GoTourist

25 islands · 2026 edition

25 Great Islands to Visit

Twenty-five islands around the world, chosen by GoTourist's editors for their landscapes, culture and ease of visiting. This is a curated selection, not a ranking: the numbers are for ease of use only. Some islands already have their own guides elsewhere on GoTourist: Bali (Denpasar), Mallorca (Palma), Crete (Heraklion), Rhodes, Phuket and Oʻahu (Honolulu) are city guides, and island beaches such as Navagio, Matira (Bora Bora), Cala Macarella (Menorca) and the El Nido beaches (Palawan) are in the Beaches list.

Showing all 25

All 25 islands, by rank

  1. Whitewashed houses of Oia above the Santorini caldera Rank 1

    Santorini

    Cyclades, Greece

    Full guide
  2. The Faraglioni rock stacks off Capri Rank 2

    Capri

    Bay of Naples, Italy

    Full guide
  3. The ancient theatre of Taormina with Mount Etna behind Rank 3

    Sicily

    Sicily, Italy

    Full guide
  4. Cala Goloritzé on the Gulf of Orosei, Sardinia Rank 4

    Sardinia

    Sardinia, Italy

    Full guide
  5. The citadel of Bonifacio on its white cliffs, Corsica Rank 5

    Corsica

    Corsica, France

    Full guide
  6. The Ponta de São Lourenço peninsula, Madeira Rank 6

    Madeira

    Madeira, Portugal

    Full guide
  7. Mount Teide above the Las Cañadas caldera, Tenerife Rank 7

    Tenerife

    Canary Islands, Spain

    Full guide
  8. The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye Rank 8

    Isle of Skye

    Inner Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom

    Full guide
  9. Hvar Town harbour and its yachts Rank 9

    Hvar

    Dalmatia, Croatia

    Full guide
  10. Reine and Reinefjorden in the Lofoten Islands Rank 10

    Lofoten Islands

    Nordland, Norway

    Full guide
  11. Looking into Haleakalā crater, Maui Rank 11

    Maui

    Hawaii, United States

    Full guide
  12. Kīlauea crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Rank 12

    Hawaiʻi Island (the Big Island)

    Hawaii, United States

    Full guide
  13. Opunohu Bay and Cook's Bay from the Belvedere lookout, Moorea Rank 13

    Moorea

    Society Islands, French Polynesia

    Full guide
  14. The harbour of Stone Town, Zanzibar Rank 14

    Zanzibar

    Unguja Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania

    Full guide
  15. Seongsan Ilchulbong, Jeju Island Rank 15

    Jeju Island

    Jeju Province, South Korea

    Full guide
  16. The Chocolate Hills near Carmen, Bohol Rank 16

    Bohol

    Central Visayas, Philippines

    Full guide
  17. A palm-lined beach on Koh Samui Rank 17

    Koh Samui

    Surat Thani, Thailand

    Full guide
  18. The Langkawi Sky Bridge above the rainforest Rank 18

    Langkawi

    Kedah, Malaysia

    Full guide
  19. Turquoise water off the Gili Islands, Lombok Rank 19

    Lombok

    West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

    Full guide
  20. Wineglass Bay from the lookout, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania Rank 20

    Tasmania

    Tasmania, Australia

    Full guide
  21. The Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island Rank 21

    Kangaroo Island

    South Australia, Australia

    Full guide
  22. Oneroa Beach, Waiheke Island Rank 22

    Waiheke Island

    Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand

    Full guide
  23. Long Beach near Tofino, Vancouver Island Rank 23

    Vancouver Island

    British Columbia, Canada

    Full guide
  24. The Punta Sur coast of Cozumel Rank 24

    Cozumel

    Quintana Roo, Mexico

    Full guide
  25. Lopes Mendes beach and forested hills, Ilha Grande Rank 25

    Ilha Grande

    Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

    Full guide