59 Island Quotes to Inspire the Adventurer and Thinker in You

The word "island," which frequently appears in our daily conversations, has inspired numerous metaphors that have become ingrained in our language. We've collected 59 island quotes to inspire and guide you through life's challenges.

From a geographical perspective, islands are often stunningly beautiful and make the perfect vacation getaway. When we say this phrase, we immediately think of sunny beaches, swaying palm trees, and everything else that is tropical.

Nonetheless, this piece of land signifies much more than just mere holiday destinations. It speaks to something more profound— that we're all connected and need one another to survive and thrive.

In addition, the phrase has been used to describe people who feel a sense of strong attachment to their home country. Here are 59 island quotes that demonstrate how a simple landform can influence one's motivation in life.

Gretel Ehrlich's quote: "Islands are reminders of arrivals and departures." | Image: AmoDays

Quotes on Love for the Island

"Standing, as I believe the United States stands for humanity and civilization, we should exercise every influence of our great country to put a stop to that war which is now raging in Cuba and give to that island once more peace, liberty, and independence." — Henry Cabot Lodge

"We have the character of an island nation: independent, forthright, passionate in defence of our sovereignty. We can no more change this British sensibility than we can drain the English Channel. And because of this sensibility, we come to the European Union with a frame of mind that is more practical than emotional." — David Cameron

Chet Raymo's quote: "Knowledge is an island surrounded by a sea of mystery." | Image: AmoDays

"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." — Winston Churchill

"This land is your land, this land is my land, From California to the New York Island. From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters.This land was made for you and me." — Woody Guthrie

Island Wisdom in Words

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent." — John Donne

"How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will." — Albert Einstein

Ross Lynch's quote: "'Teen Beach Movie' was a lot of fun because we were in Puerto Rico on an island – you can't even call it work!" | Image: AmoDays

"Little islands are all large prisons: one cannot look at the sea without wishing for the wings of a swallow." — Richard Burton

"Our knowledge is a little island in a great ocean of nonknowledge." — Isaac Bashevis Singer

Woody Guthrie's quote: "This land is your land, this land is my land, From California to the New York Island. From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters. This land was made for you and me." | Image: AmoDays

"Islands are reminders of arrivals and departures." — Gretel Ehrlich

"Islands are natural workshops of evolution." — Richard Dawkins

"Everyone knew that all islands were worlds unto themselves, that to come to an island was to come to another world." — Guy Gavriel Kay

"I feel we are all islands in a common sea." — Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield's quote: "When you're on one of the Caribbean islands, sometimes it's hard to picture how they fit with the rest, but when you see them all joined together like a necklace from space, you see the natural geographic connectedness of them all." | Image: AmoDays

"Man is like an island set in isolation in a fathomless sea enveloped by darkness, saying that the loneliness himself knows is so utterly absolute because even he knows not his self completely." — Syed Muhammad Naquib al Attas

"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder." — Ralf W. Sockman

"Islands are metaphors of the heart, no matter what poet says otherwise." — Jeanette Winterson

"We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance." — John Archibald Wheeler

Walt Disney's quote: "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." | Image: AmoDays

"Small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos can shift the whole system to a higher order." — Barbara Marx Hubbard

"We cannot have islands of excellence in a sea of slovenly indifference to standards." — John W. Gardner

"Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge." — Buddha

"Knowledge is an island surrounded by a sea of mystery." — Chet Raymo

Cote de Pablo's quote: "I like to be grounded by nature, go hiking... go to an isolated island that's not glamorous and touristy at all." | Image: AmoDays

"The wise man makes an island of himself that no flood can overwhelm." — Buddha

"No man or woman is an island. To exist just for yourself is meaningless. You can achieve the most satisfaction when you feel related to some greater purpose in life, something greater than yourself." — Denis Waitley

"Judging is a lonely job in which a man is, as near as may be, an island entire." — Abe Fortas

"Living each day as if it were your last doesn't mean your last day of retirement on a remote island. It means to live fully, authentically and spontaneously with nothing being held back." — Jack Canfield

Agatha Christie's quote: "Best of an island is once you get there you can't go any farther you've come to the end of things." | Image: AmoDays

"The island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever." ― E. Lockhart, "We Were Liars"

"Can you see a serene island in the middle of a stormy ocean? And the wise man is that calm island!" ― Mehmet Murat ildan

"Poetry isn't an island, it is the bridge.

Poetry isn't a ship, it is the lifeboat.

Poetry isn't swimming. Poetry is water." ― Kamand Kojouri

Derek Walcott's quote: "The personal vocabulary, the individual melody whose metre is one's biography, joins in that sound, with any luck, and the body moves like a walking, a waking island." | Image: AmoDays

"The optimist lives on the peninsula of infinite possibilities; the pessimist is stranded on the island of perpetual indecision." — William Arthur Ward

"Every article on these islands has an almost personal character, which gives this simple life, where all art is unknown, something of the artistic beauty of medieval life." — John Millington Synge

"The personal vocabulary, the individual melody whose metre is one's biography, joins in that sound, with any luck, and the body moves like a walking, a waking island." — Derek Walcott

Mehmet Murat ildan's quote: "Can you see a serene island in the middle of a stormy ocean? And the wise man is that calm island!" | Image: AmoDays

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this." — Henry David Thoreau

Island Quotes to Spark Your Inner Adventurer

"May you always have a shell in your pocket and sand in your shoes." — Dena Haines

"Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think." — Robert Henri

"To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that's my idea of paradise." — Emilia Wickstead

"Never go on trips with anyone you do not love." — Ernest Hemingway

Buddha's quote: "Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge." | Image: AmoDays

"I learned a long time ago that trying to micromanage the perfect vacation is always a disaster. That leads to terrible times." — Anthony Bourdain

"My favorite place to vacation is anyplace by the ocean." — Nina Arianda

"Best of an island is once you get there you can't go any farther you've come to the end of things." — Agatha Christie

William Arthur Ward's quote: "The optimist lives on the peninsula of infinite possibilities; the pessimist is stranded on the island of perpetual indecision." | Image: AmoDays

"When you're on one of the Caribbean islands, sometimes it's hard to picture how they fit with the rest, but when you see them all joined together like a necklace from space, you see the natural geographic connectedness of them all." — Chris Hadfield

"I'm an island boy, so I love my reggae and soca music." — Dule Hil

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." — Walt Disney

Syed Muhammad Naquib al Attas' quote: "Man is like an island set in isolation in a fathomless sea enveloped by darkness, saying that the loneliness himself knows is so utterly absolute because even he knows not his self completely." | Image: AmoDays

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"A lot of people prefer to be alone. They would rather be a palm tree on an island. I don't get it." — Jose Andres

"'Teen Beach Movie' was a lot of fun because we were in Puerto Rico on an island – you can't even call it work!" — Ross Lynch

"Every summer I sail to a small island called Cavallo, which lies between Sardinia and Corsica." — Gino D'Acampo

"As soon as I arrived in the Indies, in the first island which I found, I took some of the natives by force, in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts. And so it was that they soon understood us, and we them, either by speech or by signs, and they have been very serviceable." — Christopher Columbus

Isaac Bashevis Singer's quote: "Our knowledge is a little island in a great ocean of nonknowledge." | Image: AmoDays

"I love our shared island, our shared Ireland and its core decency. I love it for its imagination and its celebration of the endless possibilities for our people." — Michael D. Higgins

"Harbour Island in the Bahamas is beautiful, with turquoise water and pink sand." — Diane von Furstenberg

"I like to be grounded by nature, go hiking... go to an isolated island that's not glamorous and touristy at all." — Cote de Pablo

"My dream is to go spend a week on some island with no phone." — Cara Delevingne

Winston Churchill's quote: We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." | Image: AmoDays

Ultimately, whether we view islands as vacation spots or metaphors for our interconnectedness, one thing remains clear: islands are places of beauty, inspiration, and reflection.

Therefore, rather than relying solely on our capacities, let us commit to being there for one another, offering support, and working together to weather any storm that may head our way.

As we reflect on these illuminating quotes, remember that we're not by ourselves, and all have a part in making the world a better place. To stay balanced, here are 80 anchor quotes to help you find a firm foundation.