8 Underrated Indian Islands Most People Don’t Know Exist!

For a country surrounded by water on three sides, India talks surprisingly little about its islands. Most travel conversations stop at Goa, Andaman, or Lakshadweep, while some of the country’s most fascinating islands continue existing in rivers, estuaries, marine parks, and far-off coastlines. Most of these islands are still shaped more by fishing communities, folklore, ecology, ferry systems, and local traditions. And frankly, that is exactly what makes them memorable. So, here are the best underrated Indian islands. 

8 Underrated Indian Islands You Need To Visit Once

1. Majuli, Assam

The first thing people notice about Majuli is not a monument or a market; it is the silence. The island sits in the Brahmaputra River and stretches across a landscape of wetlands, rice fields, bamboo houses, and monasteries that seem untouched by urgency. Majuli is often identified as the world’s largest river island, but statistics alone fail to explain why the place stays with people long after they leave.

Its cultural history runs deep. The island became the centre of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture during the 16th century under the saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva. Even today, its satras function as spaces where dance, theatre, music, manuscript-making, and mask craftsmanship are preserved. In villages like Samaguri, artisans still create elaborate masks used in Bhaona performances, a traditional storytelling art form rooted in mythology.

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2. Divar Island, Goa

Divar Island feels like the version of Goa that escaped tourism brochures. To reach the island, visitors take a short ferry ride from Old Goa, and almost magically, the vibe changes.

The roads narrow. Portuguese-era houses appear behind oversized windows and fading pastel walls, and elderly residents sit outside bakeries in the afternoon heat while cycles move past old chapels and paddy fields. During monsoon season, the island becomes intensely green, almost cinematic in parts.

Divar’s most famous celebration is the Bonderam Festival, which began centuries ago during Portuguese rule when villages used flags to mark territorial boundaries and often ended up in disputes. 

Also Read: Did You Know Vindaloo Was Portuguese Vinha d’Alhos Before Goan Spices Changed It?

3. St. Mary’s Islands, Karnataka

When boats approach St. Mary’s Islands from the Malpe coast, the landscape starts looking geometric. Instead of soft beaches, visitors find towering basalt columns formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. The rock formations are hexagonal, sharply textured, and so visually unusual that photographs from the island often look edited.

Geologists consider these formations extremely significant because they are among the rare examples of columnar basalt in India. Historians also connect the islands to Vasco da Gama, who is believed to have stopped here in 1498 during his voyage to the Indian coast.

The islands remain uninhabited, which adds to their eerie atmosphere. 

Also Read: As PM Modi Urges Indians To Skip Foreign Trips, 8 Indian Destinations To Visit Instead

4. Netrani Island, Karnataka

Floating off the coast near Murudeshwar, the island is famous for its unusually clear waters and rich marine biodiversity. It is also nicknamed “Heart-Shaped Island” because of its aerial outline.

Unlike many Indian beaches where visibility underwater is limited, Netrani offers surprisingly vibrant diving conditions. Divers regularly encounter angelfish, parrotfish, barracudas, moray eels, and coral formations beneath the surface. Sightings of whale sharks have also been reported in surrounding waters over the years.

Dense vegetation covers most of the landmass here, and from a distance the island appears isolated and slightly mysterious. 

5. Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep

Minicoy Island does not resemble the version of India most travellers expect. Culturally and geographically, it feels much closer to the Maldives. Locals speak Mahl, a language linked to Dhivehi, traditional tuna fishing remains central to daily life, and even the architecture carries a distinct island identity shaped by centuries of maritime interaction.

The island’s lagoon is almost unnaturally blue during daylight hours. Wooden fishing boats line the shores, coconut palms bend toward narrow beaches, and the old lighthouse built during British rule still dominates the skyline. 

Community traditions remain visible in dance performances like Lava Dance, in local cuisine centred around tuna and coconut, and in the carefully maintained village structures called avahs.

Also Read: Maldives Out Of Budget? 5 Indian Trips Under ₹20,000 That Still Feel Surprisingly Luxe

6. Pirotan Island, Gujarat

Few people associate Gujarat with coral reefs, which is why Pirotan Island catches travellers off guard. Located inside the Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch, the island is surrounded by coral ecosystems, mangroves, mudflats, and marine species rarely discussed in mainstream Indian travel content.

Getting there is not straightforward! Visitors require permissions from forest authorities, and access depends heavily on tides. 

Birdwatchers often spot pelicans, gulls, flamingos, and other migratory species around the region. There is also an old lighthouse on the island that adds to its isolated atmosphere. 

7. São Jacinto Island, Goa

At first glance, São Jacinto Island looks almost too quaint for Goa. The island sits in the Zuari estuary and has remained remarkably untouched compared to the surrounding tourist zones. One reason behind that preservation was the resistance shown by locals toward aggressive commercialisation and outside property expansion over the years.

As a result, São Jacinto still feels residential, still. There is also an abandoned lighthouse nearby, which only adds to the island’s strange stillness.

8. Kavvayi Islands, Kerala

The Kavvayi Islands sit gloriously in northern Kerala’s backwater network, away from the houseboat-heavy tourism associated with Alleppey. Historically, the region reportedly appeared in the writings of travellers like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta because of its role in the old spice-trade routes along the Malabar coast.

Today, the landscape is made up of interconnected islands, wetlands, mangroves, fishing villages, and calm waterways where canoe rides replace speedboats. 

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So, which of these appeals the most to you? 

Cover Image Courtesy: stephanebidouze/Canva Pro and megamalais/X