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Capri, Italy
Islands are generally pretty gorgeous—they are islands after all. But the twelve that made it to the top of our reader ratings for the most scenic islands in the world are just crazy beautiful. See for yourself.
Secret swimming coves, turquoise waters, terraced gardens, and ruins of Emperor Tiberio’s pleasure palace lure the jet set to this small, rocky outcrop along the Amalfi Coast. Set off along footpaths in any direction and you’ll be rewarded with views of sea and sky—but ascend the island’s highest peak on the Seggiovia Monte Solaro chairlift and you might get a peak at Vesuvius
dominating the Gulf of Naples in the distance. Melia opened an adults-only hotel last year, suitably chic without breaking the bank.
Hydra, Greece
A tiny, quiet charmer, the island is barely an hour and a half by ferry from Athens, but a world away from its traffic, crowds, and busloads of tourists. Donkeys, not cars, wend their way the main cobblestoned town full of appealing tavernas and cafes. Our choice of a place to stay: the Bratsera Hotel, a converted nineteenth-century sponge factory with a chic pool for when you’re not up for a long hike to secluded beaches.
Mount Desert Island, Maine
More than two million travelers visit this state’s largest island each year, but its Acadia National Park and four picture-postcard-perfect towns remain resolutely calm and quiet (quite unlike its previous, warring inhabitants—Native Indians, the French, British, and American Revolutionaries). The colorful West Street Hotel in Bar Harbor opened in 2012 with a rooftop pool and views of boats afloat on Frenchman’s Bay.
Aran Islands, Ireland
Three windswept isles—Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer—off the west coast of Ireland all have a rugged, bleak beauty to match the sinister 2,000-year-old ruins of Dun Aenghus, a Celtic fortress clinging to a cliff top as if declaring this to be the actual edge of the world. An unexpected find (open only April through September) is the ultra-modern Inis Meain Restaurant & Suites for innovative meals from the surrounding earth and sea and peaceful sleep in five sleek suites.
Moorea, French Polynesia
Approaching the island, whether by land or sea, you’ll be breathless at the sight of its jagged green peaks rising out of the Pacific. Though not the tallest, Roto Nui is perhaps the most picturesque, lording over pineapple fields. The perfect vantage point, Mirador de Belvedere, has incomparable views of both Cook’s and Opunoho bay. Just below, our readers’ favorite resort, the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa with attractive bungalows—over-water or in gardens.
Seychelles
Giant tortoises, coconut crabs, and black parrots claim this idyllic archipelago as home, due north of Madagascar. The dramatic rock formations along Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue Island compete with the more than 900-meter-high Morne Seychellois on Mahé and dense tropical forests of Praslin islands. Both Raffles and the Four Seasons resorts made our Hot List in recent years, and both are a collection of villas with butlers and private pools.
Maui, Hawaii
What’s not for your eyes to love? The historic whaling town of Lahaina, gorgeous Makena Beach, Upcountry plantations, the spooky desert sands of Haleakala National Park, and one of the world’s most scenic (and winding) drives to deeply green Hana. In fact, Maui ranked No. 1 on our Readers' Choice list of the top 25 islands in the world. For a singular getaway, learn how to stand-up paddle, net fish, or husk a coconut at Travaasa Hana set above Kaihalulu Bay facing the rising sun.
Santorini, Greece
Pretty, whitewashed towns speckle 1,000-foot tall cliffs encircling a vast, peaceful lagoon and do little to suggest the extraordinary force of nature that created this unique Aegean island. One of the world’s largest volcanic eruptions occurred here more than 3,600 years ago and may well have inspired the umpteen-told tales of a lost city of Atlantis. Perivolas, rated number six in our Top 100 hotels in the world in 2013, has truly mythic views of the caldera.
Kauai, Hawaii
If the 17-mile-long Na Pali Coast with cliffs dropping thousands of feet to the sea looks familiar, it may be from its big screen (Jurassic Park) or small screen (Fantasy Island) appearances. The island is also right at the top of our readers' list of the top 25 islands in the world. The best way to take it all in is on a two-day kayak trip—Na Pali Kayak’s guides can lead you to one of two camp sites. If that sounds too ambitious, the concierge at the St. Regis Princeville, the most opulent resort on the North Coast, can book a helicopter tour for bird’s-eye views.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Few islands ever live up to such high expectations—it 's No. 1 on our Readers' Choice list of the Best Islands in the Pacific—but this one meets and even exceeds them and in large part due to its lagoon. There are more shades of dazzling blues here than a crayon box on steroids, crossed by darts of black in the form of (friendly) manta rays and sharks. The two most luxe accommodations are at the highly-rated St. Regis or the Four Seasons.
Los Roques, Venezuela
With spectacular coral reefs and an astonishing diversity of underwater life, it’s little wonder that the more than 300 islands, cays, and islets of this archipelago were declared a National Park in 1972. Simple posadas and restaurants will point you in the right direction for eye-popping snorkeling and scuba diving. Italian-owned guesthouse, Posada El Pelicano, is a first-rate base; though book early as they’ve only four rooms.
Lipari, Italy
Lipari has been settled for well over 6,000 years and plundered by pirates and Greeks for the hard, black volcanic glass deposits found all around (used to make weapons and mirrors). The best views of the dramatic island and its six Aeolian neighbors are from Quattrocchi (“four eyes”) just west of the main town. The gorgeous Gattopardo Park Hotel, once an eighteenth-century villa, has rooms overlooking the ancient acropolis and medieval Castello.
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