MOUNT DESERT ISLAND — Maine’s largest island and an island to the north are receiving accolades from an international travel magazine that rates them as two of the world’s best island destinations, ranking alongside such exotic getaways as Nantucket, Sicily, Bali, Bora-Bora in French Polynesia and the Fiji Islands.

Mount Desert Island, which is linked to mainland Maine by a two-lane bridge, is ranked 25th in Travel & Leisure magazine’s article, “World’s Best Islands.”

Prince Edward Island in Canada was ranked 5th.

Palawan, an archipelago of 1,780 islands in the Philippines, was ranked as the best island destination in the world.

The magazine describes Mount Desert Island, which is home to Acadia National Park and the town of Bar Harbor, as a great place to hike, bike or kayak.

Each island profile in the magazine has a photo attached, with the Mount Desert profile featuring a picture of a freshwater swimming hole, Echo Lake.

The best islands’ list was determined by the magazine’s readers, according to Travel & Leisure’s website.


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