Offbeat Islands

Before the tourists arrived, the island's inhabitants relied mostly on fishing to survive. Caye Caulker's clear waters and proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef have been an alluring greeting card for many years, and continue to entice visitors to this very day.

The island is easily accessible by water taxi, either coming from Belize City or Chetumal, at the northern border between Belize and Mexico. If wanting to enjoy good food and relax in the shade, or even to splash in the water fully clothed like the locals, Caye Caulker is a destination to keep in mind.

Strolling through Weligama Bay, a few steps away from Taprobane Island, whose mansion was built by the Count de Maunay-Talvande in 1922, and later bought by the American writer Paul Bowles. It now houses a luxury hotel.

Seafood has a place of honor in Sardinian cuisine. The Mediterranean is still a provider of much gastronomical joy, and its fresh bounties are nicely complemented by the common use of herbs like mint, myrtle and oregano.

Although there is much to see and enjoy wandering through the sunny landscape, there are bewitching sites to be found underground or even underwater. Neptune's Grotto is easily accessible and quite imposing in its geological grandeur, but for those interested in scuba diving it's difficult to beat the Nereo Cave, renowned as the biggest marine cave in the Mediterranean Sea.

As an island with a deep and ancient connection to Shinto (the indigenous faith of the Japanese), Miyajima has one of the most renowned shrine complexes in Japan: the Itsukushima Shrine. Like the greeting Torii, the shrine gives the impression of floating on water during high tide. It's a remarkable, soothing place, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Standing a few meters away from the Senjokaku ("pavillion of 1000 mats" in Japanese), the five-storied Goju-no-to Pagoda will delight visitors with the richly-colored Buddhist drawings embellishing its walls and its harmonious combination of Chinese and Japanese architectural styles.

The island, not to be confused with its more developed sister Koh Rong Samloem, is easily accessible by boat from the port city of Sihanoukville, on the southern coast of Cambodia. The trip lasts approximately 2 hours in good weather, but can get a bit rough if the winds are blowing. However, the opportunity to gaze at a perfect sunrise makes it more than worthwhile.

Sadly, there isn't much time left to enjoy the pristine waters of Koh Rong in quiet solitude, since it is now being turned into Asia's first environmentally planned resort island. Even if it's understandable such a place would not be left alone, it's still a shame to see a pure heaven turn into just another version of the Maldives. If you can, hurry and visit before the diggers arrive!

The dreamlike panorama on the island and its violent geological history have been a source of stories since ancient times. There are studies on links to Biblical times and even to the mysterious land of Atlantis. Myth and fact merge into the island's narrative, offering enigmas and wonder to whomever is open to leave the crowds of tourists.

Santorini's crescent shape contributes to its position as a mandatory stop for many cruise ships sailing the Mediterranean Sea, which usually use the old port of the island, close to the capital Fira.

From 1730 to 1736, Lanzarote was ravaged by a series of volcanic eruptions, whose aftermath is still visible in its bewitching scenery. El Golfo, a natural amphitheater open to the ocean, is one of the many natural formations created during this period of intense geological activity.

One of the most famous beaches around Playa Blanca, in the southern tip of the island, is Papagayo Beach. After driving trough dusty dirt roads, the refreshing balm of the ocean, quietly hidden in a sheltered bay, provides a picturesque getaway to the sun-searching wanderer. If in the mood for island hopping, Fuerteventura is a short ferry ride away.