World's Best Islands 2015

Score: 86.897

History aficionados have long-loved this Mediterranean nation, evidence that you don’t need palm trees or daiquiris to be one of the world’s most tantalizing islands. Malta has been overrun by every major empire in the region, from the Phoenicians to the Byzantines, the British to the 1.5 million tourists who flock to the island’s colorful shores. Limestone cliffs are dotted with baroque churches, crumbling castle walls, and fortresses. The capital, Valletta, squeezes half a millennium of history into half a square mile, with forts and stairways that crest in unparalleled harbor views. With the debut of a new Renzo Piano-designed open-air theater, visitors can now marvel at the contrast of 21st and 16th-century architecture. Head to the Gozo for a reprieve from Valletta’s frenetic energy—it’s here that Odysseus is rumored to have spent seven years after the Trojan War. Take one look at this handsome Bronze Age island, set between Sicily and the North African coast, and you won’t blame him.

Score: 87.31

A vast, 1,600-mile sweep of coral reef unfurls from the northeastern tip of Australia, teeming with more than 400 species of marine life spanning from the great baleen whales to thorny urchins. Divers can be found year-round in this labyrinth of 3,000 plus individual reefs, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World and the largest living feature on Earth, made from billions of coral polyps. Of all the region’s castaway islands (approximately 900) it’s the Whitesundays, at the threshold of this coral paradise, that we love most, thanks in large part to the blinding-white strip of sand known as Whitehaven Beach. The spectacular biodiversity is reflected in the incredible mélange of resorts scattered amongst the Great Barrier Reef. While the enormous, 244-room Hayman Island has acres of marble flooring and a swimming pool seven-times the Olympic standard, modest Qualia has 60 intimate bungalows outfitted with private terraces and kwila hardwood.

Score: 87.882

Kauai, the oldest Hawaiian Island, formed when lava bubbled up from the ocean floor 5 million years. To this day, it maintains a certain sense of dignity that is not uncommon amongst the community’s elders. For example, it's defiantly more low-key than its glamorous sibling to the east, though no less dramatic. Can't-miss sights include Pali Ke Kua, or Hideaways beach, kept secret by towering black lava walls, as well as the Waimea Canyon and Na Pali Coast, both banded by scenic hiking trails and switchbacks. Development isn't unheard of here; Kauai has its famed golf courses and high-profile resorts. But nature still asserts itself in the form of the spiked Anahola Mountains and the bluffs above Hanelai Bay. From here, you get what may arguably the most impressive vista in the state: clouds evaporating over a perfect crescent moon of beach.

Score: 87.89

Hawaii’s golden child appeals to everyone from gilded Hollywood celebrities to barefooted surfers. It’s a veritable melting pot for the next generation, complete with buzzy cosmopolitan neighborhoods and ultra-chic resorts (enter the new Andaz Maui at Wailea with three infinity pools and an open-air lobby) as well as breathtaking natural sights to seduce visitors and natives with intrinsic force. Begin your trip with the quintessential sunrise bike ride to the 10,023-foot volcanic crater of Haleakala, or the white-knuckle scenic drive to Hana. Stop at Oheo Gulch, a string of waterfalls and ponds in Hana, for an obligatory dip.

Score: 87.904

This heart-shaped island levitating on the South Seas has convinced even the most selective travelers that there is such a thing as paradise on Earth, thanks to impossibly blue lagoons and rugged, rainforest-blanketed mountains. The less-trafficked sister island of Bora Bora offers coconut-strewn beaches and an intoxicating aroma of vanilla, grapefruit, and Tahitian gardenia, as well as thatched bungalows at luxe properties such as the InterContinental and views of Tahiti, only 11 miles away, at The Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort. Friendly Tahitians are full of local lore. It’s believed that the beaches along Cook and Opunohu Bays was formed by the tail of a giant yellow lizard, and that—perhaps more believably—James Michener’s novel, Tales of the south Pacific, was inspired by this otherworldly land.

Score: 87.93

Everything is brighter on Santorini, where blanched-white houses and blue-domed churches erupt down the sides of an ancient caldera. Highlights include the black sands of Perissa Beach, the richly preserved, prehistoric Akrotíri settlement, best known as the “Minoan Pompeii,” and the postcard-worthy sunsets over Oia, the cliff-top village that is one of the most photographed spots in the world. Book a room at Perivolas, an adults-only resort housed in 300-year-old cave-carved dwellings that feel anything but primeval with a selection of honey and herb-scented Apivita toiletries, and an infinity pool that seems to pour into the Aegean Sea.

perivolas.gr

Score: 88.32

Readers raved about this Australian state, calling it a little known treasure that’s unmatched by any other island destination. Its diverse and stunning landscape is nearly hallucinatory: rolling dunes covered in psychedelic banksia wildflowers, granite formations that erupt from the beaches, and the wonder of the tessellated pavement at Eaglehawk Neck. Trek the 600,000 acres of pristine coastal wilderness and look out for hyena-like Tasmanian devils, wallabies, and the duckbill platypus. Despite its remote location, Tasmania has a freestyle culinary scene, thanks to local ingredients like handpicked sea lettuce, local game like opossum, and organic Tassie wine. Best of all? The air is as clean as it is in Antarctica, making it the ideal place to take a breather.

Score: 88.533

The world’s lowest-lying nation has no land more than six feet above sea level, meaning a trip to the Maldives is truly about communing with the warm, ebbing tides. Many hotels are built directly over the sparkling azure waters, and the best take full advantage of the otherworldly real estate. Coral nurseries, underwater nightclubs, and feasts enjoyed on floating pontoons are just a few of the luxury trappings travelers might encounter here. Snorkeling and scuba diving appeal to both romance-seeking couples and adventurous families. Feeling fatigued? Unwind on any one of the white-sand beaches or sand bars scattered throughout the reefs and atolls.

Score: 88.978

Of all the tropical islands that comprise Indonesia (17,508 to be exact) the mystical island of Bali outshines them all. With its rice paddies, ornate Hindu temples and rocky headlands, it’s the country’s crown jewel. Head to Sanur to watch the watch the sun bleed over the horizon in the mornings, or to Besakih, the holiest and most mystical temple at the slopes of Mount Agung. The island’s dreamscapes may be silver screen-worthy, but the island is making cultural relevance a prominent part of any journey. Take a cooking class (think duck curry and black-rice porridge with papaya soup), peruse contemporary Balinese art, and participate in a traditional blessing ceremony for complete immersion in Indonesia’s heritage.

Score: 90.815

This wildlife-filled archipelago, hundreds of miles off Ecuador’s shores, has long tempted thrill-seekers and photography enthusiasts with its pods of sea lions, flightless cormorants, the world’s only seafaring lizards, and short-feathered penguins that dart casually across the equator. Volcanic landscapes and beaches relatively untouched by tourism are best seen by sea, and cruise ships, such as Silversea's 100-passenger Silver Galápagos, pair travelers with naturalists for a truly educational experience. Luxury in this isolated ecosystem took an evolutionary leap with the debut of Pikaia Lodge, a carbon-neutral, five-star resort with its own giant tortoise reserve, which lets you explore the islands at your own pace—with the help of a private yacht, of course.