Of the 41, which is the most beautiful?

I don’t think this question CAN FAIL to come to someone’s mind, it is natural to ask oneself this question when one is ‘sailing’ in the midst of so much beauty and so much charm, in the middle of the Mediterranean.
And there is a real risk of doing wrong or rewarding beyond measure, if there is any way of of preference.
But a few considerations may be appropriate, believing the initial question is legitimate.
I think it is essential to clarify certain factors that influence the feelings a traveller experiences during and especially after an island trip, when sensations, emotions and memories settle.
Decisive is the mood with which one departs and arrives, the time of the break from work or holidays or problems, how and when these situations fit into the seasons of living.
And then there are the expectations. A thousand websites tell us about destinations, but what really counts is what one sees, feels and breathes once arrived, which is then what gives one the cues to give oneself an answer.  So, boots on the ground! (and scuba diving, I might add).

And then other factors……. the logistical arrangement, the time of year, the transport, the weather, the sea conditions, the availability of means, of a boat, the unexpected, the surprises and, where unavoidable, bureaucracy and authorities.
And then, the decisive factor: who you go with.  That’s right.
In all this, there is the fascination of going and the uncertainties of the travelling, but also the richness that can be derived from it.
For these reasons it is not possible, at least for me, to give an answer to the initial question.
Much depends on what one is looking for, what really makes the difference and preference.  And also what one would like to avoid.

So, traveller, what are you looking for?

A pure sea holiday?    You can basically rest easy.
Are you a writer, looking for peace, concentration, inspiration?     Beware of the wrong island, not many, but there are also chaotic, excessively touristy ones.
Are you in search of an island vacation with nightlife?   Beware, they are few.
There are islands of ‘personality’, those for which tradition, economy, culture and island spirit do not make them dependent on the mainland, they are sufficiently large and have a life of their own …. are you looking for one of these?    If you love them, there are some.
Do you have children, need resorts and beaches?    Beware, some islands not only do not have a beach, but not even a coffee bar on their entire circumference, others not even a grain of sand.
Do you want rugged and wild nature?    There it is, get ready.
Would you like to meet the islanders and their community, pop into the town square in the evening and maybe even meet the only inhabitant, the lighthouse keeper?    On this you are spoilt for choice, either way.

Perhaps, answering all these questions will enable the reader to board on a beautiful island journey.  Yes, it will.
But it will leave no real clues as to which is the most beautiful.
Nor will the writer express his profound preferences.