Flores is also anchored to the mainland by a narrow causeway constructed as if to keep the dreamland from escaping reality. It lies in Lake Peten Itza, and was the last part of Maya to fall to the Conquistadors in 1697. Today the island is caked in red-roofed houses, hotels, restaurants and churches, making it a wonderful place to enjoy an easy city break.
8. Malé, Maldives
Male is a wondrous city island with some 100,000 inhabitants. Very few necessities like power and water come from the mainland, so the island is surprisingly self-sufficient for such an isolated place with no countryside surroundings. The island also contains numerous lagoons, which make it an excellent place for swimming and yachting.