The best islands in the world: 2022 Readers' Choice Awards
The survey for the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards is open, vote now for your favourite places, hotels, airports, cruise ships, travel fixers and more.
Islands can be enchanted and secret, as well as safe havens to hunker down on. They can also be fragile – look at Boracay in the Philippines, a poster child for the highs and lows of tropical tourism that banned visitors recently, allowing locals to rediscover its beauty. Others have come to represent certain ideals, such as the Galápagos, which rated highest for sustainability, and Ibiza, known for a different species of wildlife but also for its evolving farm-to-fork food scene. Top culinary marks, though, went to Sicily, which you also appreciated for its scenery – a quality it shares with Capri, Madeira and Maui.
These are the best islands in the world, according to the 2022 Readers' Choice Awards. The scores below are percentages representing overall average levels of satisfaction.
Getty ImagesThe best islands in the UK
7. Orkney. Score 70.83
6. Shetland. Score 74.00
5. Isle of Wight. Score 75.17
4. Hebrides. Score 75.42
3. Isle of Man. Score 80.94
2. Isles of Scilly. Score 83.96
1. Jersey & Guernsey. Score 85.83
Getty ImagesThe best islands in Europe
20. Capri, Italy. Score 76.92
19. Malta. Score 78.03
18. Corsica, France. Score 78.97
17. Aran Islands, Ireland. Score 79.58
16. Kos, Greece. Score 80.00
15. Canary Islands, Spain. Score 80.38
14. Mallorca, Spain. Score 81.27
13. Cyprus. Score 81.30
12. Madeira, Portugal. Score 82.01
11. Rhodes, Greece. Score 82.13
10. Corfu, Greece. Score 82.66
9. Paros, Greece. Score 82.75
8. Azores, Portugal. Score 82.76
7. Hvar, Croatia. Score 83.17
6. Santorini, Greece. Score 83.22
5. Sicily, Italy. Score 83.48
4. Mykonos, Greece. Score 85.26
3. Sardinia, Italy. Score 86.04
2. Crete, Greece. Score 86.48
1. Ibiza, Spain. Score 88.54
Getty ImagesThe best islands in the Caribbean and the Atlantic
10. British Virgin Islands. Score 85.52
9. Antigua. Score 85.65
8. Nevis. Score 86.99
7. Jamaica. Score 87.07
6. St Lucia. Score 87.28
5. Barbados. Score 87.43
4. Bermuda. Score 87.92
3. Turks and Caicos. Score 87.98
2. Anguilla. Score 89.21
1. St Barth’s. Score 90.45
Getty ImagesThe best islands in Central and South America
5. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Score 77.97
4. Ambergris Caye, Belize. Score 80.18
3. Roatán, Honduras. Score 80.75
2. San Andrés and Providencia, Colombia. Score 88.33
1. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Score 93.00
Getty ImagesThe best islands in Australia and the South Pacific
5. Tahiti, French Polynesia. Score 82.77
4. Moorea, French Polynesia. Score 84.01
3. Tasmania, Australia. Score 87.5
2. Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Score 87.59
1. Fiji. Score 87.76
Getty ImagesThe best islands in Asia
10. Phi Phi Islands, Thailand. Score 76.41
9. Okinawa and Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Score 83.00
8. Palawan, Philippines. Score 88.99
7. Sri Lanka. Score 89.17
6. Phu Quoc, Vietnam. Score 89.77
5. Phuket, Thailand. Score 90.88
4. Langkawi, Malaysia. Score 90.97
3. Koh Samui, Thailand. Score 92.13
2. Bali, Indonesia. Score 93.90
1. Boracay, Philippines. Score 95.13
Getty ImagesThe best islands in Africa and the Indian Ocean
5. Zanzibar, Tanzania. Score 83.37
4. Seychelles. Score 84.89
3. Mauritius. Score 90.00
2. Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique. Score 90.75
1. Maldives. Score 91.85
Getty ImagesThe best islands in North America
10. Big Island, USA. Score 87.24
9. Oahu, USA. Score 87.47
8. Cape Breton Island, Canada. Score 87.92
7. Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Score 88.01
6. Isla Holbox, Mexico. Score 88.96
5. Maui, USA. Score 89.01
4. Nantucket, USA. Score 93.30
3. Amelia Island, USA. Score 95.66
2. Kiawah Island, USA. Score 95.88
1. Hilton Head Island, USA. Score 96.36