California’s ‘Caribbean’ getaway lands among world’s quietest islands

Americans are increasingly seeking the sound of silence, and they can find it on this West Coast outpost.

A recent report found that 56% of US travelers want to retreat to the wilderness in blessed quiet, while global Google searches for “quiet destinations” have increased 1,268% year on year.

Indeed, amid the maddening noise of the modern world, “quietcations” are reaching a fever pitch in popularity.

“Low decibel levels in our surroundings are important, and the natural and architectural qualities of a place can all shape the soundscape we experience and whether it lets us truly rest,” silence researcher, author and psychology professor Olga V. Lehmann told Book Retreats.

According to to the European Environment Agency’s standard, a true and truly restful quiet place must offer a pleasant soundscape, where unwanted sound is absent or at least not dominant.

For the whole of human history, people have sought out islands for such soundlessness and solitude and to help the hopeful find their respective patch of heaven, Book Retreats indexed 100 island locations around the globe.

Integrating satellite and mapping data, each island was scored on six qualifiers that help support a quiet place; rich nature, few roads, low air traffic, uncrowded space, dark night skies and natural coastal spots

While Stewart Island in New Zealand took top honors for tranquility, a California island cracked the top ten, edging out Scotland’s Isle of Skye.

Nicknamed the “Caribbean of California,” Catalina is a 76-square-mile island, anchored by perfectly crescent-shaped Avalon Bay an hour’s ferry from Long Beach.

Earlier this summer, the iconic isle, also known as the ‘Amalfi Coast of Orange County‘ earned its place among Travel + Leisure’s best islands in the continental US.

Catalina features steep cliffs, color-drenched villas and a mild climate that make it a kind of domestic dolce vita, making it a favored haunt of Hollywood stars in the 1930s and 40s.

According to the quietude ranking, Catalina is home to 3,700 permanent residents, most of whom dot the coast, leaving much of the interior of the island wild, scenic and silent.

The island’s Conservancy has protected 88% of Catalina since the 1970s, supporting its index score of 90 out of 100 for naturalness. The majority of that sanctified interior is off limits to tourists though the curious can explore the environemnt through guided eco-tours or via the island’s165 miles of scenic walking trails.

Another boon for the hush hungry is the limited number of automobiles on the island.

“There are no main roads, and cars are so tightly restricted that anyone wanting to bring one over joins a waiting list 25 years long. Most residents get about on foot, by bicycle or by golf cart,” states the report.  

Adding to its natural beauty, Catlina is home to 100 wild American bison along with Catalina Island foxes and bald eagles. From land to sea, Catalina claims one of the richest marine ecosystems in the US, where dolphins, seals, whales and shoals of California flying fish pass through local waters.

Elsewhere in the ranking, the Greek isle of Anafi ranked as the second quietest on the global list and the quietes island in Europe.

Ilha Grande, located off the coast of Brazil took the number three spot.

Lord Howe Island, a tiny Australian oasis in the Tasman Sea took number four while St Martin’s, he third-largest of the UK’s Isles of Scilly was ranked fifth for quiet.

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