Hilton Head reclaims Travel + Leisure’s No. 1 ranking as the best US island. Here’s why
Hilton Head Island has staged a comeback in this year’s Travel + Leisure rankings of the best islands in America.
Readers of the national travel magazine recently selected Hilton Head as the No. 1 island in the continental United States, the magazine announced Wednesday.
The island had been ranked No. 3 in 2020 after holding the top spot for years.
Voting for the magazine’s 2021 list was open from January to May. COVID-19 cases on Hilton Head dropped significantly during the spring.
According to Travel + Leisure’s description of Hilton Head, “With 12 miles of pristine beaches, 33 golf courses, 60 miles of walking trails, as well as outstanding restaurants, museums and galleries, this South Carolina island has been popular with voters for years.”
“We can be as busy as we like or just relax and take in all the beautiful beaches and sea life,” said one voter, according to the magazine.
The magazine recommended that families vacationing on the island stay at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort.
“For a more serene experience, there is the 60-room Inn & Club at Harbour Town, which was recently refurbished and offers tennis and golf,” the magazine said.
Hilton Head is followed on the 2021 list by Kiawah Island, South Carolina; Amelia Island, Florida; San Juan Islands, Washington; Long Boat Key, Florida; Nantucket, Massachusetts; the Golden Isles in Georgia (Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island and St. Simons Island); Mount Desert Island, Maine; Mackinac Island, Michigan; Florida Keys, Florida; Captiva Island, Florida; Block Island, Rhode Island; Sanibel Island, Florida; Outer Banks, North Carolina; and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Hilton Head was previously named the No. 1 island in the continental United States by Travel + Leisure in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, according to previous reporting from The Island Packet. The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce encourages social media followers to vote for the island each year, and spent over $50,000 on advertising the island in the magazine during fiscal year 2019.
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 1:14 PM.
