7 Blissful Remote Islands – NaturePic challenge
This post was originally published as a NaturePic Challenge: pictures of epic nature with a specific theme, and places that will trigger a natural high. This particular chain of NaturePics is about Blissful Remote Islands.
Fascinating islands around the world
There are plenty of beautiful islands in the sea to be discovered. Unfortunately the lack of having a digital camera left out some fascinating islands I travelled to before 2006 – at least for this series. Such as Easter Island, Lord Howe Island (Australia), White Island (New Zealand), the Outer Hebrides (Scotland) and Bora Bora (French Polynesia). The pictures I took there are all old-skool photo’s printed on paper.
In this NaturePic series I will share some of my other favourite islands I visited more recently.
Wilderness Coffee @ Las Playas Bay, El Hierro (Canary Islands).
Seven blissful remote islands
Sprinkled across the oceans and seas, these islands are all very different in character. This overview gives you a short summary of each island.
If you want to find out more and see how to get there, you can click on the link in the title. The stories are all updated on a regular basis. So you’ll often find extra information and new practical stuff, or fancy decorations like the handy interactive map at the bottom of this post.
Be sure to check back in, and enjoy reading & exploring! 🙂
Hinchinbrook Island – Unspoiled tropical wilderness
Hinchinbrook Island in Australia is pure bliss. The island lies just off the coast of north Queensland and features rugged mountains covered in lush jungle vegetation, broad sweeping beaches and meandering estuaries. Unspoiled wilderness that can only be explored on foot. The Thorsborne Trail follows a 32 kilometre route along the east coast of Hinchinbrook Island. It’s one of the most beautiful hikes in the world.
El Hierro – A volcanic hotspot underneath the sea
El Hierro is the most remote and authentic of the Canary Islands, with volcanic activity still bubbling underneath the sea. Once considered as the edge of the known world, El Hierro consists mostly of huge cliffs rising straight up from the sea to over 1000 metres high, and an enormous crescent shaped valley. It’s absolutely spectacular.
Hawaii – Volcanic fields of fire
The enigmatic Big Island of Hawaii, where flows of lava tumble down the rocky shores into the sea. I walked across the fields of fire from Kalapana to the Kilauea lava flows, and stood utterly mesmerized looking upon the creation process of Earth itself. It is one of the most mindblowing things one could hope to see.
Faroe Islands – Atlantic weather systems moving overhead
The Faroe Islands are an enticing stopover in the north Atlantic ocean between Denmark, Norway and Iceland. There are impressive mountains everywhere, stupendously rising up from the sea. The capital of Tórshavn is a charming little town with colourful and grassy houses. And the weather on the Faroe Islands archipelago is surprisingly mild.
Stromboli – The ancient lighthouse of the Mediterranean
Stromboli is the stuff of legends. The volcano island is the ancient lighthouse of the Mediterranean. It has been erupting its mesmerizing glow for over 2000 years, in such a way that it actually became the ‘type locality’ for it. When I saw its triangular shape looming on the horizon, it was pulling me like a force from the centre of the earth, excited to finally see the strombolian action from up close…
Cook Islands – The stuff of Pacific dreams
The Cook Islands are the stuff of Pacific dreams. White, sandy, coconut-strewn palm beaches, translucent lagoons in all shades of shimmering blue, and a laid-back atmosphere where everything just circulates on island time. But there are also craggy peaks beckoning in the interior of Rarotonga, the main island. You can discover them on the Cross-Island Track, an adventurous hike across the jungle.
Vestmannaeyjar – A force of nature that can’t be denied
When I saw the volcanic island shapes of Vestmannaeyjar shimmering on the horizon, I felt immediately drawn to them. It was like a force of nature that couldn’t be denied. I just had to go there. Sailing into Heimaey harbour, through a narrow opening surrounded by a jumbled chain of steep cliffs and a huge field of lava flows, is mind-blowing. Vestmannaeyjar – also known as the Westman Islands – boasts the youngest volcanic island and (until recently!) the newest volcano in Iceland.
Iceland eruption 2021 🌋
Vestmannaeyjar contained the latest volcano in Iceland until 19 March 2021, when Fagradalsfjall erupted to the scene on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It mesmerized people around the world with rows of craters and scenic lava flows, and even turned into a spectacular lava geyser for a while. In this extensive article you can read all about the extraordinary Fagradalsfjall volcano (and how to get there).
(c) Nancy Claus – Wilderness Coffee & Natural High
What is your favourite island? Let me know in the comment box at the bottom of this page. Your input can also be valuable for other readers. Thank you for sharing. 💚
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Last update: 25 March 2023
First published: 4 February 2017
© All photo’s and content on this blog are my own, and subject to copyright (unless credited otherwise). Please contact me if you would like to use a picture or quote a piece of text from one of my articles. You’re welcome to share a link to my blog articles and pictures on social media, with a tag or mention to Wilderness Coffee & Natural High.
Where are all these islands?
Explore this handy interactive map and find the locations of these beautiful islands. You can also zoom in for more details of each island itself.
More to explore & discover
Mountains & Volcanoes – 7 Epic mountains and volcanoes
Island hopping on the Aeolian Islands – A volcanic archipelago
Most popular stories across all pages – An overview
Vestmannaeyjar – De vurige magie van de Westman Eilanden