Ischia is the best island in the world, according to a new ranking

Travel + Leisure’s readers have weighed in to decide which isles were the fairest of them all

Ischia is the best island in the world, according to the prestigious US publication Travel+Leisure. The picturesque isle, located in the Bay of Naples, an hour ferry ride from that southern Italian city, might not be quite the household name as other counterparts (thinking Capri), but that might just be a part of its charm.

Actually, Ischia tops a list of 25 islands spread around the world – seven of them, European. The magazine did not pontificate on the creation of the ranking and instead decided to let its readers fill out surveys and have their collective voice be heard. And the travellers have spoken by taking into account things like natural attractions, beaches, activities, restaurants, friendliness of locals and overall value. Ischia has gathered 94.61 points out of 100 – pretty darn impressive.

An isle that has it all

The survey cites Ischia's one-hour proximity to Naples and says there has been a renewed international focus on the Italian island after it featured prominently in Elena Ferrante's novel My Brilliant Friend which was adapted into an HBO series.

Travel + Leisure readers were enamoured by Ischia's "picturesque villages, thermal springs, and unspoiled beaches, which include Le Fumarole and its geothermally heated sand". 

Luca D'Ambra, president of Ischia's hotel federation Federalberghi, told ANSA news agency that "these are the awards that make us proud and allow us to present our island to the whole world adequately", hailing Travel + Leisure as "a hallmark for global travellers".

In the 2022 top 10 rankings of best islands, Ischia is followed by the Maldives, Bali, Mìlos, Fiji, the Galapagos, Phuket, Dominica, Boracay and Cape Breton.

The other European islands that made into the top 25 were: Milos (Greece, 4^th place), Paros (Greece, 12^th), the Azores Archipelago (Portugal, 13^th), Ibiza (Spain, 17^th), Madeira (Portugal 19^th), and Crete (Greece, 22^nd).