Best Secret Islands on Earth

Ireland: Inis Meáin

The pleasures of Inis Meáin are simple: a walk along the coast to the thunder of Atlantic swells; a tableau of fissured limestone that glimmers in the mist; the best potatoes you’ll ever taste. At the stone-walled Inis Meáin Restaurant & Suites (353-86/826-6026; inismeain.com; suites from $350; dinner for two $125), owners Marie-Thérèse and Ruairí de Blacam have equipped the five suites with bicycles and fishing rods; oversize beds come with alpaca throws, and 30-foot-wide windows look out onto Galway Bay and Connemara. The real allure is the 30-seat glass-walled restaurant, known for its deceptively basic fish dishes and homegrown vegetables. For dessert, try the seaweed pudding in wild-berry sauce at An Dún B&B (353-87/680-6251; inismeainaccommodation.com; doubles from $98; dinner for two $50; dessert for two $15).

T+L Tip: Hike the 1 1/2-mile Cliff Walk, with the Cliffs of Moher as your backdrop. —Laura Read