Best Beaches

World's Top 10 Islands for 2015 (PHOTOS)

Powder-soft white sands, diamond-clear waters, and swaying palm trees are all features of the perfect island getaway. But the islands recognized by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards as the world's best for 2015 boast something more than just picture-postcard landscapes.

Check out the slideshow above to see the world's top 10 islands to explore this year, places known not only for their natural beauty, but also for their cultural and dining offerings, hotel accommodations and attractions.

This year, the island of Providenciales (known to locals as "Provo") in Turks and Caicos was voted the best island to visit. Voters no doubt have visited the island's Grace Bay Beach and have seen its sparkling white-sand beach, which stretches for miles, and its unbelievably blue waters. "It's the beach postcards are made from," said one TripAdvisor member.

Picturesque Madeira in Portugal also made TripAdvisor's list. It boasts stunning rock formations, natural swimming pools and picturesque cliffs, plus 99 miles of coastline. Madeira is anyone's idea of an island paradise, but it has also received its share of severe weather. In 2010, heavy rainfall inundated parts of the island and caused destructive floods in river valleys on the south coast of the island, causing the deaths of at least 32 people, according to BBC News. In the past few years, authorities and locals have ensured that Madeira's tourism infrastructure returned back to normal.

(MORE: 50 Best Beaches in the World | 50 Stunning Places to See in the Summer)

This year's Travelers' Choice Awards honor more than 100 islands worldwide including lists for Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, the U.K., and the U.S. The annual awards are based on the millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers across the globe.

Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions on islands worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

“Our well-traveled community has uncovered the best islands around the world for that perfect island escape whether you want to lie on the beach or seek adventure,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.

Here are the world's top islands for 2015:

1. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

2. Maui, Hawaii

3. Roatan, Honduras

4. Santorini, Greece

5. Ko Tao, Thailand

6. Madeira, Portugal

7. Bali, Indonesia

8. Mauritius, Africa

9. Bora Bora, French Polynesia

10. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

TripAdvisor also named the best islands in the U.S.: