Mackinac Island, the car-free island where you can travel by carriage like in the 19th century
There's an island where cars are banned , and 600 horses pull carriages along the streets, and people ride bicycles . A place that transports visitors to a 19th-century world, seemingly frozen in time before the invention of the first automobiles.
In fact, it is exactly like this: on the splendid Mackinac Island , in the heart of the state of Michigan (USA), motor vehicles have been banned since 1900. A “paradox” if one considers that the state is home to the “automobile capital of the world”, namely Detroit.
The incredible Mackinac Island with 600 horsepower and no vehiclesStrolling through the streets of Mackinac Island is like taking a real dive into the past , when life flowed more slowly, rediscovering the pleasure of contact with people, nature and animals.
There's a horse for every person on this 1.5-square-mile island of ancient charm, nestled between two lakes: Lake Huron and Lake Michigan . A strategic location for the indigenous communities who inhabited it, it was ideal for hunting and fishing. It was they who gave this precious piece of land its original name: its limestone cliffs and verdant forests resembled an enormous turtle emerging from the water, and so they called it Michilimackinac , meaning "place of the great turtle" in the Anishinaabemowin language. Over the years, the name was shortened to its current form.
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Horses reign supreme here : especially during the summer months, these animals are used for all sorts of tasks, from garbage collection to postal deliveries. This old-fashioned lifestyle is enjoyed by residents, who routinely get around on foot, by bicycle, or in a special horse-drawn taxi.
Why are cars banned? Actually, some cars were brought onto the island, but according to local lore, when one of them (in 1898) scared off nearby horses by backfiring, the village authorities banned internal combustion engines . They took animal welfare so seriously that the measure was extended to the rest of the island two years later. Since then, the locals have completely abandoned cars in favor of bicycles and horses .
The Wonders of Mackinac IslandThe surprises in store for this 19th-century corner of the world, surrounded by turquoise waters, don't end there: 80% of the area is made up of the spectacular Mackinac Island State Park , where you can immerse yourself in the ancient forest and admire imposing limestone rocks like Arch Rock , one of the most iconic and breathtaking sights on Mackinac Island. This imposing 50-foot-wide natural limestone arch rises approximately 150 feet above Lake Huron, offering breathtaking views of the coast and surrounding forest.
Also not to be missed is Fort Mackinac , a castle founded by the British during the American Revolution, and the historic Grand Hotel dating back to the Gilded Age of industrial America, which boasts the longest portico in the world (and was a candidate for the location of the fourth season of The White Lotus ).
The 8.5-mile highway, now a bike path, is also a great way to explore this timeless land. Located north of the village, it offers access to quiet pebble beaches and lush forests. Tourists can use the 1,500 bicycles available for rent.
Other treats? A round of golf at one of the island's two courses, a visit to the Mackinac Island Native American Museum , housed in the Biddle House, with rich exhibits from indigenous communities, and finally a delicious break savoring traditional chocolate fudge . If you travel here in June, the island is also filled with color and aromas for 10 days thanks to the Lilac Festival.
Where it is and how to get thereMackinac Island lies at the confluence of the Huron and Michigan Rivers (in the state of Michigan), about 500 km north of Detroit . It is easily reached, in about 20 minutes, by ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace , on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
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