#846 Isla Gorgona, Colombia

 

34km off Colombia's wild and mangroved Pacific coast lies the mysterious island of Gorgona, so named for the hundreds of snakes present when Pizarro's ship stopped there in 1524. For a long time a prison and forbidden to outsiders, it is now a majestic holiday resort of wild jungle trails, pristine beaches, spectacular diving, and peace and quiet (one small resort and the boats only cross from Guapi, the nearest village and airport, two times a week).

Nature rules here, as is evidenced by the jungle completely reclaiming the prison over the past 30 years, but also by the hundreds of small monkeys, lizards, snakes, birds, and other creatures. My favorite, by far, were the sperm whales that traverse this coast several months of the year with their babies on their way to and from the tropics and Antarctica. Breaking just off the island, breaching and playing or just breathing, they astonish and excite all visitors when they are seen several times a day. 

Source: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_Gorgona

#865 Cancun, Mexico

It may be famous for American spring break visitors, and have more flights to the states and Canada than some places on the main continent should have, but these visitors do not come without reason. The beach is absolutely spectacular. It goes on and on, is wide and flat, with beautiful white sand and rolling waves with a delicious turquoise ocean with just the right sized waves -- the perfect temperature in Spring. Mega hotels may have sprung up in their hundreds, the nightclubs offering free drinks all night long may lead to offensive behavior, and there may be just a few too many tourist stalls, but where there are tourists there are jobs, money, better standards of living and other benefits to share. 

The 15 km strip likes on a the outer banks of a lagoon that separates the main city (where the majority of Mexicans live and the backpackers stay) from the high flying golf courses and five star palaces. The Yucatan peninsula where it sits is porous limestone offering fabulous day trips to cenotes (sinkholes), and of course the magic Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza (#875). Off the coast lies the more laid-back Isla Mujeres and even whale sharks (#915).

#902 Boracay, Philippines

Idyllic, beautiful Boracay, the pride of Philippine beaches for decades, and a truly well-deserved reputation for spectacular gorgeousness! It's an island in the Visayas, and not so easy to get to considering the nearest airport is a banca boat and van/bus ride away. But of course, it's been years since I went and am sure the infrastructure is improved since 2001! What more to say about a picture-perfect, motorbikable, wanderable island in the warm Pacific Ocean with diving and snorkelling and suntanning?

 

Apologies, once again, for the poor quality scans of film photos. All you have to do is close your eyes and imagine crisp white sand beaches, turquoise oceans and tranquility and you're there, anyway.

#916 San Blas Islands, Panama

In a hidden corner of Panama, down near the Colombian border on the Caribbean coast lies an archipelago which is quite unique from a political perspective. The San Blas islands are autonomous and pretty much self-ruling despite being part of Panama. Their isolation and lack of valuable resources has meant that throughout history they have been seen as a place of transit rather than somewhere valuable to own in its own right. This has allowed the people of the San Blas to maintain their lifestyle and cultural practices and live similarly to how they have for centuries.

Effectively most islands are windswept sand bars in a picturesque ocean location (100s of them), but the Comarque de Kuna Yala are a proud example of effective indigenous independence, the first of their kind in Latin America. Foreigners (including Panamanians) are not allowed to run businesses here and often foreigners are charged a fee to visit the islands. Subsisting on tropical foods and the abundant marine life, their lifestyles have not changed for decades. 

Diving is forbidden in the Archipelago de San Blas, and other activities are strictly monitored (so no jet skis and cruise ships!). The pretty blue waters with cute yellow starfish and recent sailboat wrecks are a world away from lively Panama City, and disembarking into the jungle is onto a dirt trail up a small creek.

Paradise?

Source: Lonely Planet Central America 7th Edition