These 20 islands are an adventurer’s dream
Published 5 May 2019, 19:13 BST, Updated 8 May 2019, 16:38 BST
Remote Rangiroa is the world’s second largest atoll; all of Tahiti—French Polynesia’s largest island—could fit inside. Stroll a deserted pink sand beach. Or head to the area around Tiputa Pass, an inlet that funnels clear water and wildlife into and out of the lagoon with the tides, to spot a bevy of marine creatures including schooling grey reef sharks.
Photograph by Marco Moretti, Anzenberger, ReduxHead to the sapphire seas surrounding Vava’u (actually 61 interconnected islands) for some of the world’s best sea kayaking, surfing, and diving. Though swim-with-whales tours are readily available, steer clear: Approaching these 40-ton behemoths is dangerous for humans and stressful for the whales, especially mothers and their newborn calves.
Photograph by Martin Barraud, Alamy Stock PhotoThough few outfitters exist in the Falklands (Islas Malvinas)—a rugged island cluster off Patagonia in the South Atlantic—the local tourist board helps connect brave visitors to like-minded residents. Try cold-water surfing, windsurfing, or kayaking alongside Peale’s dolphins and giant petrels, or sail to windswept cliffs to see seemingly endless colonies of black-browed albatross and rockhopper penguins.
Photograph by John Warburton-Lee Photography, Alamy Stock PhotoThere’s lots to do around Chiloé, an island off the coast of southern Chile. Kayak throughout the archipelago to see historic wooden churches; take a bumpy boat ride to spot porpoises, whales, and colonies of Magellanic and Humboldt penguins on Puerto Mott; then hike through gnarled tepu forests in Parque Nacional Chiloé. Even sleeping is an adventure: Hear and feel the changing tide during an overnight in a traditional, wooden-stilted palafito.
Photograph by Kseniya Ragozina, Alamy Stock PhotoIn a country comprised of more than 7,100 islands, lesser visited Mindanao has lots to offer. Meet members of distinct, local Lumad indigenous groups; hit the waves for uncrowded surfing in the north; take on bumpy whitewater rapids on the Cagayan de Oro River; and swim up to the base of jungle waterfalls like Tinago Falls (pictured) on the Agus River.
Photograph by Chris Stowers, Panos Pictures, ReduxNear Los Angeles, Catalina Island’s resort-like façade belies its adventurous possibilities: Offshore kelp forests teem with life, including blue, mako, hammerhead, and great white sharks. Kayak the coast or head inland for aerial views on a treetop ropes course.
Photograph by Niebrugge Images, Alamy Stock PhotoMadagascar’s landscapes and wildlife are both weird and wonderful. Trek through Marojejy National Park (pictured) to spot 11 lemur species amid the tangle of towering primary forest or navigate the spindly limestone forests of Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve. There are also cycling tours through the remote southwest, rock climbing at the Montagne des Français walls near Diego Suarez, and canoe-based river safaris on the Manombolo River that wind past cliffside caves housing ancient Vazimba tombs.
Photograph by Michael Zumstein, Agence VU, ReduxThis sandy spit of land 12 miles off central Oman is a true desert island. Barren beaches meet beige villages, while beyond, goats and camels chomp brush along inland roads. Flat lagoon waters opposite shores with regular surf and steady, wild winds whip up adventure for kite-boarders of all skill levels.
Photograph by Dominic Byrne, Alamy Stock PhotoTravellers to Spain's volcanic Canary Islands off the North African coast find a series of unique microclimates: everything from sandy deserts and volcanic moonscapes to ferny, sub-tropical forests and palm-studded, white-sand beaches. Road trip through scenic Tejeda or take to the coast for whale-watching, sailing, surfing, and snorkeling.
Photograph by Franz Pritz, Picture Press, ReduxHalf the fun of the Faroe Islands—a remote, wind-tussled, autonomous Danish archipelago in the North Atlantic—is getting there. The other half is boating through coastal caverns for a subterranean swim, riding føroyska rossið (Faroese horses) across the grassy interior, hiking by the Drangarnir sea stacks or the picturesque Vatnsdalsvatn Lake, or renting a traditional Faroese sailing schooner to explore the puffin-filled coastal cliffs.
Photograph by Alessio Mesiano, Alamy Stock PhotoNew Zealand's South Island is a masterpiece of adventure. Get your adrenaline pumping in the rugged wildlands of Abel Tasman National Park; skydive over Lake Wanaka; bungee jump down 440 feet (134 meters) or become a human catapult in the Nevis Valley; then strap on some crampons and heli-hike up to stare down the blue-green crevasses of Franz Josef Glacier.
Photograph by Florian Bärschneider, Alamy Stock PhotoThough home to fascinating ethnic and ecological diversity, Papua New Guinea has few organized adventure activities. Make your own by packing a surfboard and hitting the waves in northerly Vanimo. Or join a small group to tackle the 60-mile (96 km) Kokoda Track, which winds along a historic Australian WWII route through tall kunai grass, across rocky rivers, and among the roadless jungles of the Owen Stanley mountains.
Photograph by Alex Hutchinson, ReduxTake a boat ride across the green waters of False Bay, just off the coast of Cape Town, to see a rookery of jackass penguins and some 75,000 Cape fur seals congregated in the largest colony of their kind. These are merely food for the main attraction: False Bay is one of the few places in the world where great white sharks have been observed leaping above the water to nab their prey.
Photograph by Education Images, Getty ImagesPeople inhabit only 60 of the 20,000-odd islands and islets in the autonomous region of Åland, Finland. Rent a bike and follow the 120 miles (190 km) of the Turku Archipelago Trail as its roads, bridges, and ferries wind past wooden houses, fishing villages, and rugged landscapes. The truly adventurous can visit in winter amid dwindling daylight hours to try ice-kiting (think kite-surfing, but across snow and frozen water), kayaking, or even taking an icy water plunge.
Photograph by Gonzalo Azumendi, Laif, ReduxExperience the Caribbean island of Dominica's volcanic geology on a rugged, 12-mile, round-trip trek past sulfur banks to reach Boiling Lake. Or explore Dominica’s crystalline waters by snorkeling or scuba diving at the delightfully effervescent Champagne Reef amid colorful fish and a 17th-century Spanish shipwreck.
Photograph by Reinhard Dirscherl, Alamy Stock PhotoDon your leech socks and high step through Borneo’s Santubong National Park (pictured) to find quirky proboscis monkeys, then motor alongside mangroves to admire colorful kingfishers and rare Irrawaddy dolphins. Scuba divers will love the epic 2,000-foot (600m) drop-offs of Sipadan—and the schooling barracuda and other large pelagic species drawn to it.
Photograph by André Schumacher, Laif, ReduxLocated within Lake Malawi National Park, the world’s first freshwater national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Mumbo Island offers some of the world’s best freshwater snorkeling, scuba diving, and kayaking. From Mumbo Island Camp, explore the clear water’s clouds of colorful fish and labrynthine boulder formations, or head inland to hike among baobab trees.
Photograph by Ariadne van Zandbergen, Alamy Stock PhotoGetting to the Galápagos—605 miles (925 kilometers) off Ecuador—is an adventure in itself, but dedicated adventure tours offer next-level immersion. Hike to the rim of Sierra Negra volcano in the Highlands. On Isabela Island, mountain bike along the historic Wall of Tears or scout the rugged coast for one of the world’s rarest raptors, the endemic Galápagos hawk (pictured). Kayak through mangrove swamps on Santa Cruz, and, off San Cristobal, snorkel with Galápagos, hammerhead, or white tip sharks.
Photograph by Josh Haner, ReduxAustralia has plenty of wilderness, but Tasmania—the tiny island state off its southern coast—isn’t to be outdone. Hear crunching bones during a nighttime feeding of its eponymous, carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil; raft the Franklin River; or set out on the multi-day Overland Track trek through the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The route winds past the deep Lake Saint Clair, through temperate rainforest, and up craggy Cradle Mountain.
Photograph by Jackie Ellis, Alamy Stock PhotoThis sleepy island in southerly Phang Nga Bay is renowned for its remote craggy cliffs and tiny offshore karst spires that seem to drip into the sea. Accessing the walls rigged for climbers requires a longboat charter or a bumpy scooter ride over dirt roads followed by a jungle hike.
Photograph by Isa Foltin, Getty Images