WINNING TIP: Cayos Zapatilla, Panama

From Bocas del Toro you can take a boat to these two uninhabited islands. The boat moors, and you hop into the warm sea to splash to the shore – a patch of jungle surrounded by white sand and clear water. It looks like the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean when Jack and Elizabeth are stranded on an island. Except the British navy aren't looking for you – thank God, as we didn't want to leave! apatillas Cays
BryonyGita

Indonesia

Fadila Cottages, Togian Islands
These are family-run cottages, on islands off the north coast of Sulawesi. The owners can organise trips to nearby reefs and deserted islands, allowing you to explore the region and visit the Bajau – a nomadic, seafaring people. There's fantastic snorkelling off the jetty, and the communal dinners from fresh fish and home-grown veg mean you can compare what marine life you've spotted with other guests. The family were lovely and friendly, taking us to see the local village and school, and on nature walks to see hornbills and monkeys. As there are only 10 cottages, it's never busy, and we could often have the whole beach to ourselves. We planned to stay four days and ended up staying two weeks.
+62 8 134 117 99 90, fadhilacottages.free.fr, full-board doubles £12pp
seahorse84

France

Iles de Glénan, Brittany
Who needs Bora Bora when you have Brittany? I'll wager that when you arrive on the Iles de Glénan, an archipelago off the southern coast of Finistère, you'll consider these isles as good as any that you might find in more exotic places. If you're not here for the sailing school, there is little to do except bury your feet in the white sand, kayak across a clear lagoon, or watch the black-headed gulls weave and dip on their flight out to sea.
emmaij

Japan

Benesse House Hotel, Naoshima
This hotel offers sleek accommodation on the laid-back, modern-art-loving island, with views over the tranquil Sea of Japan, as well as of Kusama Yayoi's giant spotted pumpkin on the seashore. Desert island bliss and a change of pace guaranteed.
+81 87 892 3223, benesse-artsite.jp/en, half-board doubles from £350
Dalstonian

Ireland

Sherkin Island
Although only a short ferry ride from the Cork coast, Sherkin Island is a step out of time. One hot afternoon we watched through a telescope as a yacht headed out to the ocean, then descended along a gorse-choked path for a bracing dip in the turquoise shallows. Sherkin doesn't fit with the conventional notion of a desert island, but then sometimes paradise is right under our noses.
sherkinisland.ie
GingerGigolo

Easter Island

There are 887 reasons to see the world's most remote inhabited island: the mysterious carved stone figures known as moai. If you love solitude, this island feels uniquely special. From mid-afternoon onwards you can picnic alone at the Rano Raraku quarry, surrounded only by giant, lichen-blotched faces – and beyond, the Pacific Ocean. I don't believe anywhere is more magical. By the time Captain Cook accurately charted the island's location, many of the moai had been toppled in favour of the Birdman cult. What happened no one knows, but turning over your breakfast roll reveals – baked into the crust – the sinister figure of a crouching Birdman.
APeterGill

Rapa Nui
This is by far the most spiritual, calming, friendly and awe-inspiring place I have ever had the fortune to visit. As three intrepid travelling girlies we stayed with Elvira in her guesthouse. One of us was lucky enough to return six years later and we were still remembered, even after only staying four days. Rapa Nui gives you everything – sandy beaches (Anakena) three vivid green, breathtaking volcanic lakes, rocky heather highlands, locals turning up to a concert in Hanga Roa on horseback, being serenaded by Elvira's son in Polynesian, Rapanuian and Spanish. That is even before I mention the moai. If you ever get the chance to spend some time on this remote island – do it. It will stay strong in your mind forever. localo.com/easter-island/keuhenu
JessicaNicholas

Dominican Republic

Paradise Island
It takes a bumpy ride and a speedboat to get there, but Paradise Island is a little piece of heaven in the middle of the ocean. Go with as small a group of people as possible and snorkel – the reef is beautiful, fish pretty and the waters clear. Spriglet

Mexico

Isla Holbox
This is technically a peninsula but you can only reach it by ferry, following a three-hour bus trip from Cancún. The roads are all made of sand and you get around by golf cart or on foot. On a trip there last November, tourists were conspicuous by their absence and we had the long beach pretty much to ourselves. The Ida y Vuelta hostel provided a good base just a block from the beach – a simple, clean cabana with bathroom cost just $25 a night. You can eat at the food stalls around the town square for next to nothing or splurge $10 on a whole grilled fish for two at Miriam's. Compared with other beach resorts and islands in the Yucatán, Isla Holbox is still unspoiled – however the mosquitos can be bad in the wet season and crowds arrive in the summer for the whale sharks.
+52 984 875 2358, holboxhostel.com
madfortravel

Panama

San Blas Islands
These are a group of approximately 378 islands in the Caribbean, of which only about 50 are inhabited, by the Kuna people. For the most spectacular desert island scenery, I couldn't recommend it more. Catch a boat for a few days and relax on your own paradise while local fishermen sail up next to you to offer their catch of the day. These islands are so unspoiled and beautiful, you'll never want to leave.
timothyellis44

Mozambique

Quilálea Island, Quirimbas Archipelago
Fringed with pristine deserted beaches of pure white sand and surrounded by the sparkling Indian Ocean, Quilálea Island is a hidden gem. It's set within a national park and offers seclusion and privacy.

From the magnificent beaches you can reach some of the best coral reefs in the world, which provide a habitat for an abundance of marine life, including sea turtles, dugong, dolphins, sharks and whales.

It is the undiscovered nature of this island's beaches that make it so special. Snorkel the island's shores, kayak the mangroves or relax in a hammock beneath the giant baobabs on the island beaches. Quilálea is a tiny untouched paradise. Difficult to reach, this is the ultimate African beach retreat for an offbeat getaway.
azura-retreats.com
PMartini

Tanzania

Chumbe Island
There are worse places to find yourself stranded than on the coral-ringed Chumbe Island, off the coast of Zanzibar. Chumbe combines sustainable ecological living with luxury – an affordable, private haven with a conscience. As a guest on this island paradise (and there are never more than 14 people at any one time), you have your very own beach, steps away from the front door of your beautiful palm-thatched eco-bungalow. The beaches surround a marine-protected coral park with world-class snorkelling, as well as being home to the protected (and nocturnal) coconut crabs. On our first night, we were the only guests on the island. On our final night, the staff arranged a private, secluded candlelit dinner for two on the beach as a surprise. Bliss.
+255 242 231040, chumbeisland.com
Stephbranston

Spain

Tenerife
Tenerife was created a while ago when molten rock squirted out of a rather weak part of the earth's crust. The whole island is a complete field trip. The result of a sustained bout of volcanic activity, Teide is the highest mountain in Spain. Altitude sickness permitting, a vigorous, somewhat vertical stroll from sunrise to sunset will take you to the peak at 3,718m and back, past craters and vents, across awesome pahoehoe (undulating lava crust) and to Teide's "eggs" – surreal volcanic bombs twice the size of your rental car. The view from the peak is as wide as your mind. The little fluffy clouds are under your feet and you can tell that the world is yours.
IanLiskeard

India

Majuli Island, Assam
Peaceful and remote Majuli Island (the largest river island in the world) is home to many endangered birds, and an important wetland in Assam. The Mising tribe, a subsistence farming community, live here in simple bamboo and palm-leaf houses on stilts.

For a tranquil stay away from India's hustle and bustle, rent a room in one of the Assamese neo-Vaisnavite monasteries that dot the island. (Not to be confused with Ali G's "Me Julie".)
LizCleere