With many holiday destinations suffering from some pretty severe overcrowding problems at the moment, nobody wants to spend their hard-earned annual leave fighting for a single square inch of sand.
Cue Expedia’s 2026 Island Hot List, a handy roundup of the fast-rising island destinations travellers are flocking to instead of the busy hotspots. From sleepy European hideaways to fancier spots that won’t totally blow your budget, these underrated islands are shouting at you to drop your bags and relax. Here are the ones to book right now, before the secret is out.
The top trending island destinations
Taking the top spot for 2026 is St. Lucia, a Caribbean paradise of golden sand beaches and cliffside hotels. At Jade Mountain, rooms only have three walls, so your private infinity pool looks out at the mountains with zero glass in the way.
You can easily escape the resort to hit the Gros Islet street parties for rum and fresh fish right off the grill, or drive a rental car directly into the crater of the dormant volcano to slather yourself in the natural mud baths. The steaming black water smells strongly of rotten eggs, but it’s loaded with natural iron and sulfur that locals swear will soothe any sunburns or pesky mosquito bites.
Following right behind is Porto Santo, a sleepy little island in the Madeira archipelago home to a nine-kilometre stretch of golden sand. But this isn’t just ordinary sand – it’s made of ancient coral and seashell sediments said to relieve muscle pain and arthritis.
The local wellness centres literally bury your entire body up to your neck in hot, 40C sand to let your skin absorb the therapeutic minerals. It’s also where Christopher Columbus lived for several years, and you can still visit his stone house down by the main harbour.
In third place is Praslin in the Seychelles, home to the Vallée de Mai forest, a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can hike beneath giant, rare Coco de Mer palm trees. It is also the only place on earth where you can spot the rare Seychelles black parrot in the wild.
Syros in Greece comes in as the fourth-most trending island destination this year. Known for its wild fennel, you can spend your days eating crispy marathopita (fennel pie) and heavy, fennel-stuffed pork sausages while drinking ouzo in Ermoupolis. The capital here is a grand, colourful town inspired by nineteenth-century Italian opera houses, giving you a bit of culture without the eye-watering Mykonos prices. The island is also offering cat lovers a free stay on the island, in return for cleaning, feeding, socialising young rescues and ‘kitten cuddling’. Sounds like a purr-fect holiday.
The full Expedia Island Hot List 2026
Here is the full list of islands that you should add to your holiday bucket list.
- Sanibel Island, Florida, USA
Check out the most underrated travel destinations in Europe for 2026.
Plus: The European destinations facing severe water shortages right now – and what it means for your holiday.
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