The top 10 islands in the world

There is something magical about islands. Island life can be the perfect escape—surrounded by sea and beaches and cliffs cut off from the 'mainland', humdrum worries and home. But above all, islands lend a particular character to their inhabitants, and a unique pace to their way of life. It's that which we seek to tap into on holiday—whether it’s the lazy 'dolce fa niente' of Capri, one of your basic sun and fun holidays to Ibiza or a journey to the remote spirituality of Iona or Skye. Perhaps we don't consciously say to ourselves —'OK, I'm going to go to an island on holiday this year'—unless it's a sailing holiday. But we end up going to some island destinations because they have attractions and these are in large part down to the fact they are islands. Martha's Vineyard and Shelter Island spring to mind as well as the Ibiza, Mallorca, Madeira and then all those wonderful Greek Islands. Above all, it's the plethora of beaches, great walks, fresh air, and the fact that there is sea wherever you turn. Island landscapes and wildlife are often spectacular. They have all the makings, in fact, of a perfect holiday.