The world's most stunning archipelagos

Scattered around the globe are some truly amazing archipelagos, island groups, or chains of extraordinary beauty and incredible biodiversity. Many are popular tourist destinations, while others are remote and remain in the realm of wildlife.

Browse the gallery for a fantastically colorful journey to some of the world's most stunning archipelagos. 

Philippines

Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Southeast Asia.

Vanuatu, Oceania

Located in the South Pacific.

It's an archipelago of around 80 islands spanning some 1,300 km.

The Bahamas

Located in the Atlantic Ocean.

Finland

Location: Baltic Sea/Archipelago Sea.

Palau, Oceania

Located in the western Pacific Ocean.

Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Located across the Strait of Megellan, Pacific/Atlantic oceans.

Maldives

Located in the Indian Ocean.

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Located in the South Pacific, northwest of Tahiti.

Svalbard, Norway

Located in the Arctic Ocean.

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Located in the Strait of Malacca.

Japan

Located in the Pacific Ocean.

Fiji, Oceania

Located in the South Pacific.

Kerguelen Islands, French territory

Located in the southern Indian Ocean.

Hawaii, USA

Located in the central Pacific Ocean.

New Caledonia, French territory

Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

Dozens of islands constitute the archipelago, known for its dazzling lagoons.

Langkawi, Malaysia

Located in the Andaman Sea.

Moored off the country's northwestern coast, the Langkawi archipelago is composed of 99 islands.

New Zealand, Oceania

Located in southwestern Pacific Ocean.

Consisting of two main islands, North Island and South Island, and around 600 smaller islands.

Aleutian Islands, USA/Russia

Located in the Pacific Ocean/Bering Sea.

The chain of volcanic islands lies off the coast of Alaska and comprises five island groups.

Azores, Portugal

Located in the Atlantic Ocean.

Nine islands make up the volcanically-active archipelago, extending more than 600 km.

Bermuda, British territory

Located in the western North Atlantic Ocean.

An archipelago of seven main islands complemented by a further 170 islets and rocks.

Florida Keys, USA

Located in the Atlantic Ocean/Gulf of Mexico.

A coral cay archipelago of around 1,700 islands stretching from the southern tip of Florida to Key West.

Aegean Islands, Greece/Turkey

Located in the Aegean Sea.

Better known by the collective term Greek Islands, some of the 6,000 or so islands fall within the boundaries of the Ionian Sea. The Aegean Sea itself was once known as the Archipelago Sea.

Cape Verde

Located in the central Atlantic Ocean.

Anchored off the west coast of Africa, the archipelago consists of 10 volcanic islands.

Bazaruto, Mozambique

Located in the Mozambique Channel.

The Bazaruto archipelago is a group of six islands sited off the mainland city of Vilankulo.

Virgin Islands, British/US territory

Located in the Caribbean Sea.

Part of the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands archipelago is divided into the US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Located in the Pacific Ocean. The 21 islands that make up the archipelago are all prime wildlife-viewing destinations.

Balearic Islands, Spain

Located in the Mediterranean Sea.

The archipelago consists of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera, embroidered by minor islands and islets.

Isles of Scilly, England

Located in the Celtic Sea (Atlantic Ocean).

A scattering of around 170 islands, of which the six largest are populated.

Frisian Islands, Netherlands/Germany/Denmark

Located in the North Sea.