The Best Secluded Islands For a Workation

From the moment we wake up, many of us slip into the hustle and bustle of life - eating our breakfast on the move, quickly logging on in time for our 9:00 am meeting and cramming in a workout straight after work before our evening plans.

A lot of the time, it is all too tempting to get away from it. Get away from the daily grind of our everyday lives and pick up life somewhere… a little slower.

Well, at Pure Kauai, we’ve rounded up the best places to work remotely, literally.

We’ve ranked the most secluded islands in the world based on their proximity to the nearest mainland and their average internet speed - because a slow pace of life is good, but a slow connection is not…

Check out the top five below…

The Top 10 Remote Island For A Workation

1. Kauai, Hawaii

Are we surprised to see Kauai taking the top spot? No. And here’s why.

Nicknamed the “Garden Isle”, the island is draped in emerald valleys, jagged cliffs, and sharp mountain spires, and its abundance of vegetation is perfect for anyone keen to get away from the greyness of city life. Not to mention it is the most secluded and least populated of the Hawaiian Islands.

Kauai is over 2,470 miles from the nearest mainland, which is the furthest distance of any island included in this study, meaning that you’re pretty much as far away as you can be from the hustle and bustle of life. But, despite its remoteness, the island boasts an average internet speed of around 23 Mbps - the same as Brazil actually - so it’s still possible for you to drop into your 9:00 am meeting to say ‘Aloha’!

2. La Digue, Seychelles

In second place is La Digue island in The Seychelles archipelago, which actually ranked highest for its internet speed at an average of 26.76 Mbps. This means that you’ll still be able to tick off your to-do list whilst on the laid-back, (almost) motor-free island.

Although no one ever seems to be in a rush on La Digue, the island is, however, only 840 miles away from the nearest mainland. This might not seem far enough away for anyone wanting a taste of remote life but its palm trees, white sandy beaches and coral reefs might be enough to persuade you though…

What’s more, you can make use of the Seychelles Workation Program, a remote work visa that allows digital nomads to live and work from any of its 115 islands for up to one year.

3. Adak, Alaska

Rounding up the top three is an island that is very different to the others already mentioned; there are no coconuts or sunny weather in Adak, Alaska. Although only around 760 miles from the nearest mainland, the island is so remote that the accommodation/lodging is pretty slim pickings and there is only one restaurant should you want to dine out.

Yet, for what it lacks in this department, the old military base certainly makes up for in nature with countless scenic hikes to breathtaking viewpoints and lagoons that teem with wildlife. And while it might feel like you’re cut off from the world entirely, you will easily be able to chat to colleagues (as well as friends and family) whenever you need to with its impressive average internet speed of 25 Mbps.

4. Laucala Island, Fiji

Laucala Island in Fiji takes the fourth position and perhaps only an option for the more wealthy of workationers. Bought by the owner of Red Bull Dietrich Mateschitz almost 20 years ago, Laucala is home to only 25 rental villas which start from $5,000 per night. Included in that price though, is connection to the internet which is said to be around 8 Mbps on average.

The island’s exclusivity makes it an ideal place to get away from the hustle and bustle and offers complete serenity. Making it even more tranquil is the fact that it’s almost 1,700 miles from the nearest mainland.

5. Floreana, Galapágos Islands

Coming in at fifth place is the first South American island, Floreana in the Galapágos. Although it’s the least remote and offers the lowest internet speeds in this top five list, the Ecuadorian island still ranks in the top 10 for each factor.

And it certainly redeems itself with the wildlife that can be spotted between Zoom meetings, offering sightings of rare and endemic species both on land and under the waves. Not to mention black sand beaches, sparkling lagoons and misty peaks.

Well, that rounds up the five top secluded islands for a workation - but, if you want to see where other remote island ranks, check out the list below.

Methodology

To find out which secluded islands are the best for a workation, we first collated a list of remote islands around the world using a variety of credible sources including Conde Nast Traveler and Lonely Planet. We then ranked these based on data for their proximity to the closest mainland and the average internet speed.

Islands, where a full dataset was not available, were omitted from the ranking.

The full dataset and source list are available upon request.

Published on Wednesday, November 16, 2022