I love the mountains, and I love a quiet lake in a woodsy spot. But I’m definitely a summer person and a water person, so when people ask me about the best places I’ve travelled I almost always answer with an island destination, such as isolated Lord Howe Island in Australia.
With that in mind, and given it’s the time of year when people start thinking about their top places to travel for the next year, here are some top islands to visit in 2027, with no particular order or ranking in mind.
JIM’S TOP TEN ISLANDS TO VISIT
PONZA, ITALY – This is a lovely island off the west coast of Italy. It’s quite popular with Romans and Italians, but I don’t know many North Americans who’ve made it. The scenery and small villages are what you’d expect from a Mediterranean island, and that’s a good thing.
Looking for a lovely Italian island for a great holiday? Try Ponza instead of Capri. Jim Byers Photo
WAIHEKE ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND – I adore this place. It’s an easy ferry ride from Auckland, and an island that features lovely wineries, white sand beaches and pretty villages. I had a fine Segway tour on my last visit, as well as a fine dish of local seafood at a cafe overlooking the water.
Waiheke Island, New Zealand. Jim Byers Photo
CAPE BRETON ISLAND, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA – The Cabot Trail is one of the world’s great drives, taking you along towering coastal cliffs with dramatic ocean views. Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs are two of the world’s best golf courses. And don’t miss a night of music at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou. The westernmost part of the island is only about a 3.5-hour drive from Halifax, a great Canadian city.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada. Jim Byers Photo
CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA – If you’re looking for the quintessential, laid-back California beach town, look no further. Almost everyone gets around on golf carts, and there’s no traffic. It’s a great spot for hiking and kayaking, and the town of Avalon has great waterfront dining and fun shops. You can get here by ferry from L.A. or Long Beach in about an hour.
The town of Avalon on Catalina Island. Jim Byers Photo
RAPA NUI (EASTER ISLAND), CHILE – One of the most remote and interesting places on this good earth of ours. It’s a five hour flight to get here from Chile, but well worth the effort. The ancient moat statues remain a wonder and the focus for most visitors. But you’ll also find great beaches and remarkable scenery, as well as abundant seafood.
Sunrise on Easter Island, Chile. Jim Byers Photo
ISLE OF ARRAN, SCOTLAND – A visit to this island off the west coast of Scotland in 2024 was one of my fave trips of all time. Some call it a microcosm of Scotland, as you’ll find great golf, a fine distillery, a cool castle, relaxing country roads, and attractive towns such as . I particularly loved my round of golf at Shsiskine Golf Club, and our visit to Arran Distillery.
The village of Kildonan on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. Jim Byers Photo
KAUAI, HAWAII – This is probably the most beautiful of all the Hawaiian islands, with lush forests, deep, rugged canyons (Waimea Canyon is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific), amazing coastal hikes, superb beaches and outstanding places to stay. Poi’pu is the most famous beach, but I quite like Salt Pond Beach Park near the delightful town of Hanapepe, and also Hanalei Beach, Ke’e Beach and Anahola Beach Park. The island was hit by a major storm in but has recovered nicely and could use the business.
The Na Pali coast is an amazing feature on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Jim Byers Photo
BEQUIA, CARIBBEAN – This is a beautiful spot south of the island of St. Vincent, and part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The tiny town of Port Elizabeth is a funky, tropical speck on the west coast. Be sure to take the walking trail from town to Princess Margaret Beach, stopping for a bite and a drink at Jack’s Beach Bar. The Bequia Beach Hotel is a fine place to stay the night. Most people arrive by ferry from St. Vincent, which has lovely waterfalls, deep green jungle, and a relatively new Sandals Resort.
The Bequia Beach Hotel.
AZORES, PORTUGAL – I was gobsmacked by my visit here in 2015. The blue water and lava rocks remind me of Hawaii, the green fields are enough to make the Irish jealous, and the villages are pure Portugal. On top of that, The Azores are home to some of the world’s best hiking trails, and the seafood (and steaks) are magnificent. I loved Sao Jorge the most, in case you were wondering. But maybe you weren’t. Oh, and Air Canada flies here directly from Toronto!
The Azores are a stunning, affordable and tasty destination with good weather year-round. Jim Byers Photo
LORD HOWE ISLAND, AUSTRALIA – Another isolated bit of land, albeit not nearly as much as Easter Island. This is a very tiny dot of earth between Australia and New Zealand that is part of New South Wales. There’s a tiny airport with a picnic table on a patch of grass that serves as the waiting gate. There are a couple of fine hotels, stunning sea cliffs that rise straight out of the ocean, and gorgeous beaches. Nobody on the island locks their car. Truly remarkable. And unforgettable.
Lord Howe Island, New South Wales. Jim Byers Photo
FROMMERS TOP 15 DESTINATIONS FOR 2027: WHAT, NO CANADA?
I quite like the Frommers’ travel website, and their travel guides. They have a new list of top places to visit in 2027, and there are some cool and interesting choices. But it’s also quite U.S. centric, which is somewhat troublesome for a Canadian (even one with dual US/Canada citizenship). I like that they have some nice twists on the South Pacific and Asia, but it would’ve been nice to include a Canadian destination in a list of 15 places to go next year. Perhaps Yukon, or maybe a lesser-known spot in Quebec for a bit of a French flavour, such as Gaspe or the Iles de la Madeleine. (Note to my friends at Frommers; if you need a Canadian place for your 2028 list you know where to find me!)
The Hobbiton movie set in New Zealand. Tourism New Zealand Photo
Here are Frommer’s picks:
Austral Islands, Tahiti/French Polynesia (Nice, out of the ordinary pick for a beautiful destination)
Abruzzo, Italy (also not a “usual” place that’s highlighted by many travel publications)
Salt Lake City (underrated city with great day trip options)
Uzbekistan (never been, but looks interesting)
Waikato Region, New Zealand (a lovely part of a great country)
Cincinnati (never been, but a friend lives there and tells me it’s a cool city)
Luxor, Egypt (also never been, but I can’t argue with this one)
Ely and Great Basin National Park, Nevada (Nevada is filled with beautiful nature spots)
Cartagena (never had the pleasure, but it looks great. I quite like Bogota)
Kuala Lumpur (also haven’t been, but I quite enjoyed my visit to Georgetown and the Penang region of Malaysia eight or 10 years ago)
Santiago de Compostela (guess I need to see more of Spain as I haven’t made it there)
Miami (a nice, artsy city with fine beaches)
Loreto, Mexico (friends who’ve been tell me it’s terrific)
Cairngorms National Park, Scotland (love Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Isle of Arran)
Dolly Parton’s Tennessee (have only driven through Tennessee, but Dolly Parton was an exceptional artist and seemed like a great person).
