Great Islands of the World

There is something magical about islands. Island life can be the perfect escape - surrounded by sea and beaches and cliffs, cut off from the 'mainland', humdrum worries, and home.

But above all, islands lend a particular character to their inhabitants, and a unique pace to their way of life. It's that which we seek to tap into on holiday - whether its the lazy 'dolce fa niente' of Capri, or the remote spirituality of Iona or Skye. Perhaps we don't consciously say to ourselves - 'OK, I'm going to go to an island on holiday this year' - unless it's a sailing holiday. But we end up going to some island destinations because they have attractions - and these are in large part down to the fact they are islands. Martha's Vineyard and Shelter Island spring to mind, as well as the Ibiza, Mallorca, Madeira, and then all those wonderful Greek Islands.

Above all it's their plethora of beaches, great walks, fresh air, and the fact that there is sea wherever you turn. Island landscapes and wildlife are often spectacular - even if treeless like dear Tiree. They have all the makings, in fact, of a perfect holiday.

Related categories: Waterfalls, Lakes, Coastlines, Beaches, Coral Reefs.

Experts on Islands

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  Ian Wilson

  Ian Wilson was born in Edinburgh and grew up in New Zealand with a yearning to travel. He's been globetrotting since he went round the world at the age of nine. After university in New Zealand and Oxford, where he gained a DPhil in political...

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  David Stanley

  I'm the author of Moon Handbooks South Pacific, Moon Tahiti, and Moon Fiji, published by Avalon Travel Publishing of Berkeley, California. My online travel guide to Tahiti and French Polynesia may be perused at...

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