10 Great Islands You've Never Heard Of!

Croatia, Korcula

A jewel box that juts like a thumb from the main body of the island, Korcula's Old Town owes much of its architectural heritage to the 15th and 16th centuries, when it was part of the prosperous Republic of Venice. Narrow streets lined with medieval white-stone buildings spread out from the spire of St. Mark's Cathedral at the center of town. Encircling the densely packed city is a 14th-century wall; sapphire-blue waters surround the entire isle.

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Korcula is connected by ferry to the more popular towns of Split and Dubrovnik (Jadrolinija Ferries, jadrolinija.hr, from $5). The boat drops you off in Vela Luka, on Korcula's western end. Buses bump along the spine of the island eastbound to Korcula Town, dipping past black cypress trees and terraced olive groves, with some hairpin turns along the way. On the harbor in Old Town is the Hotel Korcula, a Venetian palace with a loggia where you can have breakfast and look across the bay to the hills of the mainland (011-385/20-711-078, doubles from $67). A 10-minute bus ride away, the small fishing village of Lumbarda has the only sandy beaches on the island--at the end of a red dirt path that winds through vineyards that produce a crisp white wine called Grk. Enjoy a glass and dig into fresh grilled fish and octopus back in Korcula Town at Konoba Adio Mare (011-385/20-711-253, dinner for two $35). After dinner, go for a stroll through romantically lit Old Town. Pass by the city walls on the way to the harbor to watch the sky glow and slowly darken over the channel and the hillsides. --Sunshine Flint

Brazil, Ilha Grande

Rio's beaches sizzle, but when Brazilians want the escape that only an island can offer, they go to Ilha Grande. The 119-square-mile slice of paradise is home to 106 beaches, 500 full-time residents, and no cars (they're banned). Bring good walking shoes or be prepared to paddle a kayak, which are the only ways to find some of the best beaches and coves. Surfers are wowed by the waves at Lopes Mendes and other beaches, divers love the caverns and crystal clear waters in every direction, and hikers keep busy with scores of trails, such as the one that ascends 3,200 feet to the island's best lookout, Pico do Papagaio (Parrot's Peak).

Until a decade ago, the only visitors to the island came in shackles. Ilha Grande served as a penal colony until 1994, so tourism is relatively new; there's little chance of finding resort chains renting wave runners. Abraão, the main hub, consists of a few souvenir shops and cafés. Ilhagrande.com.br lists places to stay and covers the basics, including how to get to Angra dos Reis or Mangaratiba, the mainland ports that connect to Ilha Grande by two-hour ferry. The island's edges are dotted with inns, or pousadas--most quite inexpensive thanks to the strong U.S. dollar. The nine suites at Sagu Resort are decorated simply, with exposed wooden beams and white walls, and outside each guest room there's a porch with a hammock (011-55/24-3361-5660, saguresort.com, doubles from $80). The property overlooks the beach, and up a stone path you can kick back in the dreamy ofuro (hot tub). Abraão is a 15-minute walk away, but most everything you want is right at the resort, including kayak rentals, caipirinhas, fresh-caught fish, and tropical fruit picked from the garden. --Jessica Shaw

Japan, Miyajima

The Japanese say that their country has three most scenic spots: Amanohashidate, a sandbar that snakes across Miyazu Bay in the northern Kyoto Prefecture; Matsushima Bay, which is dotted with 260 tiny, pine-covered islands; and Miyajima, or "shrine island"--12 square miles dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o-no-Mikoto, the Shinto god of the oceans. The island is so sacred that no one is supposed to give birth or die here; there are no maternity wards or cemeteries. Cutting trees is forbidden, and the forest provides sanctuary for dozens of bird species, as well as deer, which roam all over, and monkeys, which live atop 1,740-foot Mount Misen (reached by a two-hour hike from the pier or a 30-minute cable car ride).

After a 10-minute ferry ride departing near Hiroshima, you're greeted by a 50-foot-tall red Torii gate that soars out of the water majestically, signifying entrance to the spiritual realm. Taira-no-Kiyomori, a 12th-century warlord, funded the construction of the main Itsukushima shrine--a collection of buildings on stilts over a cove--to provide repose for the souls of the war dead. A five-story pagoda, folklore museum, and aquarium are all minutes from the docks. Stop at a shop for momiji-manju--sponge cakes filled with sweet red bean paste, custard, or chocolate--or sit down at a restaurant for eel, oysters, or okonomiyaki, a vegetable and meat pancake. The island has several fine small inns, such as the Miyajima Hotel Makoto, where most rooms are equipped with tatami mats and futons (011-81/829-44-0070, makato@gambo-ad.com, from $125). Or make Miyajima a day trip and stay in Hiroshima at the World Friendship Center, a B&B that arranges tours of the peace park and interviews with A-bomb survivors (8-10 Higashi Kannon-machi, 011-81/82-503-3191, from $34 per person). --Jeanette Hurt