The existence of an effective entrepreneurial ecosystem is important for economic development and growth. This study considers how entrepreneurial ecosystems are perceived and operate in different locations focusing on remote islands compared to core/central regions. In particular, this study focuses on two remote island economies (the Canary Islands, in Spain, and Madeira, in Portugal), compared with Catalonia and Lisbon which are two core regions in Spain and Portugal. The evidence, based on a large-scale survey, shows that firms in remote islands perceive that they operate in a less favourable entrepreneurial ecosystem compared to firms in core regions although the findings show that there are significant variations across sectors of activity. Thus, the appropriate strategies for entrepreneurial action and for policy makers will vary depending on the characteristics of the ecosystem.