It’s not just an island. It’s like taking a trip in a time machine back to the 1800s where motorized vehicles are not allowed and the only way to get around is by walking, biking, riding a horse or in a horse and buggy.
Travel and Leisure has just listed Mackinac Island as one of the top 15 islands in the continental U.S.
Mackinac Island comes in at No 3, just behind the Golden Isles in Georgia (Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island, St. Simons Island) and Amelia Island in Florida.
To come up with its list, Travel and Leisure says every year for its World’s Best Awards survey, it asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the world and to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more.
Islands were specifically rated on these criteria:
When it came down to the top 15, Travel and Leisure says its readers had one main commonality: How beloved the islands are among travelers.
“We love the fact that there are no cars — just horses and bikes,” said a reader about Mackinac Island, which just had one of its roads receive a speed limit and where America’s oldest grocery store just celebrated 140 years.
Here are the top 15 islands from T + L and their scores:
1. Golden Isles, Georgia
Reader Score: 90.29
2. Amelia Island, Florida
Reader Score: 86.93
3. Mackinac Island, Michigan
Reader Score: 86.73
4. Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Reader Score: 84.17
5. Florida Keys, Florida
Reader Score: 83.48
6. Cumberland Island, Georgia
Reader Score: 83.20
7. San Juan Islands, Washington
Reader Score: 83.10
8. Nantucket, Massachusetts
Reader Score: 83.06
9. Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Reader Score: 82.61
10. Sanibel Island, Florida
Reader Score: 82.32
11. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Reader Score: 81.97
12. Mount Desert Island, Maine
Reader Score: 81.33
13. Fire Island, New York
Reader Score: 81.03
14. Captiva Island, Florida
Reader Score: 80.78
15. South Padre Island, Texas
Reader Score: 80.54
