These are the top 25 islands to visit by boat in 2025

Islands — of varying size and character — can be an endless source of discovery and refuge. Whether your ideal getaway involves meeting extraordinary wildlife in Española in Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, tucking into black truffles in Tasmania, Australia, or simply kicking back on a white-sand beach in Sardinia, Italy, these are the islands we think you should be visiting in 2025.

Dive into culture

1. Shikoku, Japan

The smallest of Japan’s main islands is best known for its 88-temple pilgrimage route, circling 745 miles through a landscape of mountains, river valleys and bamboo forests. But there’s more to discover. Head towards the densely wooded Iya Valley to traverse traditional vine bridges suspended over a plunging gorge. Tour Kōchi Castle, ringed by sakura trees and one of Japan’s few remaining original fortresses, and soak in the just-refurbished Dogo Onsen, said to be Japan’s oldest hot springs, dating back 3,000 years. The 10-day Japan Explorer with Kumano Fireworks with Princess starts from £1,285 per person.

2. Unguja, Tanzania

Between its historic Stone Town — festooned with the 17th-century Old Fort and marbled Palace Museum — and its more contemporary attractions (a museum dedicated to native, Freddie Mercury), Zanzibar’s largest island has plenty to offer those seeking some culture. The hotel scene is also thriving, with launches from Attitude and Le Méridien hot on the heels of 2024 openings LUX* Marijani and Bawe Island Resort. The 13-day Zanzibar, Aldabra & the Treasures of the Indian Ocean with Ponant starts from £6,930 per person.

3. Santorini, Greece

It might be known for its dramatic caldera and striking sunsets, but this Cycladic star has its own cultural hitlist with Minoan ruins at Akrotiri, a Byzantine cathedral and clusters of art galleries in popular Oia. Santorini is also a base for the first inter-island helicopter service, Hoper, so from here you can now island-hop in record time — or be in treasure-packed capital Athens in as little as 70 minutes. The nine-night Greek Island Odyssey with Fred Olsen Cruises starts from £1,599 per person.

4. Governors Island, US

Gazing across to Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, this 172-acre island was the first spot the Dutch settled, making it effectively NYC’s birthplace. It’s been upping its tourism game year-on-year since opening full-time to the public in 2021. You’ll find an al fresco sculpture that doubles up as a climbing boulder, a population of resident sheep and a wellness spa overlooking the world’s most iconic skyline. On the agenda for 2025? New dining options set in a restored historic building right by the ferry dock. The nine-night Transatlantic Crossing with Cunard starts from £632 per person.

5. Korčula, Croatia

Settled by the Greeks, lined with historic vineyards and crowned by a 15th-century cathedral, the rumoured birthplace of Marco Polo packs in some serious history. In 2024, the island marked 770 years since Polo’s birth with musical celebrations. If you missed that, there’s still plenty to enjoy in 2025, from the annual Korkyra Baroque Festival, held every September, to summer’s 400-year-old Moreška traditional sword dancing displays. The seven-day Jewels of the Dalmatian Coast with Seabourn starts from £7,239 per person.

Encounter wildlife

6. Muiron, Australia

Dive below the surface and you’ll find what makes this duo of Western Australian isles so special. Here in the UNESCO-listed Ningaloo Reef, kaleidoscope corals dazzle with swarms of fish, dugongs graze lazily on sea grass and giant manta rays and whale sharks roam cobalt depths. The 13-day Ningaloo & The Bluewater Wonders of Australia’s West with AdventureSmith Explorations starts from £5,187 per person.

7. Española, Ecuador

The southernmost of the Galápagos Islands was discovered 490 years ago and is one of the world’s most remarkable wildlife spots, with a long list of endemic species. Scaly marine iguanas dive from rocks into the sea to feast on algae. Vast-winged waved albatross nest on stone-studded grassland. Giant tortoises snooze in shrubland. And chubby sea lions loll on pristine beaches. This is once-in-a-lifetime animal viewing at its most spectacular. The four-day Galápagos with Royal Galapagos starts from £1,329 per person.

8. Skomer, UK

Every year from April until July, more than 40,000 puffins, plus large populations of Manx shearwaters, guillemots and razorbills, clutter the windswept slopes, marshlands and bracken of this craggy Welsh outcrop. To keep all those feathers from getting ruffled, only 250 people are allowed to visit the island each day, with just one ship operator in the world permitted to land. The Skomer Landing with Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips starts from £24 per person.

9. Curieuse, Seychelles

Once home to an isolated colony of people infected with leprosy, today this tiny national park off the island of Praslin hosts a very different population: giant aldabra tortoises. A sanctuary houses hundreds of the creatures on the eastern shores, from where a boardwalk snakes west through mangroves, rare takamaka trees and endangered coco de mer. On the walk towards the old 19th-century doctor’s house — set to reopen to visitors in 2025 after years of refurbishment — you might also spot endemic blue pigeons and evidence of nesting sea turtles. The 14-day Mahé to Singapore with Crystal Cruises starts from £4,800 per person.

10. Isla Ballestas, Peru

South of the country’s capital Lima, these rocky islands are directly in the path of the Humboldt Current, a cold ocean nutrient-rich current that attracts countless marine and other wildlife. From your excursion boat (landings are prohibited), look out for blue-footed boobies, sea lions, pelicans and Humboldt penguins among the diverse array of animals on show. The 11-day Peru & Chile Voyage with Azamara starts from £1,919.

Set off on an adventure

11. Hiva Oa, French Polynesia

One of the ultra-remote Marquesas Islands — inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2024 — Hiva Oa is a place where jagged volcanic peaks meet black-sand beaches and blooming gardenia. In the south at Atouna, eat fresh poisson cru (raw marinated fish) by the seafront before scaling the slopes to the graves of painter and sculptor Paul Gauguin and singer Jacques Brel, who both lived and died in the pretty village. Then, explore the remote rugged north. Sacred stone tiki sculptures sit in a mountainous enclave at Upeke, with nothing but the thud of falling breadfruit and coconuts to disturb the silence. The 12-day Discover the Marquesas with Aranui starts from £2,788 per person.

12. South Georgia

Nothing beats the thrill — or should that be the chill — of following in the steps of Ernest Shackleton 150 years after the explorer’s birth. Journey to this sub-Antarctic spot where the Irish icon is buried, taking in soaring stone figures at Shag Rocks, the remnants of an old whaling station at Grytviken and beaches cluttered with penguins and seals. The 18-day South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula with Quark Expeditions starts from £14,445 per person.

13. El Hierro, Spain

While its sister Canaries Tenerife and Lanzarote draws in millions of annual visitors, little El Hierro only attracts tourists in the low thousands, so you can explore its wilds relatively crowd-free. And what wilds they are: soaring volcanic cliffs rushing down to thrashing Atlantic waves, challenging hiking trails lined with emerald foliage and natural azure pools perfect for unforgettable swims. The nine-day Lisbon to Tenerife with Hapag-Lloyd starts from £3,432 per person.

14. Wayag, Indonesia

If series four of Race Across the World fired your desire to explore Indonesia, head to one of its most biodiverse corners, Raja Ampat. Otherworldly Wayag has richly kaleidoscopic coral reefs and marine life that’s heaven-sent for divers, including manta rays, barracudas and wobbegong sharks. Above the water, kayak or paddleboard along Crayola-bright blue waters. The seven-night Raja Ampat and West Papua Expedition with Aqua Expeditions starts from £7,812 per person.

15. Grímsey, Iceland

Grímsey — an island 25 miles above Iceland’s north coast that straddles the Arctic Circle — is home to just 100 inhabitants but a million resident seabirds. It’s a raw landscape of dramatic cliffs and dandelion-dotted meadows, crowned with a lighthouse and an 800-year-old village church. The 12-day Iceland: Circumnavigating the Land of Fire & Ice with AE Expeditions starts from £11,131 per person.

Relax on idyllic beaches

16. Prince Edward Island, Canada

Endless swathes of golden beach with grass-flecked dunes and perfectly blue surf — it’s a vision that sounds more Caribbean than Canadian. But Prince Edward Island, the tiny province hung off the nation’s Atlantic shoreline, is home to some of North America’s loveliest sands, from low-key Dalvay-by-the-Sea to family-friendly Cabot. Make for the sun-warmed stretches of popular Cavendish Beach in July 2025 and you’ll get the most Canadian of musical experiences: an outdoor festival headlined by country music icon Shania Twain. The seven-day Canada & New England with Holland America starts from £1,434 per person.

17. Bequia, St Vincent & the Grenadines

The largest of the Grenadines combines laid-back beach appeal with a chic, upmarket feel. Pad the soft sands of Princess Margaret Beach and sink a rum punch at Jack’s or sip a spiced rum negroni at south coast resort The Liming, reopened following a post-Hurricane Beryl refurb. For wilder strands, try Spring Bay on the remote eastern shoreline. The seven-day Bridgetown to Bridgetown with Silversea starts from £3,200 per person.

18. Harbour Island, Bahamas

This island’s Pink Sands Beach has to be seen to be believed: three miles of shimmering rose-hued strands, powdery soft and coloured by the presence of microscopic coral organisms. They’re especially predominant at sunrise and draw honeymooners to this compact isle. Meanwhile, the island’s legendary restaurant Sip Sip has just reopened after a long hiatus. The five-night Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale with Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection from £5,100 per person.

19. Sardinia, Italy

With Blue Zone-inspired wellness travel currently one of the biggest trends in the industry, now’s the time to explore Sardinia, where residents regularly live to 100. Tap into the island’s feel-good ethos on its beautiful beaches, which fringe the mountainous, wooded interior from tip to tail. Top picks include white-sand La Pelosa or the wilder, tree-framed Porto Ferro, both near the north coast cruise ports. The eight-day Mediterranean cruise with CroisiEurope starts from £3,729 per person.

20. The Maldives

A nation compromised entirely of sandy atolls, swaying palms and vivid aquamarine waters, the Maldives is the ultimate pick for beach bums. New luxury resorts open each year, but to travel more affordably — and arguably more authentically — board a traditional dhoni cruise. Glide between Robinson Crusoe-style uninhabited islands and remote sandbars, stopping to snorkel, swim and undertake a beach plastic clean up. The seven-day Maldives Dhoni Cruise with G Adventures starts from £1,349 per person.

Indulge in local cuisine

21. Île de Ré, France

Now that the French Olympic crowds have gone, head to this laid-back gem near port city La Rochelle. In the north, salt pans produce delicate local fleur de sel and vineyards Pelletier and Arica zingy white wines. In the centre, La Flotte’s atmospheric daily market serves prized, island-grown new potatoes and mussels. Dotted all along the coastline, oyster ‘cabanes’ such as Ré Ostréa serve up freshly harvested bivalves from their own shoreside farms. Cycle between the lot on island bike paths, weaving past farms and beaches, then visit chic Saint-Martin-de-Ré to taste a skilled chef’s interpretation of local produce at George’s. The seven-night Spain & France Cruise with P&O Cruises starts from £599 per person.

22. Tasmania, Australia

Fragrant black truffles and crunchy apples. Delicate wild abalone and sweet-briny oysters. Crisp sparkling wine and complex whisky. From its unspoiled coast, dotted with idyllic blue bays, to the rugged mountainous interior, Tasmania is bursting with some of Australia’s most decadent and diverse produce. And locals really know what to do with it. Capital Hobart features numerous knock-out dining venues, including the recently opened Restaurant Maria — just next door to its acclaimed sister spot Aløft. Expect Med-inspired flavours like charred octopus with burnt lemon and taramasalata. The nine-day Tasmania Harvest and Heritage with Coral Expeditions starts from £3,768 per person.

23. Bornholm, Denmark

As temperatures continue to rise in the Med, Scandinavia provides summer without the scorch, and gorgeous sun-kissed produce, too. In particularly mild Bornholm, where seasonal highs range between 20C and 30C, figs, mulberries and other juicy fruits are grown for artfully plated dishes at Michelin-starred Kadeau. The 15-day Viking Homelands with Viking Cruises starts from £6,990 per person.

24. Sri Lanka

Island nation Sri Lanka is a foodie wonderland of skillet-fried kottu roti, delicate egg hoppers and fragrant Pekoe tea — the latter grown in the scenic highlands of the country’s interior. The new Pekoe Trail, a 185-mile walking route that takes in waterfalls, prehistoric caves, temples and local communities, gives you a real flavour of the traditional food of the island via farm tours and cookery classes. Don’t have time to tackle it? The capital Colombo has its own thriving food scene with seaside street food stalls selling fried lentil cakes and spiced pickled fruit. The 17-night India & Sri Lanka Voyage with Azamara Cruises starts from £3,039 per person.

25. Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Thirsty cruisers need only endure a half-hour ferry ride from the city of Auckland to reach this self-proclaimed ‘island of wine’. The 30 local vineyards make the most of the sun-kissed landscapes to turn out bottles ranging from elegant Syrahs to rich Bordeaux-inspired blends. At Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant, tuck into brioche-crusted fish with kombu, washed down with citrussy Chardonnay. At Stonyridge Vineyard, kick back on green lawns with a silky Merlot and cheese board. The 14-day Auckland to Sydney with Oceania Cruises starts from £5,249 per person.