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.
| Tropical | Green | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azores, 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. |
| 2 | Kangaroo Island, South Australia Agriculture, tourism and wildernesss meld with high environmental quality and local involvement. | Lofoten,Norway |
| 3 | Dominica, 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. |
| 4 | Grenadines, 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. |
| 5 | Tasmania, 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. |
| 6 | Bora-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. |
| 7 | Fraser 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. |
| 8 | Hydra (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 |
| 9 | Corsica, 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. |
| 10 | Santa 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. |
| 11 | Upolu 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. |
| 12 | Palawan, 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. |
| 13 | Moorea, 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. |
| 14 | Ilha 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. |
| 15 | Sardinia, 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. |