These Are the Best Islands in the World, According to Nearly 200,000 Voters

The “World’s Best” awards from travel brand Travel and Leisure and Capital One Travel asked 186,000 readers to vote on their favorite islands, ranking them from “excellent” to “poor” on factors like value/cost, friendliness of locals, activities and sights, restaurants, and, naturally, the quality of beaches. While some picks on the top 25 list are well-known, like Galápagos, the islands of Fiji, and Indonesia’s Bali, others are still fairly under-the-radar on the global travel scene.

Milos was one of four Greek islands to make the top 25 list. Photo: Georgios Tsichlis/Shutterstock

Of the top 25 best islands in the world, Greece had not one but four islands rank on the list — perhaps not surprising, since the country has so many islands, there’s no official number (but more than 6,000 is the best guess). Coming in second in terms of listings was perennial favorite Italy, with three appearances. And regionally, several growing tourism destinations in Southeast Asia made the list.

But of the many, many islands considered, just one could take the top spot: Maldives. It’s actually closer to about 1,200 islands, but counted as one for the survey. That likely gave it a leg up on winning, since the country has 172 resorts sitting on separate private islands. It scored 95.63 points out of 100. And for anyone whose been to the Maldives, it’s pretty easy to guess which category made it lose 4.37 points. It’s likely the average prices, considering Maldives is a country where over-the-water bungalows can easily reach $5,000 or more per night.

The rest of the best islands in the world listed in order are:

1. 1. Maldives
   2. Phú Quốc, Vietnam
   3. Bali, Indonesia
   4. Milos, Greece
   5. Dominica
   6. Crete, Greece
   7. Hvar and the Dalmatian Islands, Croatia
   8. Galápagos, Ecuador
   9. Koh Samui, Thailand
   10. The islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
   11. Ischia, Italy
   12. Cuba
   13. Palawan, Philippines 
   14. Fiji
   15. Golden Isles, Georgia, USA 
   16. Phuket, Thailand
   17. Sicily, Italy
   18. Anguilla
   19. Mo’orea, French Polynesia
   20. Corfu, Greece
   21. Sardinia, Italy
   22. Madeira, Portugal
   23. Isle of Skye, Scotland
   24. Paros, Greece
   25. Zanzibar, Tanzania

The 2024 travel survey also queried participants on other island-related topics, including the best islands in the Caribbean (and Bahamas and Bermuda), the best islands in Europe, and the best of the Hawai’ian Islands. The full list of all awarded destinations and businesses, from hotels to cruises to national parks, is available here.