U.S. Islands to Visit for Relaxation & Adventure
The United States boasts some pretty spectacular islands, from South Carolina’s Kiawah Island to the Florida Keys and Sanibel Island in Florida. In the state of Massachusetts, there’s Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, while Maine boasts the popular Mount Desert Island.
Some islands whisper, others dare. That’s what I learned hopping from coast to coast (and living on one of these islands for 6 years). I found the ones where you could both lose your stress and find your spark. The kind of places where one day you’re kayaking through still marshes and the next you’re hiking volcanic craters. You don’t have to choose between doing nothing and doing everything, you just have to land somewhere that lets you do both.
These U.S. islands offered me hammocks and hiking boots, tidepools and tacos, fog and fire. Each one carried its own balance, but all of them gave me what I needed most: room to reset, and just enough adventure to feel my pulse again.
Best U.S. Islands to Visit for Relaxation & Adventure
Unplug and Immerse Yourself in Wild Beauty on Little St. Simons Island
I ferried across from St. Simons Island (a 15-minute boat ride, included with a lodge stay) to Little St. Simons Island.
“I’ve never heard quiet this textured.” That’s what I thought on the skiff ride over to Little St. Simons Island, a 11,000-acre private island where the guest count never tops 32 and the only thing louder than the wind in the pines is a laughing gull.
I stayed in a cedar-shingled lodge where breakfast smelled like butter and coastal air. Days started with birding walks, salt marsh kayak trips, or just me sitting on the porch, watching shadows shift. I saw armadillos rustling in the underbrush and owls in the live oaks. No cars. No crowds. No problem.
Lunch was grilled shrimp with tomato salad, herby, juicy, and warm from the kitchen garden. I thought, “If the world ends, I hope I’m here for it.”
Little St. Simons At a Glance
- Getting There: Private boat from St. Simons Island (GA coast)
- Vibe: Secluded, luxurious in a naturalist way
- Best For: Nature lovers, couples, digital detoxers
- Activities: Guided kayaking, birding, fishing, shelling
- Food: All meals included, fresh, local, generous
- Tips: Leave the heels and laptop at home; bring curiosity
Roam With Wild Horses and Sea Breezes on Assateague Island
We drove about 10 miles south from Ocean City, Maryland (20 minutes) to Assateague Island, a barrier island stretching 37 miles along the Atlantic. Managed partly as a National Seashore and partly as state parkland, it’s famous for its herds of wild ponies, descendants of horses that have roamed here for centuries.
“Are those ponies… just roaming around?” Yes. Yes, they are. Assateague Island is where the wilderness still gets the last word. Split between Maryland and Virginia, this barrier island feels more like a frontier, grassy dunes, briny marshes, and shaggy wild horses trotting through campsites like they own the place. (They sort of do.)
I hiked a sand trail that turned into beach, then wandered barefoot past tide pools filled with ghost crabs. The wind was strong, the sky clear, and the horses mostly indifferent to my wonder.
I packed lunch: a crusty sandwich from a roadside deli, turkey, cheddar, grainy mustard, and the kind of tomato that soaks the bread just enough. I ate on a driftwood log and thought, “This place doesn't care if I’m here. And that feels like freedom.”
Assateague Island At a Glance
- Getting There: Drive from Ocean City, MD or Chincoteague, VA
- Vibe: Untamed, wind-swept, elemental
- Best For: Campers, wildlife photographers, DIY adventurers
- Activities: Beach hiking, kayaking, horseback riding (MD side)
- Food: BYO, there are no restaurants on the island
- Tips: Mind the tides and the horses, they’re wild for a reason
If Quaint Villages and Coastal Hikes Call You, Sail Away to Block Island
From Point Judith, Rhode Island, I boarded the ferry (12 miles, about 55 minutes, $18 one way) to Block Island, a small New England getaway with about 1,400 year-round residents.
“It’s like someone put Nantucket in flip-flops.” Block Island has that East Coast charm, but softer. A quick ferry from the mainland and I was in a world of bike rentals, stone walls, and blufftop views that stretched to tomorrow.
I rode out to Mohegan Bluffs, panting up hills, then flying down them like a kid. The bluffs themselves were a shock, towering, raw, with a staircase that seemed designed for drama. I descended, kicked off my shoes, and let the cool Atlantic knock the sweat from my thoughts.
Lunch was a lobster roll from Three Sisters, chilled, buttery, wrapped in paper and summer. I sat in the grass and thought, “You don’t have to escape far to feel far away.”
Block Island At a Glance
- Getting There: Ferry from Point Judith, RI (or by small plane)
- Vibe: Laid-back coastal, boho-preppy
- Best For: Cyclists, couples, relaxed adventurers
- Activities: Beach-hopping, lighthouse walks, bluff hikes
- Food: Three Sisters, Poor People’s Pub, The Oar
- Tips: Midweek stays are quieter; rent a bike early in the day
Adventure, Relaxation, and Ocean Views Await You on Catalina Island
From Long Beach, I caught the Catalina Express ferry (22 miles across the Pacific, about 1 hour, $42 one way) to Avalon, the island’s main town with about 3,700 residents. The crescent-shaped harbor feels straight out of the 1920s, anchored by the art deco Catalina Casino building.
“Did I just see a bison?” I did. Catalina balances glam and grit better than most islands. One minute you’re sipping iced coffee in Avalon, the next you’re hiking ridge trails where the wind tastes like eucalyptus and the only traffic jam is a deer crossing the path.
I hiked part of the Trans-Catalina Trail, stopping often to breathe in the Pacific and let the silence rearrange my brain. That trail gives you sweat and solitude in equal measure. The reward? A dip in the sea and a giant sandwich from a seaside shack that smelled like sunscreen and grilled fish.
I had a grilled mahi taco with slaw that snapped and a squeeze of lime that cut through the heat. I sat on a bench by the ferry dock and thought, “This is what balance feels like, sunburned and full and alive.”
Catalina Island At a Glance
- Getting There: Ferry from Long Beach, Newport Beach, or Dana Point
- Vibe: Beach-town energy with backcountry edges
- Best For: Day hikers, snorkelers, couples looking to recharge
- Activities: Zip-lining, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling
- Food: Bluewater Grill, Original Jack’s, The Lobster Trap
- Tips: Stay overnight to enjoy the quieter side; bring comfy shoes
Find Your Coastal Escape With Sandy Shores and Lighthouses on Fire Island
From Bay Shore on Long Island, I boarded a ferry across the Great South Bay (about 30 minutes, $12 one way) to Fire Island, a barrier island stretching 32 miles with no cars allowed in most communities.
“Is it possible to be nostalgic for a place you’ve never been?” That’s how Fire Island made me feel. No cars. Just boardwalks, flip-flops, and the kind of light that makes everything look like a faded photograph.
I wandered the long stretch between Ocean Beach and Cherry Grove, sun on my shoulders, the Atlantic thumping in the distance. Ice cream was being eaten at 10am. Dogs barked lazily. And the world felt far away in the best kind of way.
I had a caprese panini from a café tucked between cottages, gooey mozzarella, warm tomato, just the right crunch. I ate it sitting cross-legged on a wooden step, thinking, “This is the kind of summer memory you don’t even have to earn.”
Fire Island At a Glance
- Getting There: Ferry from Bay Shore, Patchogue, or Sayville (Long Island)
- Vibe: Carefree, nostalgic, car-free
- Best For: Beach lovers, LGBTQ+ travelers, minimalist vacationers
- Activities: Beach lounging, biking, paddling, people-watching
- Food: Sandcastle Café, Island Mermaid, Hideaway
- Tips: Bring cash; ferry schedules matter; sunsets are everything
Bike, Explore, and Rewind Time on Jekyll Island’s Historic Paths
I drove 90 miles south from Savannah (about 1 hour 40 minutes via I-95) to Jekyll Island, one of Georgia’s Golden Isles with a year-round population of about 1,300. Once an exclusive winter retreat for America’s wealthiest families, today much of the island is preserved as state parkland.
“This feels like someone stitched together a resort and a nature preserve.” Jekyll has golf courses and grand hotels, yes, but it also has empty beaches, biking trails through maritime forests, and a driftwood-strewn shoreline that feels pulled from a dream.
I biked the whole island, past historic cottages, salt marsh overlooks, and under live oaks that filtered the sun into cathedral light. I stopped at Driftwood Beach, walked among the bleached skeletons of long-fallen trees, and thought, “Even erosion has a kind of grace.”
I ate at the Pantry at the Jekyll Island Club: a pimento cheese sandwich with pickled okra on the side. It was picnic food elevated, nostalgic and satisfying. I sat in the grass and watched the wind rearrange the marsh.
Jekyll Island At a Glance
- Getting There: Causeway from Brunswick, GA (small fee per car)
- Vibe: Elegant, accessible, history-rich
- Best For: Families, history buffs, casual adventurers
- Activities: Biking, beachcombing, sea turtle rehab tours
- Food: The Pantry, Driftwood Bistro, The Wharf
- Tips: Watch the tides for best Driftwood Beach access; bring a bike or rent one
If Lava Flows and Starry Skies Inspire You, Discover Hawaii Island
Flying into Kona from Honolulu (about 45 minutes, $70 one way), I landed on the Big Island, the largest of Hawai?i’s islands at 4,028 square miles, bigger than all the others combined.
“This is the edge of the Earth, and the middle of everything.” Nowhere felt bigger or more alive than the Big Island. Volcanic craters, black sand beaches, coral reefs, and jungle waterfalls, all in a single drive. It’s like the planet decided to show off.
While I lived on the Big Island nea Kona for 6 years, I snorkeled, hiked through a cooled lava field, ate kalua pork with rice and grilled pineapple from a roadside truck. I sat on a lava rock wall, ocean roaring behind me, and thought, “ This is a reminder that the world is still wild.”
Big Island At a Glance
- Getting There: Flights into Kona or Hilo
- Vibe: Raw, elemental, diverse
- Best For: Hikers, divers, road trippers
- Activities: Volcanoes National Park, snorkeling, stargazing on Mauna Kea
- Food: Local food trucks, Hilo Bay Café, Kona Brewing Co.
- Tips: Rent a car, everything’s far; pack for multiple climates
Conclusion: Stillness, Strangeness, and the Middle Ground
It turns out you don’t have to choose between doing nothing and doing something bold, you just have to find the right island. Across coastlines and climates, these U.S. islands gave me space to drift and reasons to dive in. Some whispered me into a nap beneath live oaks. Others had me chasing wild horses or sweating up ridgelines that felt like the world’s edge. I needed both.
What tied them together wasn’t size or scenery, it was the pause. Every one of these places, in its own way, interrupted me. Pulled me out of my habits, slowed me down, reminded me that joy lives in contrast: still mornings and windburned hikes, barefoot lunches and volcanic skylines.
So whether you’re the hammock type or the bootlace kind, these islands are your reminder: there’s time to breathe, and there’s time to leap. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, the best places let you do both before lunch.
Booking Checklist
1. Book Your Flight - I use Expedia because I like their mobile app with my itinerary. They've helped me re-book flights on many occasions. Once you reach their Gold tier, support is especially good.
2. Book Your Hotel - I use Booking.com or Expedia, depending on my destination.
3. Book Your Rental Car - I use Expedia.
4. Book your tours on Viator or Get Your Guide.
