Seven Amazing Islands to Escape the Crowds In 2025

These less-visited destinations reward discerning travelers with a wealth of vacation possibilities

 

Phuket, Key West, Cancun, Majorca, Capri, Jamaica… All destinations that are well-known to beach lovers, scuba divers, and water sports enthusiasts. And with notoriety comes popularity, resulting in peak season prices, overbooked flights, crowds, and waiting lines at popular eateries. Discerning travelers know the value of looking beyond the usual to find nearby destinations that offer as much or more. Here are seven such places that offer a just-right blend of activities, amenities, low- key development, and unspoiled natural beauty.

Koh Kood, Thailand

Thailand is enjoying a post-COVID tourism boom, with more than 30 million visitors arriving annually. Seaside resorts at popular destinations such as Phuket, Hua Hin, and Pattaya are at full occupancy and it’s often standing room only at famous beaches where day trippers swarm for their Instagram moments. This surge of international arrivals sends savvy Thai vacationers to the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand and the favorite local destination of Koh Chang. And those who want to get even farther from the crowds can catch a boat to the nearby island of Koh Kood – sometimes translated as Koh Kut. With a land area of 100 square miles, Koh Kood is Thailand’s sixth largest island, but is home to just 2,500 residents, leaving more than 90 percent of the island pristine and road-free. Those who know the island agree that it offers some of the most colorful coral reefs and pristine beaches in Thailand, earning it a reputation as the country’s last unspoiled paradise. While tourism numbers are modest, Koh Kood offers an inviting collection of mid- to upper-end beach resorts scattered along the island’s western coast. It is a destination that is within reach of international travelers seeking solitude, but getting there requires a combination of planes, buses, and boats that will likely keep the masses at bay for years to come.

Don’t Miss: Swimming in the freshwater pool below the two-tiered Khlong Chao Waterfall.

Sanibel Island, Florida

One of Florida’s favorite Gulf Coast islands received a powerful one-two punch with 2022’s Hurricane Ian and 2024’s Hurricane Milton. Much was lost – including the sole causeway linking the island to the mainland. Undeterred by wind and water, island residents, hotels, and shopkeepers set about the business of rebuilding. By late 2024 bridges were mended, the lights were on, and the island was once again welcoming visitors. The first wave of returning vacationers found a limited number of resort and dining options, with more businesses reopening each month. Sanibel’s number one attraction has always been its long stretches of wide white sand, and these survived the storms without noticeable change. Strands like Bowman’s Beach remain pristine venues for beachcombing, shelling, and birding. Also reopened to the public is the Ding Darling Preserve. Established in 1845 to protect one of Florida’s largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems, this 5200-acre wildlife refuge invites exploration with a network of biking, walking, and paddling trails.

Don’t Miss: Sunsets over the Gulf at Lighthouse Beach Park.

Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago

For most travelers, Tobago isn’t the first island that comes to mind when dreaming of a Caribbean destination. This probably accounts for the island’s modest tourism numbers – fewer visitors arrive all year than visit destinations such as Cancun or the Bahamas on a busy holiday weekend. That’s good news for travelers seeking an alternative to hotel-line strands and cruise ship-crowded waterfronts. Tobago offers an additional incentive to visit, as it is an island with a dual personality. Southern shores in the Crown Point district offer a classic Caribbean beach experience of clear waters, snorkel-worthy coral reefs, inviting resorts, and funky beach bars. The island’s northern mountains stand in contrast, as they are home to the Western Hemisphere’s oldest nature preserve. The Main Ridge Forest Reserve is a realm of old-growth rainforests that attracts hikers, birders, and adventurous off-road cyclists. Northern coastlines are carved into secluded bays explored by paddlers, while divers are drawn to nearshore waters washed by nutrient-rich currents that support riotous growths of multi-hued sponges and soft corals.

Don’t Miss: Roadside food trucks serving tasty curry roti wraps.

San Andres, Colombia

Mention San Andres and most North American travelers will turn to Google Maps for reference. Not so for citizens of Colombia. This island, some 400 miles away from the South American mainland, is a well- known and favorite vacation and honeymoon destination for Colombian nationals, with flights departing from most every major city in the country. During over-water approaches to San Andres’ Gustavo Rojas airport window seat, passengers are treated to a preview of this destination’s claim to fame – the Sea of Seven Colors. This nickname comes from the multiple shades of blue, green, and purple created by the variable water depths of the shoals, grass beds, and coral reefs flanking the island’s outer shore. These waters are at the heart of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, a vast United Nations-created marine sanctuary that spreads across 10 percent of the Western Caribbean. An abundance of marine life and an intriguing collection of historic wrecks await divers, while beach lovers are rewarded with miles of white sand shores and a collection of uninhabited and palm- fringed out islands. The island’s port is blissfully free of large cruise ships, resorts come in all ranges from backpacker-friendly to splurge-worthy, seafood lovers have a lot to savor and island towns retain their unique and laid-back blend of English, African, and Colombian heritage.

Don’t Miss: Swimming and snorkeling with fish and rays in the natural aquarium at Johnny Cay.

Ischia, Italy

Set on the western edge of the Bay of Naples, Ischia is the place to go for a good soak. The island is home to more than 30 health spas that tap mineral-rich waters issuing from volcanically heated springs. These therapeutic flows have been known since the early days of Greek civilization but remained largely untapped through a history of volcanic eruptions, pirate raids, plagues, devastating earthquakes, and a who’s who of occupying empires. Ischia remained an off-grid oasis of quiet fishing villages and hillside farms when wealthy visionary Angelo Rizzoli visited the island in the 1950s. Enamored by the island’s bucolic charm and inspired by the healing waters, Rizzoli established a hotel and wellness center and brought the island to international attention with a series of film projects. The subsequent years saw a flurry of development, and by the late 1960s, Ischia was on the map as a go-to wellness destination. Today’s visitors have options from quiet hotels with private spas to expansive thermal parks that are a combination of beach clubs, hot spring spas, botanical gardens, and epicurean experiences. The island’s largest thermal park, the Poseidon, offers more than 30 indoor and outdoor pools, steam caves, saunas, Kneipp baths, massage rooms, thermal mud baths, and aromatherapy chambers.

Don’t Miss: Visit Mortella Gardens, known as one of the most beautiful parks in Italy.

Cat Ba, Vietnam

The islands of Ha Long Bay are a universally recognized symbol of Vietnam. These rugged, rainforest-topped karst islands punctuate a sea of emerald green, creating a vast labyrinth of channels and coves that shelter floating fishing villages. The Bay is vastly popular with both domestic and international tourists, and in recent years the southern edge of the bay has drawn increasing attention. Cat Ba island is the largest and only inhabited island of the 300-plus limestone formations of the Cat Ba Archipelago. These islands are similar in structure to their Ha Long counterparts to the north but offer a greater diversity of landscapes that include tropical limestone forests, coral reefs, mangrove and sea grass beds, lagoons, caves, willow swamp forests, and beaches. Cat Ba Island is one of the only populated islands in the Ha Long region, and its growing notoriety has spawned a collection of low-rise hotels and lodges perched on the southern shore. The remainder of this 100-square-mile island remains wild and under the protection of the Cat Ba National Park, which is a UNESCO Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve. The park is a playground for adventurers and nature lovers offering hiking, birding, caving, and rock climbing. The surrounding waters provide endless hours of paddling routes, lively coral reefs for divers and snorkelers, and a vast cruising ground for tour boats and overnight cruises.

Don’t Miss: A day cruise to the floating villages of Lan Ha Bay.

Formentera, Spain

Spain’s Balearic Islands are definitely trending. More than 12 million holidaymakers fill the beaches of Mallorca each year. Three million more head to Ibiza for foam parties and dusk-to-dawn clubbing, and another million travel to Menorca in search of more elbow room at the beach. And then there’s Formentera, the smallest and least-visited island in the archipelago. Though hardly secret, this Manhattan-sized Island draws a smaller and more select crowd. Formentera’s true claim to fame is its beaches, long strands of white sands washed by crystal clear water. This setting has led many to label the island as the Mediterranean’s equivalent to the Caribbean. These waters lure an impressive collection of A-listers, though most keep their visits on the down low. As befitting a destination for discerning and upper-end travelers, Formentera has a thriving and diverse culinary scene, a good helping of authentic cultural charm, and a relaxed nightlife that lowers the volume and encourages lingering relaxation.

Don’t Miss: Visiting the local crafts markets and cafes in the village of Saint Francesc de Formentera.