World's best island is fresh, green and eco-friendly

According to National Geographic's Travelers "Rated Places" in a recent survey of 111 islands around the world, 552 judges chose five islands as the best island for eco-friendly travel and rated them according to sustained authentic traditions, ecosystems, environment, and amount of tourism overkill. The panel also judged the islands as to how they were "holding up" under the pressures of population change, climate change, storm damage, invasive species, and increased tourism. The Faroe Islands received the distinction as "authentic, unspoiled and likely to remain so," first judged in 2008 and reconfirmed again recently.

The Faroe Islands off the coast of Norway and northwest of Scotland in the North Atlantic, approximately halfway between Great Britain and Iceland was rated the #1 choice as the best island destination in the world. The Faroe Islands are green, life-sustaining, ecofriendly, full of fresh air, and abundantly unspoiled by tourism.

Carved out of the sea by thousands of years-old volcanoes, the Faroe Islands offer greenscapes and jagged sheer cliffs that will blow your mind. The Faroese people on an island in the North Atlantic have necessarily always been aware of the importance of sustainable farming and are a family society, an independent people, colonized as early as 650, explored by the Vikings and debated by Norway and Denmark, the islands have always been governed by an assembly of farmers, self-governed to this day.

Houses and barns with sod-covered rooftops, churches everywhere, and not an advertising billboard or fast-food MacDonald's in sight. And sheep, yes, there are sheep, 70,000 to be exact. There are more sheep on the Faroe Islands than people. [You know, it's amazing, since I've been writing this column, the most natural places on earth with the healthiest living conditions are those with the most animals, clean air, sustainable lifestyles, green grass and clean water.]

Faroe Islands are a magical place with Scandinavian folklore's trolls, mermaids, waterfall spirits, mystical fog, and changeable weather. Snow doesn't last long; temperatures are moderate — summer average is 11°C or 52°F, tonight it is 55°F, average winter temperature is 7.1 °C or 45°F, not as cold as one would expect given the North Atlantic location.

The human population is about 48,000, self-governed, now a constituent country of Denmark. The Faroese speak their version of the Nordic language, which is called, what else, Faroese, when written, very near Icelandic, when spoken, all its own. Religious beliefs are mostly Lutheran; faith plays a great role in the lifestyle of the Faroe Islands' residents. Fishing is the biggest industry and all natural wool is next.

You can take a ferry to the Faroe Islands from the Hebrides of Scotland. Or you can fly via Atlantic Airways to the one landing strip on a rare piece of flat land at Vágar Airport. The capital of the Faroe Islands is Tórshavn. If you are thinking of visiting, contact Green Gate Incoming, a most appropriate name.

Please view the video, the natural beauty of these Islands will take your breath away. So beautiful, so natural, green and abundantly unspoiled. The photos in the slideshow 'truly amazing photos of the Faroe Islands' are from the charmster blogspot and the weltrekordreise collection, Faroe Islands #1 island destination in the world.

#2 best island destination voted by National Geographic is The Azores, which comes as no surprise to many Rhode Island and southern New England residents. Rhode Island's own Block Island rated quite high and beat out Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in the National Geographic judging.

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For more information on National Geographics judging criteria.

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