The best islands to visit with a dog

Puerto Rico is first because it has the highest overall score on the site (8.4) and an easy dog rule: no quarantine, with a vet health certificate and current rabies vaccination as for any interstate move. You need no passport, and 41 US airports fly nonstop. Its rules are set by the island's Department of Agriculture, whose website we could not open securely on October 20, 2026, so confirm timing with your vet and airline. The island is big: plan a car for El Yunque and the east.

Curaçao scores 8.3 overall, with a 9.8 for weather and a 9.9 for value: $62 a night in Willemstad on both of our dates. Its dog rule is clear and quick: microchip, an inactivated rabies vaccine at least 21 days before departure, parasite treatments within 14 days and a USDA-endorsed certificate. The exclusions matter: pit bull types and dogs under 15 weeks are refused. Six US airports fly nonstop, and you will want a rental car for the west-coast coves.

Martinique applies mainland France's rules, with no titer test listed for US dogs. It scores 8.2, helped by value (8.3) and crowds (7.0). Villas and gîtes with gardens suit a dog better than resort hotels. Rooms in Les Trois-Îlets were $102 in January and $82 in July. The catch: the only US nonstop is American from Miami, so a dog flying from elsewhere makes a connection.

Sicily follows standard EU pet rules: microchip first, rabies shot, a 21-day wait after a first vaccination and an APHIS-endorsed EU certificate within 10 days of arrival. It scores 7.9 overall, carried by the site's only perfect 10 for things to do and an 8.6 for crowds. With a rental car and a villa, a dog can come along between Etna, Taormina and the baroque towns. Delta flies nonstop from JFK to Catania; United adds Newark from May 28, 2027.

St. Thomas has the simplest rule here: a vet certificate within 10 days of arrival, emailed to the USVI Department of Agriculture a business day ahead, with no quarantine. It scores 7.8, with 16 US airports flying nonstop and the cheapest room at $93 on both of our dates. No passport is needed for you either. Things to do score 6.5, and cruise days fill Magens Bay, the main family beach.

Aruba needs no import permit, but its Veterinary Service must approve the USDA-endorsed certificate, and the dog must have lived in the US for six months. It scores 7.6, with the best weather on the list (9.8) and nonstops from 17 US airports. Value (5.5) and crowds (2.1) pull it down: the cheapest room near Eagle and Palm Beach was $203 in January. It sits south of the usual hurricane track, which helps for a summer trip.

Mallorca uses the same EU rules as Sicily, and it scores 7.6, with a 9 for things to do: Palma, the Tramuntana villages and the Sóller train. Village-to-village hiking paths in the mountains suit a dog better than the packed summer coves. United flies seasonally from Newark, from March 28, 2027. Palma rooms were $68 in January and $135 in July. Every guest 16 or older pays the Balearic tourism tax per night at the hotel.

St. John shares the easy USVI rule, and its beaches score 9, the best on this list. It ranks eighth because value scores 3.4: the cheapest 3-star room was $382 in January and $263 in July, and most lodging is villas, which may suit a dog better anyway. There is no airport. Fly to St. Thomas, then take the 15-minute Red Hook ferry ($8.15 one way) or the car barge ($50 one way). Most of the island is national park, so check its pet rules before you go.

Sardinia has easy EU rules and a 9 for beaches, but a conditional verdict costs it 0.4 points: it is a June-to-September island, and the beach towns close in winter. One rule matters for dog owners: dogs are banned at La Pelosa and some other managed beaches. Cagliari rooms were $73 in January and $112 in July. United starts Newark to Olbia on May 27, 2027; until then you connect in Rome or Milan.

St. Croix closes the list with the easy USVI rule and a quiet, local feel. It scores 7.2 after a conditional deduction, with 9.4 for weather and 7.4 for value: $108 in Christiansted in January. Beaches score 6.5, since the best, Buck Island and Sandy Point, need a boat or close for turtle nesting. Flights are thinner since Spirit shut down on May 2, 2026: five US airports now fly nonstop. The QE IV ferry links it to St. Thomas for $60 one way.