Beautiful Islands Around the World

By Lyndsey Matthews
February 21, 2013
Credit: Abadfox
Imagine this: bright blue water laps against pristine white sand. Up ahead, two empty beach chairs wait for you to enjoy the warm breeze and a cool drink.

It’s the stuff of winter daydreams—and also the subject of a photo T+L reader lkbatino took while vacationing in Boracay, an up-and-coming island destination in the Philippines.

We asked the Travel + Leisure community to submit travel photographs to our photo contest, and the high volume of beach, coast, and water shots testifies to the appeal of the island getaway. We’ve selected our favorite images to create a round-the-world tour of beautiful islands, from the blue-and-white buildings of the Greek party isle Mykonos to the lighthouses of family-friendly Nantucket, MA.

One dramatic image comes from Hawaii, where T+L community member surfer808 caught lava spewing into the ocean near Hilo on the Big Island—a captivating reminder of the raw power of nature.

A more tranquil photo taken by T+L community member tf4239 shows off the clear Caribbean waters of Turks and Caicos. You can practically feel the salty breeze while gazing at the water that stretches to the horizon to meet an almost cloudless sky, with about a dozen shades of blue and green.

Of course, islands offer more than surf and sand. A late afternoon among the snow-covered peaks of Wizard Island in the middle of Oregon’s Crater Lake is eerily beautiful as shot by T+L community member JeffOates. And a photograph of gondolas bobbing across from the Venetian island of Giudecca in the orange glow of sunset looks frozen in time.

See for yourself by diving into these island photos. One may even inspire your next trip.
Start Slideshow

1 of 24

Maldives

Credit: adametrnal
Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 24

Bartolome Island, Galapagos, Ecuador

Credit: Nellanella

3 of 24

Vancouver Island, Canada

Credit: nomad
Advertisement

4 of 24

Hilo, HI

Credit: surfer808

5 of 24

Capri, Italy

Credit: karlhansen

6 of 24

Mnemba Island, Tanzania

Credit: KerrydeBruyn
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 24

Boracay, Philippines

Credit: lkbatino

8 of 24

Wizard Island, Crater Lake National Park, OR

Credit: JeffOates

9 of 24

Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla

Credit: Tracey3345
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 24

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Credit: Dday0825

11 of 24

Santorini, Greece

Credit: EvanTravels

12 of 24

Moorea, French Polynesia

Credit: lexipro
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 24

Turks and Caicos

Credit: tf4239

14 of 24

Venice, Italy

Credit: lulu660

15 of 24

Palawan, Philippines

Credit: tabasco
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 24

Corsica, France

Credit: jvpphotography

17 of 24

Isle of Skye, Scotland

Credit: Amber0523

18 of 24

Balos Beach, Crete, Greece

Credit: FlyStefMcD
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 24

Mykonos, Greece

Credit: icepucks

20 of 24

Nantucket, MA

Credit: cltgator

21 of 24

Kauai, HI

Credit: cltgator
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 24

Dry Tortugas National Park, Key West, FL

Credit: Gary_Davis

Related: A Guide to Dry Tortugas National Park

23 of 24

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Credit: Gary_Davis

24 of 24

Longboat Key, FL

Credit: Abadfox
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Lyndsey Matthews