--- title: "Island Escapes, the 10 islands worth the crossing | Wimup" description: "Ten islands ranked by what they give for the effort of reaching them: beaches, a town worth staying in, food and thinner crowds." url: https://wimup.com/islands type: Themed list updated: 2026-10-26 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Island escapes, ten worth the crossing. By Wimup desk · 10 picks · 3 vlogs · ≈ 4 min read Ten islands that repay the ferry or the flight: beaches worth the sand, a town worth a night, food worth staying for, and room left once the day boats go. We ranked these ten by what each island gives a visitor for the effort of reaching it: the beaches, a town worth staying in, the food, and how far the crowds thin out. Every pick hands off to a city guide for the island or its main town. ## Island escapes, ten worth the crossing. ### 1. Naxos, Greece Cyclades · Greece The largest of the Cyclades gives more than its famous neighbours: long sand beaches down the west coast, a Venetian quarter above Chora and mountain villages that make their own cheese. Ferries run from Piraeus, and the island has its own airport. - **Best for:** Beaches · food - **Get there:** Athens, then ferry - **Go in:** May · Jun · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/naxos.md) ### 2. São Miguel, Portugal Azores · Portugal Crater lakes at Sete Cidades, hot springs at Furnas and a stew cooked for hours in the volcanic ground. The beaches are dark sand and the Atlantic is cool, but the flight from Lisbon is short and the crowds never arrive. - **Best for:** Hot springs - **Get there:** Ponta Delgada - **Go in:** May · Jun · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/ponta-delgada.md) ### 3. Zanzibar, Tanzania Zanzibar Archipelago · Tanzania Stone Town, a UNESCO site since 2000, is the town worth staying in, and Nungwi and Kendwa in the north swim at any tide. Paje on the east coast drains far out at low tide, which suits kitesurfers more than swimmers. - **Best for:** Old town · beach - **Get there:** Zanzibar airport - **Go in:** Jun–Oct · Dec–Feb Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/zanzibar.md) · [Watch the Zanzibar vlog](https://wimup.com/watch/zanzibar.md) ### 4. Crete, Greece Western Crete · Greece Big enough that the crowds never fill it: Chania's Venetian harbour for the town, Balos and Elafonissi for the beaches, and the villages between for the food. Fly into Chania and hire a car, because the buses skip the best of it. - **Best for:** Food · scale - **Get there:** Chania airport - **Go in:** May · Jun · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/chania.md) ### 5. Jeju, South Korea Jeju Province · South Korea A volcanic island with Korea's highest peak, Hallasan at 1,950 m, plus lava tubes and a sunrise crater, all on UNESCO's list since 2007. Flights from Seoul take about an hour, and black pork barbecue is the island's dish. - **Best for:** Volcanic hikes - **Get there:** Flight from Seoul - **Go in:** Apr · May · Sep · Oct Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/jeju.md) · [Watch the Jeju vlog](https://wimup.com/watch/jeju.md) ### 6. Hvar, Croatia Dalmatia · Croatia Hvar town has the harbour, the fortress and the late nights; Stari Grad, across the island, has the UNESCO-listed plain and quieter evenings. Catamarans from Split cross in about an hour, and the Pakleni islets hold the swimming. - **Best for:** Harbour town - **Get there:** Split, then catamaran - **Go in:** May · Jun · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/hvar.md) ### 7. Siargao, Philippines Surigao del Norte · Philippines The Philippines' surf island, built around the Cloud 9 reef break, with boat trips to Naked, Daku and Guyam islands off General Luna. Direct flights from Manila and Cebu land at Sayak, and a rented scooter does the rest. - **Best for:** Surf - **Get there:** Flight from Manila - **Go in:** Mar–Oct Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/siargao.md) · [Watch the Siargao vlog](https://wimup.com/watch/siargao.md) ### 8. Mauritius Indian Ocean · Mauritius A reef-sheltered lagoon on most of its coast, a Creole, Indian and French table, and Le Morne, the mountain UNESCO listed in 2008 as a refuge of escaped slaves. It is a long flight from anywhere, so give it a week rather than a weekend. - **Best for:** Lagoons · food - **Get there:** Long-haul flight - **Go in:** May · Sep · Oct Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/port-louis.md) ### 9. Roatán, Honduras Bay Islands · Honduras The Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest barrier reef on earth, starts a short swim off West Bay and West End. Cruise ships dock on the south coast most days, so stay in West End and get in the water early. - **Best for:** Reef - **Get there:** Roatán airport - **Go in:** Mar · Apr · May Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/roatan.md) ### 10. Gotland, Sweden Baltic Sea · Sweden Visby, walled since the 13th century and on UNESCO's list since 1995, is the town; limestone sea stacks and pine-backed beaches are the rest. Ferries from Nynäshamn take about three hours, and the island quietens once the Swedish holidays end in August. - **Best for:** Medieval town - **Get there:** Ferry from Nynäshamn - **Go in:** Jun · Aug · Sep Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/visby.md) ## FAQs ### Which of these islands is easiest to reach from Europe? São Miguel and Crete have direct flights from many European cities, and Gotland is a ferry of about three hours from Nynäshamn, south of Stockholm. Naxos and Hvar add a ferry to the flight, from Piraeus or Split. ### When should I visit the Mediterranean islands? May, June and September give a warm sea, open tavernas and space on the beaches. July and August bring the heat, the highest prices and the fullest ferries. ### Which islands work outside the European summer? The tropical picks. Zanzibar's dry seasons run from June to October and December to February, Roatán is best from March to May, and Mauritius is pleasant from May to October. ### Do I need a car on these islands? On Crete, São Miguel, Jeju and Gotland a hire car opens up most of the island, because buses serve the main towns and little else. Siargao runs on scooters, and Hvar and Roatán on boats and taxis. ### Why are the Maldives and Bora Bora not on this list? They are on our honeymoon list, and they are resort islands more than islands with a town to stay in. This list favours places where a visitor can eat out, walk an old town and move around freely. ## Sources - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.