World’s most unspoilt islands

The Islands of the World draw millions of visitors each
year, and rightly so.  Islands offer unique possibilities that the mainland
can often never match.   Knowing which islands to visit, and which
have already been overdeveloped and seen their day is not always so easy. 
Here is my list of the World’s most unspoilt
islands

The islands have been carefully considered and only those
with a good balance of tourism and ecology have been included.  So islands with incredible beautify and culture that have
awful tourist resort developments, such as Bali or Phuket, have not
made it to the list.

I have divided the list into 2 – Tropical and
Green.  Many people are looking for an island experience that offers
sand, sea, sunshine and seafood, these are the Tropical islands. Not all of the
islands in the tropical list lie in tropical regions, it’s just easier to list
them that way  Whilst many other people are looking for lush green
vegitation with endless walking possibilities, these are the Green
islands.  The green refers to the color of the landscape rather than
ecological harmony, but the two often go hand-in-hand.

TropicalGreen
1Azores, Portugal
Green volcanic mountains and
picturesque blank and white towns are best explored by driving tours,
taking in handicrafts and local cuisine.  Although off the coast of
north Africa, the vibrant Portuguese culture is strong and
sophisticated.
Faroe Islands (Denmark)
Lovely unspoiled islands
that prove a delight to travelers.  The Faroe islands and remote and
cool, and have therefore escaped the overcrowding and overdevelpment of so
many once beautiful islands.  Situated northwest of the Shetlands,
the islands offer wonderful nature, specatacular waterfalls & harbors,
historic architercture and local pride.
2Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Agriculture,
tourism and wildernesss meld with high environmental quality and local
involvement.

Lofoten,Norway
Chilly, high-latitude islands for a
masterpiece of spectacular outcrops steeped in cherished tradition. 
Many of the villagers rent out cozy rorbu, the historic
fisherman’s cabins.  There are several excllent museums and art
galleries.

3Dominica, Caribeean
Rugged, green, friendly, with
a few beaches, the Nature Island offers an authentic, unspoiled
experience, with natural and cultural amenities.
Shetland Islands, Scotland
More Norse that
Scottish, ‘Shelties’ keep up the Viking traditions and show extremely high
integrity in all aspects off heritage and ecology despite North Sea oil
development.
4Grenadines,
Caribbean
Unspoiled beauty, not too developed, and great
yachting.  One of the the last and best hopes of the Caribbean.
Chiloe, Chile
Gateway to Chilie’s fjord country,
rural and unspoiled Chiloe possesses a pristine seascape, enhanced by
protected forests snd dozens of historic towns and wooden churches, 16 of
which are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
5Tasmania, Australia
Clean,
green and pristine. An alternative glimpse of Australia.
Isle of Syke, Scotland
Wild landscape and a place
of cultural resonance for Scots.  With a renaissance of the Gaelic
language, the largest of the Inner Hebrides still retains its
romanticism.
6Bora-Bora, French
Polynesia
Outstanding natural and cultural beauty.  The
island gets praise for balancing beach tourism with enphasis on local
culture, archaeological sites and native species.
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Cars have been banned
since 1898, there are no high-rises and little development
pressure.  This is an iconic isle in Lake Huron.  This island
is a gem.
7Fraser Island,
Australia
Forested sandy island off Queesland.  A World
Heritage Site that gets good marks for park preservation, but busy with
tourists.
Iceland
Dramatic landscapes, unique culture and
high environmental awareness.  Ecotour operators at odds with
whalers.
8Hydra (Idra), Greece
Small
island with no cars allowed and beautiful local architecture, authentic
Greek food and Greek preservation.  Gets busy with day trippers.

Aran Islands, Ireland
The three-some off the Irish
west coast exude Galeic tradition.  Islanders maintain a strong sense
of cultural heritage and identity.  Tourism management gets good
reviews.

9Corsica, France
Fantastic mix
of mountains, beaches and strong cultural identity.  The
independant-minded Corsicans maintain one of the Mediterraneans last isles
sheltered from the mass torusim.
Texel, Netherlands
Well cared for Dutch holiday
island on the Waddenzee.  Nice low-key destination for
cyclists.
10Santa Catalina Islad,
Califormnia
Lots of visitors, but most stay in Avalon. 
Catalina Conservancy protects nature, although area must recover from the
May 2007 fire. 
Bornholm, Denmark
Homey
rather than spectacular characterises the charming townscapes of this
Danish outpost in the Baltic Sea.  Crowded in summer.
11Upolu and Savai’i, Samoa,
Polynesia
Praised for cultural integrity the ‘Samoan
way’.  Family tourism businesses give a taste of Samoan life to the
traveler.
Cape Breton Island, Nova
Scotia
Vibrant Acadian and Celtic hertiage mix with coastal
panoramas on the top notch Cabot Trail.  Tourism helps combat high
unemployment and out-migration.
12Palawan, Phillippines
Blessed
with incredibly beautiful seascapes and landscapes. Richly diverse marine
life threateaned by pollution, but conservation improving. Recoomended:
El Nido and the Calamianes Group.
Isle of Man (UK)
Semi
independant island with unique Nordic-Celtic character resonably
preserved.  Past-prime resort hotels need rejuvanation. Manx
traditions retained, but shot through with immigratioin from
England.
13Moorea, French
Ploynesia
Stunningly beautiful, lush flora, extensive reef
systems, diverse sea life, and archarological sites.  The experience
lingers long after your tan.
Block Island, Rhode
Island
Low-key, good nature reserves, charming old New England
culture of the sea, but poor zoning turns second-home influx into
landscapes-altering large-lot subdivisions.
14Ilha Grande, Brazil
Richly
forrested, marvelous beaches, charming communities near Rio de Janeiro and
Sao Paulo.  No big internatinal hotels.
Hvar, Croatia
Authentic,
attractive gen of the Dalmation coast under control except for the
build-up of holiday homes.  Jammed in summer.
15Sardinia, Italy
Coves, caves,
long sandy beaches and a mountaineous interior preserves a rich cultural
heritage.  There are some coastal resorts.
Jersey and Guernsey, Channel Islands
(U.K.)
Scenic islands with strong idenity, rich cultural
hertiage and high envionment qualities.  Tax haven status has
attracted the affluent and inflated real esate.  Enjoy the nextwork
of green lanes and cycle routes.

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