Island Escapes

Islands aren’t just summer destinations; wind-swept coastlines and escapist attitudes make them energizing winter getaways, too. Cooler temperatures, smaller crowds, and fewer insects are just a some of the benefits of an off-season water-bound escape. These three southern isles offer plenty of budget winter fun. —Melissa Gaskill

credit: Earl Nottingham

Mustang Island, Texas

Twenty miles of wide, flat beach beckon and winter daytime temps hover in the 60s. Access to this barrier island is via a causeway from Corpus Christi, or by a short ferry ride into the laid-back town of Port Aransas, which anchors the island’s north side. Mustang Island State Park caps the dune-covered island’s south end, and there are rustic or romantic options that should appeal to all.

www.portaransas.org

Things to do:

1. Pitch a tent at a primitive beachside site (or a developed one), wake up to lapping waves, and spend the day building sand castles.
2. Rent bikes in Port Aransas and cruise restaurants and shops in the compact town.
3. From the jetties, watch dolphins surf the bow-waves of ships charging toward the Intracoastal Waterway.
4. Explore the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trails. Four loops ranging from 1.25 to 6.8 miles wind through mangroves and sea grass toward the historic Lydia Ann Lighthouse.
5. Island hop to neighboring North Padre and four-wheel the National Seashore’s 60 miles of undeveloped beach.

Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

Courtesy of NPS/ Cape Hatteras Natl Seashore

Reaching this historic island (think pirate hideouts and Civil War battles) on the Outer Banks, about five hours from Raleigh, requires a ferry ride. Ocracoke Village on the south end has shops, restaurants, affordable lodging, and an old lighthouse. Cape Hatteras National Seashore covers the rest of the island, and a road runs alongside 16 miles of pristine beach with a National Park Service campground.

www.ocracokevillage.com

Things to do:

1. Visit the pony paddock, seven miles north of the village, for a glimpse of Spanish mustang descendants.
2. Slip on a wetsuit, grab a board, and hit the surf—which locals say stays good through winter. Check out Ride the Wind Surf Shop for rentals.
3. Hike Hammock Hills Nature Trail through marsh, dunes, and pines to a view of Pamlico Sound.
4. Paddle the creeks of Springer’s Point Nature Reserve— put in at the village or national park. Take out on the reserve’s sound-side beach for a little solitude.
5. Look for shells—whelks, scotch bonnets, and lettered olives—on the mostly deserted beach.

St. George Island, Florida

credit: Pat Canova

This Florida panhandle island’s 28 miles of white sand is perennially ranked on best-of beach lists—the island also boasts some of the Gulf Coast’s most expensive homes. But nine miles of the island’s east side fall within Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, and the island’s small, quaint town has plenty of rental cottages and winter rooms at bargain rates.

www.floridastateparks.org/stgeorgeisland

Things to do:

1. Hike the state park’s trails and watch for eagles and osprey from observation platforms.
2. Kayak Apalachicola Bay on the island’s back side, or join Journeys of St. George outfitters for a tour of nearby wild islands.
3. Bike the five-mile paved trail from town and stop at the Cape St. George Lighthouse, reconstructed after the original collapsed in the surf.
4. Slide one in: Sample Apalachicola Bay oysters at Eddy Teach’s Raw Bar or the Blue Parrot Oceanfront Café.
5. Visit the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve’s new visitor center, just off the bridge to the island, to learn about this biodiversity hotspot.