Isabela

Founded in 1819 and named for Spain's Queen Isabella, this small, whitewashed town on the northwesternmost part of the island skirts tall cliffs that overlook the rocky shoreline. Locals have long known of the area's natural beauty, and lately more offshore tourists have begun coming to this niche, which offers secluded hotels, fantastic beaches, excellent surf, and, just inland, hiking through one of the island's forest reserves.