of 2winouj1cie. But it’s the German side that’s the tourist magnet, a beloved getaway since the early 19th century. Only 250km (155 miles) from the German capital, Usedom has been nicknamed the “Bathtub of Berlin.”

I prefer Usedom’s other nickname, though—“the singing island,” so called because the white sand of its 40km-long (25-mile) strand is so fine, it squeaks when you walk on it. The most popular section is southeast, from Bansin through Heringsdorf to Ahlberg—you can hardly tell when you’re leaving one town and entering the next—known collectively as the Dreikaiserbäder, or “three imperial spas.” (A fourth resort, Zinnowitz, lies up the coast to the northwest.) The architecture of these towns is enchanting—elegant pale hotels and brightly painted villas, in the historicist or Art Nouveau styles of the late 19th century. A handful of “wellness hotels” and thermal baths preserve old-world spa traditions. Landscaped garden promenades, open-air concert pavilions, and tree-lined side streets hark back to genteel seaside holiday traditions; note the canopied chairs lined up for rent on the beaches. Each resort town also has a long pleasure pier extending into the Baltic, where you can still envision a parade of ladies with parasols and bustled dresses and gents in well-cut linen suits. (Upscale Heringsdorf has the longest pier, with a restaurant at the end.) Horse-and-carriage rides along the promenades, pleasure-boat excursions from the piers—it’s the antithesis of spring-break beach-party madness.

Usedom beach.

For more rural atmosphere, try Koelpinsee, located on the narrow strip of land dividing Achterwasser from the Baltic shore; it’s only a short walk from tree-covered dunes to serene panoramas of wooded lakeshore and gliding swans. Northwest of Koelpinsee, the old fishing village of Koserow is another relaxing resort, where you can hike up Streckelsberg Hill for horizon-wide vistas of island and sea. Several small towns along the waist of the island—Zempin, Trassenheide, Loddin—still look like old farming villages, with thatched cottages and weathered beachside huts for salting fish—though, never fear, they too have resort accommodations. For a break from the beach, investigate the hilly wooded interior—easily explored, with more than 400km (249 miles) of hiking trails and 100km (62 miles) of bike paths. To find picturesque sleepy villages with tiny medieval churches, check out the 16th-century castle in Stolpe and the medieval town gate in Usedom, the southern gateway to the island. Don’t expect charm, though, at the infamous town of Peenemünde, on the northwestern tip—the top-secret World War II research center here produced the deadly V2 missile, a high-tech history now explored in several museums in town. —HH

Tourist office, Waldstrasse 1, Bansin ( 49/38378/477110; www.usedom.de).

Heringsdorf.

2winouj1cie, 11 hr. from Copenhagen, 61⁄2 hr. from Ystad, Sweden. Contact Polferries’ U.K. agents ( 44/871/222-33312; www.directferries.co.uk).

$$ Ringhotel Ostseehotel Ahlbeck, Dünenstrasse 41, Ahlbeck ( 49/38378/600; www.seetel.de). $$$ Travel Charme Strandhotel Zinnowitz, Dünenstrasse 11, Zinnowitz ( 49/30/42439/650 or 49/38377/38-000; www.travelcharme.com).

186

Koh Phi Phi

Loungin’ Below Limestone Cliffs

Thailand

Endowed with the kind of preposterous natural beauty that tropical dreams are made of, Thailand’s Phi Phi islands are a classic side trip from the larger resorts of Phuket , 48km (30 miles) away, and Krabi, 42km (26 miles) away. Phi Phi Don is the larger of the two islands, and the one where all the facilities are, while the nearby, uninhabited Phi Phi Leh is an excursion destination for snorkeling and one jaw-dropping sandy bay made famous by the film The Beach. Phi Phi Don’s infrastructure was all but wiped out by the tsunami that swept across the Andaman Sea in December 2004; much has been rebuilt (if irresponsibly so), and the waves of day-trippers and backpackers continue to wash in as before.

Given its magazine-cover good looks, you might think Koh Phi Phi would be an exclusive, luxury destination—something along the lines of French Polynesia’s Bora Bora . However, as with Thailand’s other resort islands, development here has lacked stewardship, and the result has been a hodgepodge of hotels and services accessible to all budgets, but not the most careful protection of the environment.

A profusion of wallet-friendly guesthouses in Tonsai Village, along Phi Phi Don’s iconic hair-thin isthmus, has made the island a haven for backpackers who don’t seem to mind the maintenance issues of those accommodations. (The island’s laid-back and permissive attitude, though it’s not nearly as wild as Phuket, is another boon for the shoestring set.) A few luxury resorts—appreciably removed from the hubbub of the backpacker strip—provide the total escape package for families and couples looking to splurge a bit, with pampering facilities, spas, and private beaches in what is undeniably one of the most awesome natural locations in Southeast Asia.

Even if you’ve never read the book or seen the movie The Beach, you’ll want to see Maya Bay (hire a longtail boat from Phi Phi Don to do so), a principal location for the film adaptation of Alex Garland’s 2000 bestseller. Located on Koh Phi Phi Leh, this is a stunning bay of turquoise water surrounded on three sides by limestone cliffs; the fourth side is white sand. Keep in mind that this is the most famous single attraction in the Phi Phi islands and swarming with tourists and speedboats. Though it’s a madhouse most of the time, you can try coming in the early morning or after 5pm for something a bit more like the postcard images.

The clear water and rich marine life around the Phi Phi islands attract divers and snorkelers, and there are plenty of operators on Phi Phi Don that will rent you equipment and shuttle you out to the area’s coral wonderlands. For an up-close-and-personal encounter with the islands’ trademark limestone cliffs, seek out Cat’s Climbing Shop in Tonsai Bay for rock-climbing trips. Daredevils can also embark on exhilarating cliff jumps of up to 16m (52 ft.) over Tonsai Bay (book tours in Tonsai Village). —SM

www.phiphi.phuket.com.

Seaplane landings from Krabi and Phuket, 30 min.

From Krabi, 90 min.; from Phuket, 2 hr.

$$$ Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort & Spa, Lo Bah Gao Bay ( 66/2/54157-2224; www.ppisland.com).

187

La Blanquilla

Castaway in the Caribbean

Venezuela

A fan-shaped island built of limestone and sand, 186-sq.-km (72-sq.-mile) La Blanquilla is a dream destination for wannabe castaways. With milky-white beaches and glassy tide pools, it’s a favorite anchorage for certain discriminating Caribbean cruisers. Yet this “white island”—so named for its shimmering alabaster beaches—is one of Venezuela’s most unspoiled federal dependencies (offshore islands) in the western Caribbean Sea. Other than those occasional tour groups on desert-island adventures, no one comes here but the Guardia Costera (Coast Guard) and day-tripping fishermen.

La Blanquilla offers wonderful snorkeling and diving opportunities: The undersea “wall” is only 20m (66 ft.) offshore, and because of the island’s remoteness, marine life is abundant and healthy. The reefs around the island are known for their wealth of rare black coral. You can also spot blueheads, French angelfish, porcupine fish, balloon fish, red-lipped blenny, queen and princess parrotfish, and flying fish. On land, keep an eye peeled for colorful parrots, owls, iguanas, lizards, hermit crabs, and wild donkeys.

The best way to see La Blanquilla is by chartered boat. You’ll see the odd sailboat or two bobbing in the coves north of Americano Bay (located north of Playa El Yaque), which has a spectacular and secluded white-sand beach of sparkling blue waters. But note that in Venezuelan waters you have to embark aboard a crewed boat licensed by the authorities and with a Venezuelan crew. Explore Yacht Tours ( 58/212-635-2166; www.explore-yachts.com is a Caracas, Venezuela–based company that charters full-service crewed powerboats and sailboats in Venezuela’s southern Caribbean seas; it also offers dive, fishing, and cruising packages.

Lost World Adventures ( 800/999-0558 in the U.S. and Canada; www.lostworldadventures.com can offer a customized trip to La Blanquilla by air from Porlamar on Isla Margarita or on an all-inclusive chartered sailboat departing from Los Roques or Juan Griego on Isla Margarita.

If you plan to explore the island beyond its white-sand beaches, be sure to wear shoes (even socks)—prickly-pear cactus is everywhere, and the barbs can be tenacious. Just follow the donkey paths, and you’ll avoid most of it. If you come by boat, you can enjoy secluded anchorages north of Americano Bay. Though there are only a handful of palm trees, shade is at hand in caves along the shore. And it’s never a bad idea to bring along a few small bottles of cheap rum to barter for fish fresh from the Caribbean, from tuna to red snapper to spiny lobster. —AF

www.venezuelatuya.com or www.think-venezuela.net.

Puerto La Cruz (mainland, 172km/107 miles); Porlamar (Isla Margarita, 81km/50 miles); Los Roques (161km/100 miles).

Los Roques; Juan Griego (97km/60 miles); Puerto La Cruz (mainland); Porlamar (Isla Margarita, 113km/70 miles).

$$ LagunaMar, Porlamar, Isla Margarita ( 58/295/400-4035; www.lagunamar.com.ve).

188

Tobago

Robinson Crusoe’s Paradise

When Daniel Defoe wrote his adventure classic castaway tale Robinson Crusoe, he couldn’t have chosen to set it on a more stunning island than Tobago. (Although Isla Robinson Crusoe in Chile disputes that Tobago was the setting, it’s hard to quibble when you are enjoying such an inspiring setting.) Since Defoe’s day, it has gone on to inspire nonfictional explorers, including Jacques Cousteau, who was enchanted by its turquoise waters and coral reefs. This island of pristine white sand is only 32km (20 miles) northeast of bustling Trinidad , but the pace here is so relaxing that many Trinidadians come here for weekend escapes. It also draws travelers wishing to laze on the beaches or explore the green mountains of Tobago’s rainforest with its glorious flora and fauna, including exotic birds and darting green iguanas.

Scarborough beach.

Tobago is approximately 42km (26 miles) long and 9.7km (6 miles) wide, so you’ll want to rent a car or hire a taxi to get around. Its capital, Scarborough, provides a beautiful view of the nearby mountains from its position on the southern coast. While on this part of the island, be sure to climb the hill to Fort King George, just above the town. It was built by the English in the late 18th century, but frequently changed hands as other countries invaded. The fort’s old barracks serves as the Tobago Museum ( 868/639-3970). Also on-site are the ruins of a military hospital.

Those who love marine life can follow in Cousteau’s webbed footsteps and enjoy a day of snorkeling or diving in the clear, warm water that surrounds the island. You’ll see a vast variety of colorful tropical fish, sponges, and nearly 300 varieties of coral. The cliffs and volcanic formations are home to large sea creatures like whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, and squid. A variety of snorkeling tours can be arranged at www.mytobago.info/snorkelling05.php.

If you prefer to stay on dry land, consider a 5-hour naturalist-led tour to get a closer look at the incredible tropical birds and other wildlife on the island. You’ll pass through the rainforest, coconut plantations, and dazzling waterfalls while on your tour. For details, contact Newton George, Speyside ( 868/660-5463 or 868/754-7881).

Although most people come to Tobago to enjoy the island’s tranquillity, lively nightlife can be had. This is, after all, the region that produced calypso, soca, and steel drum music. Local hotels and bars play everything from karaoke music to the laid-back sounds of reggae, perfect soundtracks for a vacation away from it all. —JD

Tourism Division of the Tobago House of Assembly, airport office ( 868/639-0509), or I. B. Mall in Scarborough ( 868/639-2125).

Tobago.

$$$ Arnos Vale Hotel, Scarborough ( 868/639-2881; www.arnosvalehotel.com $$ Blue Waters Inn, Batteaux Bay, Speyside ( 800/448-8355 in the U.S., or 868/660-4314; www.bluewatersinn.com).

189

Tangier Island

Getting Crabby in the Marshes

Virginia, U.S.

Perched proudly in the wide expanse of Chesapeake Bay, 12 miles (19km) from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Tangier Island is defiantly remote—so remote that the natives haven’t yet lost their ancestors’ distinct Elizabethan brogue. The roads here, laid out in the 17th century, are so narrow you can barely drive a modern car along them, and so there are no cars; islanders get around instead on traditional flat-bottomed shove boats and sleek motorboats. Houses on Tangier are more likely to use their back doors, which face the creeks, than the front doors that face the lanes. Touristy it ain’t—and that’s just why you’ll feel like going native within a few hours of arriving on Tangier.

Some countrysides have walking trails laid out; Tangier Island has water trails, five of them, lacing through the marshes, channels, and lagoons. The Orange Trail circles the main body of the island, ducking under bridges that link the island’s various low-lying landmasses. It winds up in the harbor amid a working fleet of wooden-hulled Chesapeake Bay deadrise boats, used for crabbing and oystering (note the crab shanties set on pilings in the water, where peeler crabs are kept in tanks until they shed their shells to become soft-shell crabs). The Yellow Trail branches off across the southern lagoon to an outlying hook of white-sand beach where terns and black skimmers nest in tranquil solitude. The Green Trail zips across the channel to outlying Port Isobel, a nature preserve owned by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, where a walking trail has been laid out through the marshes. The Blue Trail slips through the marshes of the island’s southwest corner, gliding under the Hoistin’ Bridge, the island’s highest bridge, a traditional trysting spot for young couples. The Pink Trail circles a large northern lobe of the island, the Uppards, where you’ll view haunting relics of the days when this was a thriving community, before it sank into marshland.

Visitors can rent golf carts or bicycles, or take buggy tours to see the sights. It’s a good idea to start at the new Tangier History Museum (16215 Main Ridge Rd.;  302/234-1660; www.tangierhistorymuseum.org where you can learn about the island’s war history, its unique isolated culture, and the natural forces that are gradually breaking up the island’s landmass. The museum lends visitors kayaks and canoes for the water trails, and also has mapped out a fascinating walking tour of the main island, pointing out island landmarks that shed light on its quirky customs (such as why you’ll see mossy gravestones of ancestors in so many front yards here).

Perhaps the best way to understand what Tangier Island is all about is to book an overnight stay that includes a “waterman’s tour”—a visit to a crab shanty, followed next morning by an excursion on a working crab boat. Contact either the Bay View Inn (see below) or Hilda Crockett’s B&B ( 757/891-2331) for details. —HH

www.tangierhistorymuseum.org or www.tangierisland-va.com.

Norfolk International Airport (112 miles/180km).

From Reedville, Virginia (11⁄2 hr.); Onancock, Maryland (1 hr.); or Crisfield, Maryland (45 min. or 11⁄4 hr.).

$$ Bay View Inn, 16408 W. Ridge Rd. ( 757/891-2396; www.tangierisland.net $ Sunset Inn, 16650 W. Ridge Rd. ( 757/891-2535; www.tangierislandsunset.com open Apr–Oct).

190

Yap

Sorcerers & Stone Money

Micronesia

Occupying its own remote, isolated corner of the vast Pacific Ocean, the island of Yap has a native culture as fascinating and richly textured as any on the planet, one that encompasses sorcerers, stone money, and bawdy dances featuring men in colorful hibiscus skirts.

A reef-fringed tropical paradise where the seas are a cozy 28°C (82°F) year-round, Yap is indeed lush and lovely. But don’t expect to run into anyone you know while you’re here; Yap gets fewer than 5,000 visitors a year, and for good reason: It’s a long, long way from anywhere. Yap lies in the northwestern Pacific just 9 degrees above the equator, 805km (500 miles) southwest of Guam and 483km (300 miles) northeast of Palau .

Yap is actually one of a cluster of islands that stretch for some 966km (600 miles) across the Pacific and one of four states that make up the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The indigenous population can trace its roots back thousands of years and has maintained its customs through sometimes harrowing 20th-century occupations (during Japanese rule, islanders were forced into labor gangs). Following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, the American soldiers swept in, bringing with them modern schools and healthcare. But even those islanders who have had a thorough primary and secondary education and speak fluent English often opt to live out the local traditions and customs.

One of those entrenched customs is the continued use of gigantic stone discs as money, a tradition that experts suggest may go back as far as 125 a.d. These stones can reach up to 3.6m (12 ft.) in diameter—and even more remarkably, they come from the neighboring island of Palau, several hundred miles away. The Yapese, excellent navigators, quarried the stones in Palau and carried them back to the island by outrigger canoe—a rough journey made even more perilous by the sheer weight of the stones. Amazingly, each individual stone’s value is different, determined by a number of factors, including size, shape, the quality and texture of the stone, and how arduous it was to haul it to the island. Most of the stones are now kept in Stone Money Banks in each village.

Yap is increasingly on the radar of tourists as a world-class dive spot, where underwater visibility often exceeds an impressive 45m (148 ft.). The marine scenery is superb, where table corals are reportedly the size of dinner tables, and divers may encounter huge mounds of blue staghorn, golden elkhorn, and giant brain corals. Yap has the largest concentration of manta rays in the world, fed by the rich plankton in the surrounding mangroves. With wingspans of 4.8 to 6m (16–20 ft.), manta rays can weigh up to 1,350kg (2,976 pounds), and unlike stingrays—which have spines or stingers on their tails—they pose no threat to divers.

The snorkeling is equally rewarding here, particularly in the area around Manta Bay Channel and along the inner reef; the seas are alive with clown fish and turquoise parrotfish. Most of the resorts offer dive or snorkel packages, as well as cultural tours to local villages. You can even sail on traditional outrigger canoes, the same seaworthy vessels the Yapese have been navigating for thousands of years. The canoes are beautifully hand-carved and decorated with geometric designs.

A visit to Yap is an immersion in a unique culture, and as such, respect for the islanders’ traditions and lifestyle is paramount. The tourism bureau recommends that you always ask permission before photographing someone, and dress modestly—bathing suits should be worn for swimming and sunbathing poolside only. —AF

www.visityap.com.

Yap (connections from Guam or Palau).

$$ Manta Ray Bay Resort ( 691/350-2300; www.mantaray.com $$$ Traders’ Ridge Resort ( 691/350-6000;

191

Ojima Island

The Red Bridges of Matsushima

Japan

Why would anybody need a getaway from Matsushima? This beautiful bay, dotted with hundreds of pine-covered islets, has for centuries been classed as one of Japan’s top-three scenic wonders (the other two are Miyajima in Hiroshima Bay and Amanohashidate on the north coast of Honshu). Gazing across the sweep of the bay from Matsushima town is like looking at a gigantic version of a pond in a Japanese bonsai garden: Gnarled pine trees writhe picturesquely upward from the islands, most of them little more than humps of volcanic tuff and white sandstone. Even the great 17th-century haiku poet Basho was so overwhelmed when he finally beheld its beauty, he could only write, “Matsushima, Ah! Matsushima! Matsushima!”

And yet for Buddhist monks from Matsushima’s powerful Zuiganji temple, seeking a place for spiritual retreat, gazing upon that panorama wasn’t enough. That’s why they took over tiny wooded Ojima Island, literally a stone’s throw from the mainland (it’s connected to the town by the gentle arch of red Togetsu Bridge). Here, as part of their ascetic discipline, young monks-in-training patiently carved out 108 shallow caves—108 being a significant number in Buddhist thought—and decorated them with scriptures, Buddhist images, and sutras that would help focus their prayers and meditations. As befits a monkish refuge, women were strictly forbidden to set foot here, at least until after the reforms of the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

Ojima Island.

Only about half of the caves have survived, and nowadays the island has a distinct air of neglect; the stone images are crumbling and worn, moss-covered and water-stained. Yet somehow, that gentle sense of decay makes this tranquil island seem even more otherworldly. There’s no entrance fee, there’s no gate, and the bridge never closes. You can walk around the entire island in about 20 minutes, tallying up how many images of the Buddha you spot. Along the graveled paths, look for the monument to Basho, inscribed with a haiku by his traveling companion Sora. You can almost picture the island as it was when Basho and Sora arrived in 1689 to view the meditation rock of a renowned Buddhist hermit, the Venerable Ungo.

You can’t miss the monks’ other island, Godaido, set right by the ferry pier in the center of town; it’s one of Matsushima’s most iconic postcard images. Built in 809—it’s completely man-made—Godaido is just big enough to hold one pagoda, which shelters five holy statues that are displayed to the public only every 33 years (their next scheduled appearance is 2039). It too is connected to land by a bright red bridge. Farther out in the bay an even longer red bridge skims over the water, leading to Fukuurajima, a rather overgrown botanical garden island. It’ll take an hour or so to walk around it, reading the labels on various shrubs, flowers, and trees. It’s not quite as much of a spiritual experience as Ojima—but then, very few things are. —HH

Tourist office, Kaigan station ( 81/22/354-2263) or Kaigan Pier ( 81/22/354-2618); also www.pref.miyagi.jp.

Matsushima-Kaigan.

Matsushima-Kaigan pier, 50 min. from Hon-Shiogama.

$$ Matsushima Century Hotel, 8 Senzui, Matsushima ( 81/22/354-4111; www.centuryhotel.co.jp). $$ Taikanso, 10–17 Inuta, Matsushima ( 81/22/354-5214; www.taikanso.co.jp).

192

Putuo Shan

Sacred Peak

China

Just an hour’s flight from Shanghai, Putuo Shan is worlds away from the bustling Chinese metropolis. This tiny, 12-sq.-km (42⁄3-sq.-mile) island, 32km (20 miles) off the China coast in the East China Sea, is an oasis of calm, with little vehicular traffic, no chain stores, and no flashing billboards. It is filled with temples and green gardens and ringed by scenic beaches with soft, smooth sand. Most important, it is a holy place for Buddhists from all over the world, who make pilgrimages to the peak in the center of the island known as Mount Putuo, one of the four most sacred mountains in Buddhism. A trip to this “garden in the ocean” is a serene, rejuvenating escape from urban China.

The ancients called this small island the “Number One Buddhist Paradise in China.” An imperial order in the 13th century decreed Putuo Shan and its temples sacred to the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, a goddess of mercy and compassion (known in its female form as Guanyin). Much of the island was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in 1949, but with the atheist Chinese government apparently opening its arms to Buddhism lately, Mount Putuo and its remaining monasteries and temples have undergone a renaissance: The island now has some 33 temples, and of the 3,000 permanent residents, 1,000 are monks.

Climbing Mount Putuo is not for the faint-hearted; although it rises only 300m (984 ft.), it has more than a thousand steps to ascend. You can take a cable car instead up the mountain. The island’s main temple is also its largest, Fuji, which traces its origins back a thousand years; its golden glazed roofs signify that it was designated a royal temple, with its buildings tucked into 1.6 hectares (4 acres) of manicured gardens. The most prestigious, however, is the royal temple Fayu, originally built in the 16th century and surrounded by ancient trees; inside the temple is a 1,000-year-old gingko—the leaves still turn a golden yellow in the autumn. The Fayu temple is known for its fantastic dragon ornamentation and sculpted stone slates, as well as a pure gold statue of Guanyin that survived the Cultural Revolution purge. The third major temple on Putuo Shan is Huiji, known as the “garden temple,” which lies pillowed in trees and the creases of Fodsing Shan (“Folding Mountain”).

Tourism is booming on this and the other islands in the Zhoushan (or Zhejiang) province; a million people visit Mount Putuo annually, many taking the ferry across the small inlet from nearby Zhoushan Island. Many come to Putuo Shan simply to enjoy its lovely beaches, including the Hundred Step Beach and the Thousand Step Beach, where sunbathing, sand sculpting, and “sandbathing” are the main activities—although you’ll see some people in the water, reports are that the fetid East China Sea may not be fit for swimming. Be sure to ask around before you take the plunge. —AF

Putuoshan Scenic Area Management Committee ( 86/580/319-1919; www.mtputuo.com).

Shanghai to Zhoushan Island (1 hr.).

From Shanghai (4–12 hr.) or Zhoushan Island (15 min.).

$$ Xilie Villa, 1 Xiang Hua St., Putuo Shan ( 86/580/609-1505; www.xlxzhotel.com).

193

Majuli Island

The Sacred in the Everyday

India

Majuli is one of the largest freshwater-river islands in the world, with abundant bird life and long-standing cultural traditions. But it is best known for its importance in Vaishnavism, a simpler form of traditional Hinduism, initiated in the early 15th century by the religious reformer Srimanta Sankardev, whose approach toward faith was steeped in prayer and the love of one god rather than idol worship. Sankardev believed that Vishnu-Narayana is the one supreme God and all other gods and creatures are subservient to him.

Sankardev focused on the importance of faith in everyday life through dance, theater, and art, and established 65 satras (monasteries) on Majuli, some of which still stand and are used to train young disciples. They are also open to visitors for overnight stays. Outside of the satras, people gather at the namghar, or temple, to sing and pray. In keeping with the philosophy of union between the sacred and mundane, temples are also used as gathering places to discuss village concerns.

Although Vishnu-Narayana is looked upon as the supreme god, other Hindu deities are also celebrated at festivals on the island. Because Krishna was thought to have played with his consorts on Majuli, nearly every islander takes part in the 3-day song, dance, and theater festival of Ras Purnima, in the month of Kartik (Oct–Nov). It’s a great time to visit and participate in a joyous demonstration of faith.

Majuli sits in the enormous, and often rough, Brahmaputra River. It has about 20 villages, home to nearly 150 residents, most of whom come from the Deori and Sonowal Kacharis tribes. Most residents work in agriculture, tending to rice fields, or make their living fishing or dairy farming. The women of the island are expert weavers, creating beautiful textiles of cotton and silk. Many types of rice are grown, including bora, a sticky brown rice used to make the traditional dessert peetha, produced especially for the spring festival. Some native crafts are also linked to festivals; local pottery is made during the Ali-ao-lvignag festival in February and March, and mask making is done at the end of winter for the Paal Naam festival.

As a study in contrasts, you may want to include a visit to the cosmopolitan city of Jorhat, about 20km (12 miles) away on the mainland, in your trip. The city is known for its traditional tea gardens as well as its cultural vigor. It’s produced historians, journalists, and writers, including Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, a recipient of India’s most prestigious prize for literature, the Jnanpith Award.

The ecosystem here is host to an abundance of flora and fauna, including many rare and endangered species. The Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary is a popular attraction, notable for its fine collection of primates. Visiting birders will get a chance to spot the greater adjutant stork, pelican, Siberian crane, and whistling teal. Before visiting, though, bear in mind that rainfall is frequent and often heavy here. The best time to visit is during the dry season from November to March when most of the music, dance, and theater is performed, providing prime opportunities for spiritual renewal and escape. —JD

Assam Tourism, Station Road, Guwahati, Assam ( 91/361/2547102).

Jorhat from Guwahati. (From Jorhat take a boat to the island.)

Government ferry services to Majuli run from Nimatighat. Private boats may also be rented.

$$ Hotel Brahmaputraashok Ashok, M.G. Road, Guwahati ( 91/361-2602281; www.hotelbrahmaputraashok.com).

194

Simi Island

Isle of Churches

Simi, Greece

The tiny island of Simi boasts one of the most beautiful harbors in Greece. Visitors arriving by ferry are rewarded with views of pastel-colored mansions scattered on the steep hillsides—a reminder of its prosperous past as a center for shipbuilding, trading, and sponge diving. But the island’s biggest claim to fame is its many churches and monasteries. Natives like to say that you can worship in a different church every day of the year, making this island retreat a perfect place for spiritual renewal.

The most famous holy landmark of all is located in the village of Panormitis. The Venetian-style Monastery of the Archangel Michael, dedicated to the patron saint of the island and the protector of sailors, was founded in 450 a.d., and renovated in the 18th century. Through the years, it has provided a home for Greek Orthodox monks, and today it has become a destination spot for those who appreciate sacred art. It boasts many stunning artifacts, including a silver icon of Michael and paintings from the Byzantine period. The monastery still functions as a home for monks, who live in cells within the building. It’s even possible to rent one of these cells for an overnight stay. Call the guest office ( 30/22410/72-414) for more information. If you are taking a day trip, be sure to reserve at least an hour to visit the cells and the two museums on-site, where you’ll see thousands of offerings from pilgrims seeking favors.

Simi is made up of four areas: Yialos, the main harbor; Chorio, its uppermost town; Pedi Bay, the valley below Chorio; and Nimborios, the community to the north of Yialos. The island has only about six taxis—all leaving from the stand at the center of the harbor. You can also rent mopeds, but, since there are few roads, you are better off walking or using public transportation.

Most visitors arrive by boat from Rhodes on a day trip. Just don’t be surprised if you fall in love with this laid-back island and decide to stay here longer—many visitors make return pilgrimages to Simi’s sandy beaches and rites like the Simi Festival, offering an international roster of music, theater, and film performances each June through September. —JD

Symi Visitor center (www.symivisitor.com).

Rhodes Airport (11km/63⁄4 miles).

Three boats connect Rhodes to Simi: the car ferries Proteus and Simi (1 hr., 40 min.), and the hydrofoil Aegli (about 1 hr.).

$$ Aliki Hotel, Akti Gennimata ( 30/22410/71-665). $$ Hotel Nireus, Akti Gennimata ( 30/22410/72-400).