BA - The Club - Europe’s most exotic islands

Zakynthos, Greece

With azure waters, sands the shade of cream, and craggy limestone cliffs framing the whole Instagram-perfect scene, there’s more than a whiff of castaway heaven to this Ionian island. It’s famed for sun-soaked beaches – don’t miss Navagio, complete with shipwreck, which graces postcards and magazine covers.

Book flights to Zakynthos

Photo: Getty Images

Ilha Deserta, Portugal

The name says it all: Ilha Deserta may be just a half-hour ferry hop from Faro, but its silky sands, clear waters and plentiful sunshine make it a snippet of the uninhabited Indian Ocean islands in the Algarve. Don’t just come to lie on your towel – bird watching on this island is big, and by hopping on a catamaran you’ll spot white storks, flamingos and egrets among the dunes.

Book flights to Faro

Photo: Alamy

Ile de Porquerolles, France

Catch sight of Porquerolles’ aquamarine bays, littered with sailboats, and you’ll think you are on the most undiscovered Caribbean isle. Yet you’re just a 20-minute ferry ride from the bustling French coast, southeast of Marseille. Petite Ile de Porquerolles is mostly beaches, plus eucalyptus, oak and olive trees: a perfectly lazy place to unwind.

Book flights to Marseille

Photo: Getty Images

La Palma, Spain

La Palma may only be in the Canaries, but its wild, untouched vibe makes it feel rather more far-flung. Prehistoric laurel forests and unique wildlife have earned the island Unesco Biosphere Reserve status – don’t miss a trek past the towering Canary pines at the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. But things get even better when the sun goes down: this is one of the world’s finest spots for stargazing.

Fly to La Palma via Madrid with BA’s oneworld partner Iberia

Photo: Getty Images

Veliki Brijun, Croatia

The largest of 14 sleepy islands strewn off the Dalmatian coast, VelikiBrijun forms part of a photogenic patchwork of emerald in the sapphire Adriatic Sea. Thanks to this verdant landscape, and its pretty crescent beaches – reachable by a speedy 15-minute boat ride from a port outside Pula – it could pass for somewhere much more exotic, especially when you meet the zebras, left over from the days when the island was President Tito’s private residence.

Book flights to Pula

Photo: Alamy

Corsica, France

It has the colour palate of the Seychelles – shockingly blue waters, icing-sugar beaches, dayglow green tufts on rocky headlands – but it’s just off the Italian coast, a two-hour-15-minute ferry ride from Cagliari, Sardinia. Beaches are a big draw in Corsica, so hit the popular stretches along the south coast and yachtie Porto-Vecchio, or head to the rugged, quiet north, where small fishing villages mingle with virgin sands. Come hungry – local dishes, a mix of French and Italian cuisine, include knock-out ravioli and slow-cooked lamb.

Book flights to Sardinia

Photo: Gallery Stock

Alicia Miller

Europe’s most exotic islands

Zakynthos, Greece

Ilha Deserta, Portugal

Ile de Porquerolles, France

La Palma, Spain

Veliki Brijun, Croatia

Corsica, France

Zakynthos, Greece

Ilha Deserta, Portugal

Ile de Porquerolles, France

La Palma, Spain

Veliki Brijun, Croatia

Corsica, France

More from previous issues