Television, magazines and movie screens are filled with images of the perfect tropical island paradise. Just the mentioning of the words island paradise brings visions of romantic beaches, coconut drinks and beautiful sunsets over crystal blue waters. Getting to one of the tropical island paradise locations may not be as hard as you thought. The US has some of the best island paradise vacation spots in the world and some are right in your backyard. So here is our list of the 10 best island paradise locations in the US.
Located off the south of Cape Cod in New England, Martha’s Vineyard is perfect beach lover’s retreat. Accessible only by boat or by plane, you don’t have to worry about massive crowds and extremely long lines. Martha’s Vineyard offers some of the best seafood dining options in the country. This is one island paradise you won’t regret visiting.
This Georgia barrier island is relatively unknown to many outside of the area, but Jekyll Island clearly earns its spot onto our list of island paradises. A nature lover’s dream, Jekyll Island offers nature walks, dolphin watching and eco-tours. If you’re feeling a little young at heart, you can visit Summer Waves Water Park. Best times to visit are in spring and summer.
A tropical island paradise in Texas? Yes! Galveston Island is just that. Feel like going out and catching a few waves? Yes! You can go surfing in Texas. Who knew? Feel like celebrating Mardi Gras? Yes, you can do that at Galveston Island too and because of its location the temperatures are conducive to visits almost year round.
Santa Rosa Island
You’ve heard of Miami and Tampa, but how about Santa Rosa Island? This island paradise is located in the great state of Florida, so you know the weather is just right no matter what time of year you decide to visit. You can snorkel, play golf or if you’re a diver you can take your shot at the world’s largest artificial reef.
Tuck away on the beaches of South Carolina, Hilton Head makes the cut of our best island paradises for two reasons. The golf courses are amongst the best in the country and the climate is near perfect. Even during the winter months, a walk down the beaches of Hilton Head provides one of the more romantic evenings that you can find.
Tybee Island is on the Georgia coastline just minutes for the South Carolina boarder. Tybee Island makes our list of island paradise destination simply because of all there is to do. You can catch a dolphin tour, go across the bridge and visit historic Savannah or hit the beach. You can hit Tybee Island in from spring to fall since the weather in the area stay pretty consistent.
We can’t separate this island group and you won’t be able to either when you visit this island paradise. The Keys are a far south as you can get in the continental US and look at all the stuff there is to do. Fishing, kayaking, golfing, eco-tours and scuba diving are just a handful of the activities that you can experience in the Keys. Whenever you want to go is the best time to go!
US Virgin Islands
Ok, this may be a bit of a stretch, but if you’re a US territory then you’re on our list of island paradise destinations. If we broke them up, then all three of these islands would be on the list and three of our others paradises would have to go. What sets them apart? They have perfect tropical island weather 360 days a year. We left 5 days off for bad weather.
Hawaii
Yes the entire state is on the list! Which island you ask? I say pick one. The Hawaiian Islands are the very definition of a tropical island paradise. This is arguably the best surfing destination in the world. Hawaii also offers some of the most awe inspiring natural wonders in the form of its active volcanoes.
Bermuda
Of all of our island paradise destinations, this has got to be my favorite. Bermuda is in the tropics and doesn’t have nearly the number of people that say the Virgin Islands or Hawaii has. The water in Bermuda is perfect tropical blue and they have some of the best golf courses of any island around. Bermuda is also another one of those spots that you can visit year round.
More from this Contributor:
The Best Theme Parks in the US
The World’s Best Historical Vacation Spots
Great Low Budget Travel Destinations
