Best island in the world revealed

A surprise destination has topped the World’s Best Islands List for 2025 – with an Aussie hotspot also scraping in the top 25.

When we think of the world’s best islands, many come to mind from Crete in Greece, to the Maldives, Koh Samuia and even Australia’s very own Great Barrier Reef Islands.

And while all these hotspots have made the cut on Travel and Leisure’s Top 25 World’s Best Islands list, there’s a surprising island that has come out on top.

The New York-based travel publication ran a survey, with readers voting Páros in Greece as the best in the world.

While it’s no newbie to the list, it jumped from spot 24 to take out pole position with survey respondents describing the island in the Cyclades to have “surprised around every corner”.

Páros in Greece has been ranked as the Best Island in the World for 2025, according to a survey conducted by popular travel mag, Travel and Leisure. Picture: iStock

It was also praised for its tasty food, particularly its seafood offering, as well as its shopping. The picture-perfect blue and white villages are also a hit. It was given a 96.50 score.

Greece itself has seen a boost in Aussie tourists with Webjet revealing bookings to Athens had gone up a whopping 369.5 per cent in 2023.

It is located in the central Aegean Sea, part of the Cyclades island group, known for its beautiful beaches, traditional villages and vibrant night-life. Picture: iStock

Surprisingly, Santorini or Mykonos did not make the cut on the list, but its neighbouring islands Crete and Milos ranked 11th and 16th, respectively.

In spot two is Palawan, Philippines and less surprising, Bali in third place.

Palawan is one of the Philippines’ largest islands. It ranked second. Picture: iStock

Palawan is one of the Philippines’ largest islands, a beautiful and relatively undeveloped, according to the travel publication.

It scored 93.60 with respondents noting its coral reefs, towering rock formations, and secluded white-sand beaches.

Bali needs no introduction. It is the only island to have made the list for the 11th year in a row. It had more than 1.5 million Aussie tourists visit it alone in 2024, so we already knew how popular it is. It scored 93.25.

Australia’s own Great Barrier Reef Islands secured spot 17. Picture: iStock

Meanwhile, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Islands took out spot 17 with a score of 88.95.

The islands scattered along the central and northern coast of Queensland are known for their immense size, exceptional biodiversity, and cultural significance.

They contain the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc.

Over in Italy, the usual suspects Capri and Sicily didn’t make the cut but Ischia and Sardinia ranked fourth and 22nd, respectively.

“Ischia is known for its spas,” one survey respondent pointed out. In fact, the island is built around its more than 100 natural hot springs.

One quick search on TikTok and your feed will be bombarded with envious clips showing off the volcanic island’s thermal water parks.

Rounding out the top 10 is Fiji Islands in fifth, followed by the Maldives, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Hvar and the Dalmatian Islands, Croatia, Madeira, Portugal and Mallorca, Spain.