#little-island

#little-island

These reefs are living, breathing snapshots of a watery world that you can peek into: refreshing oases where the noise of the land falls away; in its place, an intricate and utterly at-ease slice of life that you're lucky enough to witness.

San Sebastián, the capital of La Gomera, served as Christopher Columbus's provisioning point in 1492, with historical sites like the Columbus House Museum and Torre del Conde nearby.

The National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, established in 1992, is Greece's largest working marine protected area. The protective measures appear to be working, judged by the size, abundance and diversity of marine life—glassy waters teeming with colourful fish and precious shells make swimming here an absolute dream.

As a collection of over 7,000 islands spanning 13 sovereign island nations and more than a dozen dependent territories, there's always a new cove or cay to uncover. Recent years have seen the Caribbean's popularity boom among British holidaymakers, too, with areas including the British Virgin Islands and Jamaica reporting record visitor numbers in 2025.

The government said the plans would increase the number of England's official bathing sites to 464. An official bathing spot on the Thames in London would mark a "vast transformation" in water quality in the river which was declared biologically dead in the 1950s due to pollution, officials said. Water minister Emma Hardy said rivers and beaches were "at the heart of so many communities, where people come together, families make memories and swimmers of all ages feel the benefits of being outdoors safely".

From glacier-fringed archipelagos to palm-lined atolls, islands come in every imaginable shape and size. But when it comes to sheer numbers of islands, not every country is created equal. The nations that top this list aren't just tropical destinations or volcanic chains, they're often places where inland lakes, fjord-laced coastlines, and geological fragmentation have produced thousands of discrete landmasses. That raises a deceptively simple question: which countries have the most islands?

South Carolina islands have palmetto trees growing alongside ferns and pines. Georgia's barrier islands, including St. Simons and Jekyll Island, boast diverse landscapes made up of beaches, marshes, dunes, and maritime forests. And Texas islands, with their shallow bays and seagrass meadows, are home to extensive wildlife.

Easily accessible from major U.S. cities, the Exumas remain refreshingly uncrowded, making them one of the Caribbean's true hidden gems, at least for now. As the wealthy look for privacy in paradise, and the world's most sought-after resort groups like Aman and Rosewood prepare to plant their own flags there in the coming years, everyone seems to have their sights on the Exumas.

London is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates. Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an amazing mosaic of wildlife.

Rock iguanas once roamed freely across the islands of Turks and Caicos. Spotting one today, however, requires a bit of planning-and a boat ride. After centuries of hunting and the introduction of predators, the reptiles suffered a steep population decline and were classified as "critically endangered" in the 1970s. Today, things are looking slightly better for the green lizards, and in 2020, their classification was upgraded to simply "endangered." But that doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing for the iguanas.

The dinghy slowed to a stop at a long line of black bobbing baskets and David Lawlor reached out to inspect the first one. Inside lay 60 oysters, all with their shells closed, shielding the life within. They look great, beamed Lawlor. So did their neighbours in the next basket and the ones after that, all down the line of 300 baskets, totalling 18,000 oysters.

Despite decades of jokes and occasional bad publicity, cruise vacations are more popular than ever - just ask the tens of millions of Americans who take one every year and together represent more than half of all annual cruise travelers. Today's ships are massive, complex affairs backed by giant corporations and celebrity commercial sponsorships, all commanding big money. And while to the uninitiated, a ship may just seem like any other ship, experienced cruisers increasingly understand that unique offerings make all the difference.

Long before Turks and Caicos was the backdrop for bikini-clad influencers, Kardashians on catamarans, and Netflix dating shows, my family purchased a condo on its main island, Providenciales. This beachside escape from my already beachy hometown of Naples, Florida, was a welcome respite from the intense crowds that flocked to the Gulf like a pack of seagulls on a stray French fry.

Split into Dutch Sint Maarten in the south and French Saint-Martin in the north, this Caribbean island offers a unique mix of cultural and historical influences in one effusively hospitable destination. St. Martin is one of the region's most accessible islands for travelers from the U.S., and numerous daily inter-island flights and ferries make it a popular stopover for people headed to Anguilla or to hidden gem islands like Saba and Sint Eustatius. Visitors will find stunning stretches of sandy coast, international flavors, and thrilling adventures from zip lining to shark diving as well as more relaxing things to do.

Close enough to island-hop to nearby St. Lucia and Dominica but worlds away in terms of language and customs, Martinique offers a distinctive Caribbean experience. The French overseas territory is greatly influenced by its European counterpart; residents speak French, the euro is the official currency, and outdoor bistros in the capital city of Fort-de-France mimic those of Paris. Many residents speak Creole, too-a nod to the island's rich West African heritage, which is on full display during the annual Carnival season.

Peanut Island, or "the Nut" as locals call it, is one of South Florida's best-kept secrets. Once home to President Kennedy's Cold War bunker, the 79-acre island now feels more like a tropical escape than a historic site. It's just a short boat ride from Palm Beach, and about 75 miles north of Miami, but it may seem like you've landed in the Caribbean.

As the final hours of 2024 crept up, I sat on my parents' hardwood floor with a giant whiteboard, a box of colorful markers, magazine cutouts and a Don Fulano Margarita. It's become a New Year's Eve tradition to make a vision board, my creative outlet to manifest what's to come, along with picking a color and a word to live by for the upcoming year.

It was Easter week on Providenciales, the archipelago's most populous island, and spring break was in full swing. "It's been a revolution," said my driver, who went by the name Roots. It seemed like it was only yesterday that there were hardly any cars on "Provo," as the island is called. Indeed, Roots could remember when there were no roads.

"Still relatively undiscovered, Grenada has been a well-kept secret of the discerning Caribbean traveler for decades," says Sheldon Keens-Douglas, the manager of Grenada's Spice Island Beach Resort. Insiders fell in love with the island's more distinct features, like its rugged, rain forest-covered center, enviable reefs, and untouched feel. Dubbed the Spice Island for its bumper crops such as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, Grenada also has a growing culinary scene that has quietly been drawing in-the-know foodies for years.

Positive update from the Caribbean-I was online and on the phone for HOURS all day yesterday but finally got flights so we will be heading home sooner than Friday," Han wrote in an Instagram post, adding in the video, "We all recognize and realize fully that there are far worse places to be stuck. We're lucky just to be able to have been here in the first place.