The annual Readers' Choice Awards from Condé Nast Traveller UK have landed, and this year's island rankings make for some surprises. A 17th-century shipwreck near Bermuda may have sparked The Tempest, but readers were more charmed by its calm pink-sand beaches at Horseshoe Bay. And Hydra — the Greek island once immortalised by Leonard Cohen — came out on top in Europe, beating six other Greek islands plus heavyweights like Sardinia (98.01) and Sicily in the process.
The rankings span seven regional lists covering every corner of the planet. Globally, a few scores stand out. Palawan in the Philippines took Asia with 98.99, edging Vietnam's Phu Quoc and Thailand's Koh Lanta — a nod, per readers, to its sustainability credentials. Barbados claimed the Caribbean and Atlantic at 98.16, with the Cayman Islands — where drivers reportedly toot twice just to say hello — close behind. Mauritius led Africa and the Indian Ocean at 97.14, ahead of the Maldives and Seychelles. Fiji topped Australasia and the South Pacific ahead of Bora Bora, while the Galápagos — whose wildlife Darwin famously catalogued in 1835 — won Central and South America. In North America, Canada's Vancouver Island took the crown, pushing Hawaii's Kauai and Maui into second and fourth.
Closer to home, the UK list makes fun reading. The Isles of Scilly scooped first place with 90.78, thanks partly to waters considered among the cleanest in Britain, ahead of Guernsey, the Isle of Arran and the Isle of Skye. Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides all made the top six, proving readers still love a rugged, wind-scoured island.
The Europe list rewards the less obvious. Beyond Hydra, high scorers include Naxos (97.14), Corsica (96.43) and Sifnos — quieter alternatives to their flashier neighbours Santorini (90.00) and Mykonos (88.57), which sat low on the table. Malta, Madeira, Hvar and the Faroe Islands all featured, along with a strong Spanish showing from Menorca, Ibiza, Mallorca and the Canaries.
If you're plotting a beach year, this list is a useful cross-check: reader-voted scores favour places where visitors feel genuinely welcome, whether that's Hydra's long tradition of greeting drifting travellers or the laid-back courtesy of the Caymans. It also highlights sustainable picks — Palawan, the Scillies — for travellers who want their paradise to stay pristine.
