Travel + Leisure, a New York-based monthly magazine with 4.8 million readers worldwide, voted Santorini in the southern Aegean Sea, Greece, as the World’s Best Island for 2014.
The Greek island gained the first place with a score of 89.98 leaving behind other exotic destinations such as Maui, Hawaii (89.51) and Bali, Indonesia (86.82). In last year’s vote, Santorini ranked 4th. In the Best European Island category the island of Crete ranked 3rd with 84.30 points and Mykonos 5th with 82.55 points.
The volcanic island of Santorini has topped many international and European lists thanks to its beauty. Stunning beaches, picturesque streets with white-washed buildings, luxurious resorts with amazing views to the Aegean and the famous sunset in Imerovigli are a poll of attraction for both Greek and foreign tourists. More than 1.5 million tourists are estimated to visit the island, which has a population of around 15,500 residents.
The world’s top 10 islands are:
1. Santorini, Greece (89.98)
2. Maui, Hawaii (89.51)
3. Kauai, Hawaii (88.59)
4. Hawaii, the Big Island (87.89)
5. Bali, Indonesia (86.82)
6. Oahu, Hawaii (86.71)
7. Galápagos, Ecuador (86.37)
8. Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands (86.22)
9. Vancouver Island, Canada (86.20)
10. San Juan Islands, Washington (85.78)