Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • Travel Guides
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2021. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Deals
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Festivals and Events
    • Bus and Trains
    • Flight Deals
    • Budget Travel
    • Hotels and Resorts
    • Disney Vacations
    • Airlines and Airports
    • Ground Transportation
  • Travel Guides
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Worlds Best
  3. The Best Islands in Canada in 2016

The Best Islands in Canada in 2016

By Ellie Nan Storck
July 06, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Andrew Hetherington
Island life in Canada is perhaps a road less traveled: the island destinations that our voters rated are a departure from the aqua-blue water, piña coladas, and white-sand beaches you typically imagine when you daydream about your next island getaway.

What these oases do provide is quite unique: natural Canadian beauty, ample opportunity for adventure, local island charm, and some of the best seafood in North America.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe—to share their opinions on the top cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated islands on their natural attractions and beaches, activities and sights, food, friendliness, and overall value. 

For voters, one of the biggest reasons to visit the top Canadian islands is to experience the breathtaking — and rugged — landscape. You can hike through old-growth forests to hidden hot springs, or watch whales breaching through the gray-blue waves of the Pacific. Adventure lovers can also seek out ocean kayaking or ride horses through the wildflowers.

There are plenty of other reasons to love Canada’s windswept islands, of course. Readers raved about the friendly locals and commented on the relaxing atmosphere. “The people of Cape Breton Island are very helpful, and love to tell island stories — they’re very kind, loving people,” wrote one reader. Another agreed that the "remote and quiet" island was called home by very lovely people.

Expect hyper-local cuisine and supremely fresh seafood. “The lobster lunch,” recalled one pleased traveler, “was out of this world.” Pair anything you order with an British Columbian wine, and you’ll feel instantly connected to these lands, which sometimes seem at the edge of the earth.

For those who love the great outdoors, a trip to any of these Canadian islands is guaranteed to be an exceptional experience. 
Start Slideshow

1 of 3

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 3: Cape Breton Island

Credit: Getty Images

Score: 82.29

1 of 3

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 3

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 2: Prince Edward Island

Credit: Getty Images

Score: 82.75

2 of 3

3 of 3

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No 1: Vancouver Island

Credit: Andrew Hetherington

Score: 85.22

Equal parts romantic and wild, Vancouver Island has nabbed the No. 1 spot for two years in a row. As one reader says, “from wilderness to the culture of Victoria, the island offers a wide range of activities in a small locale.” Visitors have the opportunity to see Vancouver Island from many perspectives: approach by seaplane, summit craggy mountains blanketed in dense forests, or take an epic whale watch. For those undeterred by the possibility of storms or persistent fog, Vancouver Island is an incredibly rewarding — and deeply Canadian — destination.

3 of 3

Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Ellie Nan Storck

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 3 No. 3: Cape Breton Island
2 of 3 No. 2: Prince Edward Island
3 of 3 No 1: Vancouver Island

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Travel + Leisure Sites
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

The Best Islands in Canada in 2016
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.