Travel and Tourism

31 Stunning aerial views of islands around the world

Flying through the blue skies, here are some gorgeous aerial views of 31 islands from around the world.

Bora Bora

Bora Bora is a small South Pacific island northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia. Surrounded by sand-fringed motus (islets) and a turquoise lagoon protected by a coral reef, it’s known for its scuba diving. It’s also a popular luxury resort destination where some guest bungalows are perched over the water on stilts. At the island’s center rises Mt. Otemanu, a 727m dormant volcano.

Paxos

Paxi or Paxoi is the smallest island group within the Ionian Islands. In Greek it is a plural form. The largest islands are Paxos and nearby Antipaxos. Antipaxos is famous for its wine and two of the finest sand beaches in the Ionian Sea. The main town of Paxoi, and the seat of the municipality, is Gaios.

Cocos Island

Cocos Islands, also called Ile Aux Cocos, are a group of small islets in the Seychelles archipelago. They can be found 7 km north of La Digue and lies in close proximity to La Digue’s other neighbours, Félicité Island and the Sisters Islands.

Ihuru Island

Zakynthos

Zakynthos is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea and a well-known summer resort. The harbor city of Zakynthos is the capital and major hub, centered around waterfront Solomos Square. Popular beaches like Agios Nikolaos, Alykanas and Tsilivi offer swimming and water sports. Accessed by boat, Navagio beach is the site of a famed 1980 shipwreck resting in a sandy cove framed by cliffs.

Tahiti, French Polynesia

Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, the South Pacific archipelago. Shaped like a figure-8, it’s divided into Tahiti Nui (the larger, western section) and Tahiti Iti (the eastern peninsula). With black-sand beaches, lagoons, waterfalls and 2 extinct volcanoes, it’s a popular vacation destination. Explored by Captain James Cook in the 18th century, it was also often painted by French artist Paul Gauguin.

Capo Coda Cavallo, Sardinia, Italy

Capo Coda Cavallo is a charming village next to the historical region of Gallura on the island of Sardinia. In fact, this particular area is often hailed as a symbol of Sardinia such is the beautiful nature of the surroundings. Sheltered by the beautiful landmass of Tavolara Island, you will find a very idyllic stretch of ocean in Capo Coda Cavallo, while the smooth rocks of the Molara offer a perfect place to enjoy the stunning backdrop of Proratora islet.

Tavarua, Mamanucas Islands

White sandy beaches, warm turquoise sea and swaying coconut palms are all part of the scenery. It’s a backdrop ideal for the screen, with the Mamanucas featuring in the classic Tom Hanks film Cast Away and also on Survivor: Fiji.

The Mamanucas are a great spot for water sports of all kinds, from family-friendly snorkelling to discovering famous dive sites, or riding one of the best surf breaks in the world. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing break, an affordable holiday or some family time, there’s an island in the Mamanucas for everyone.

Hvar, Croatia

Hvar, a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, is best known as a summer resort. Highlights of the port town Hvar include its 13th-century walls, a hilltop fortress and a main square anchored by the Renaissance-era Hvar Cathedral. The island also features beaches such as Dubovica and inland lavender fields. Boat excursions serve the nearby Pakleni Islands, which have secluded beaches and coves.

Whitsunday Islands

The 74 Whitsunday Islands lie between the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia, and the Great Barrier Reef, a massive stretch of coral teeming with marine life. Most of the islands are uninhabited. They’re characterized by dense rainforest, hiking trails and white sand beaches. The town of Airlie Beach on the mainland is the region’s central hub.

Kauai, Hawaii

Kauai is an island in the Central Pacific, part of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s nicknamed “the Garden Isle” thanks to the tropical rainforest covering much of its surface. The dramatic cliffs and pinnacles of its Na Pali Coast have served as a backdrop for major Hollywood films, while 10-mile-long Waimea Canyon and the Nounou Trails traversing the Sleeping Giant mountain ridge are hiking destinations.

Capri, Italy

Capri, an island in Italy’s Bay of Naples, is famed for its rugged landscape, upscale hotels and shopping, from designer fashions to limoncello and handmade leather sandals. One of its best-known natural sites is the Blue Grotto, a dark cavern where the sea glows electric blue, the result of sunlight passing through an underwater cave. In summer, Capri’s dramatic, cove-studded coastline draws many yachts.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC, forever shaping its rugged landscape. The whitewashed, cubiform houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the sea, small islands to the west and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Australia’s last unspoilt paradise lies in the azure waters of the Indian Ocean offering spectacular snorkelling, world-class diving, excellent fishing and the adrenalin-rush of kitesurfing. Relax on empty beaches, visit uninhabited islands by canoe, watch spectacular birdlife or catch the ferry to Home Island to stay at the original Clunies-Ross residence and discover the culture and traditions of the Cocos Malay people.

Situated 2750 kms northwest of Perth, Western Australia, the Cocos Keeling Islands are a group of coral islands that form two atolls. Only two of the 27 islands are inhabited – the rest are waiting for you to explore them.

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook Islands, a nation of 15 islands in the central South Pacific. Volcanic peaks, ridges and rainforest dominate its interior. A 32km, round-the-island road links the beaches, coastal lagoon and reefs that make scuba diving and snorkeling popular. The Cross-Island Track is a rugged hiking trail that passes 650m Te Rua Manga peak, or “The Needle.”

Martinique, France

Martinique, a french Caribbean island, offering one thousand treasures: forest, black or white sand beaches, coves and islets, Mount Pelée,

Terre-de-Haut Island, Guadeloupe

Terre-de-Haut Island is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago, in the Lesser Antilles. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Haut into the French department of Guadeloupe.

Talamanca

Located on the north side of Ibiza Town is the perfect beach get-away, the idyllic Talamanca resort. Just 15 minutes walk from Ibiza Town, the beach of Talamanca is long and wide, the sand gorgeously white and soft. Although locally known as the ‘beach of Ibiza Town’ the beach is so big that even in high season it’s easy to find your own space. More peaceful than most resorts – no towering hotel buildings in sight, the beach also sports shallow turquoise coloured clear waters, perfect for a swim. This really is the location for relaxing in the sun and perhaps enjoying that book you’ve been meaning to read for years.

Phuket, Thailand

Phuket, a rainforested, mountainous island in the Andaman Sea, has some of Thailand’s most popular beaches, mostly situated along the clear waters of the western shore. The island is home to many high-end seaside resorts, spas and restaurants. Phuket City, the capital, has old shophouses and busy markets. Patong, the main resort town, has many nightclubs, bars and discos.

Île Vierge in Plouguerneau

Île Vierge is a 6-hectare (15-acre) islet lying 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) off the north-west coast of Brittany, opposite the village of Lilia. It is in the commune of Plouguerneau, in the département of Finistère. …Île Vierge Lighthouse is located in FranceÎle Vierge Lighthouse.

Kleiner Werder Islands

Kleiner Werder is the name of an island and its associated group of uninhabited and not clearly geographically separable German islands in the Baltic Sea that belong to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Borromean Islands

The Borromean Islands are a group of three small islands and two islets in the Italian part of Lago Maggiore, located in the western arm of the lake, between Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south. Together totalling just 50 acres in area, they are a major local tourist attraction for their picturesque setting.

Changuu

Changuu Island is a small island 5.6 km north-west of Stone Town, Unguja, Zanzibar. The island is around 800m long and 230m wide at its broadest point. The island saw use as a prison for rebellious slaves in 1860s and also functioned as a coral mine.

Tromelin Island

Tromelin is administered as part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, a French overseas territory; however, Mauritius claims sovereignty over the island, on grounds of its absence in the listing of the 8th article of the French version of the 1814 Paris Treaty.

Santa Rosa Island

Santa Rosa Island is the second largest of the Channel Islands of California at 53,195 acres. Santa Rosa is located about 26 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California in Santa Barbara County and is part of Channel Islands National Park. The terrain consists of rolling hills, deep canyons, and a coastal lagoon.

San Giorgio Maggiore

San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the islands of Venice, northern Italy, lying east of the Giudecca and south of the main island group. The island, or more specifically its Palladian church, is an important landmark. It has been much painted, featuring for example in a series by Monet.

Motu Mokoe

Motu Mokoe is a islands and is located in French Polynesia. The estimate terrain elevation above seal level is -9999 metres.

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is a New Zealand enclave encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands next to the country’s North Island. It’s known for its undeveloped beaches, big-game fishing and Maori cultural artefacts. It’s also home to the 19th-century whaling port of Russell, whose waterfront promenade is lined with remnants from its days as the country’s first colonial capital.

Santa Cruz Island, California, US

Santa Cruz Island is the largest of the Channel Islands, off the coast of Southern California. Its many sea caves include the vast Painted Cave, on the northwestern side. The island has many trails, including around Scorpion Canyon, with opportunities to see the island scrub jays. Scorpion Beach features kelp forests. Smugglers Cove has tide pools. Cavern Point offers Pacific Ocean views and seasonal whale sightings.

Utoya, Norway

Utøya is an island in the Tyrifjorden lake in Hole municipality, in the county of Buskerud, Norway. The island is 10.6 hectares (26 acres), situated 500 metres off the shore, by the E16 road, about 20 km (12 mi) driving distance south of Hønefoss, and 38 km (24 mi) northwest of Oslo city centre.

Akdamar Island, Turkey

Akdamar Island, also known as Aghtamar or Akhtamar, is the second largest of the four islands in Lake Van, in eastern Turkey. About 0.7 km² in size, it is situated about 3 km from the shoreline. At the western end of the island a hard, grey, limestone cliff rises 80 m above the lake’s level.

Source – Msn