"Closed" Islands Where Tourist Entry is Prohibited

Ten Islands Where Tourists Are Prohibited from Entering

Despite all modern technological advancements, it is hard to imagine a place on Earth that cannot be reached by air, land, or sea. However, there are still corners of our planet where tourists are not allowed, and the reasons for this vary greatly.

1. Queimada Grande Island

Reason for the ban: Too many poisonous snakes
Queimada Grande Island, located 35 km off the coast of Brazil, may look like a paradise at first glance. However, a trip to this area could cost you your life, as this green patch of land is teeming with poisonous snakes: approximately 4,000 snakes inhabit the 0.43 km² area, meaning there are about nine to ten snakes per square meter. The most dangerous of them is the island's golden lancehead pit viper. Its venom is five times stronger than that of other members of the viper family, causing tissue necrosis almost instantly upon a bite. Therefore, the Brazilian authorities prohibit visits to Queimada Grande, which is popularly known as Snake Island. However, diving and fishing off the coast are permitted.

2. Surtsey Island

Reason for the ban: Scientific experiments
In 1963, a series of underwater volcanic eruptions occurred in the waters of Iceland, resulting in the formation of a new island covering an area of 2.7 km² in a short time. It immediately attracted the attention of scientists from various countries, as it serves as a visual model for the emergence of an island and life on it. Since then, Surtsey, named after the mythological hero Surtr, ruler of the fire giants, has been designated for strictly scientific purposes and is a closed zone for tourists. Throughout the island's life, scientists have observed how plants, insects, worms, and birds have "colonized" the new land, turning once barren volcanic pumice into fertile soil. In the 1980s, there were 20 species of plants on the island, but by 2008, their number had increased to 69. By 2000, erosion and sea waves had reduced the island's area to 1.5 km², but scientists believe that the process of "shrinking" Surtsey has now slowed down. In 2008, UNESCO included the island in the World Heritage List, recognizing its significant scientific value.

3. North Sentinel Island

Reason for the ban: Aggression of the indigenous people
On one of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, which formally belongs to India, lives a dangerous tribe of Sentinels: they avoid any contact with civilization and fiercely resist any intrusion. Scientists estimate that the indigenous people have been isolated for up to 60,000 years. Today, the island is home to an estimated 50 to 400 people. These individuals not only avoid contact by retreating into the forest but also actively defend their territory using spears and bows with arrows. In 2004, they shot at an Indian government helicopter that came to "check on them" after the tsunami. Their last victims were fishermen drifting near the island in 2006: after their murder, Indian authorities urged citizens to stay away from the Sentinels and their land. All attempts by scientists to establish contact with the tribe have been unsuccessful. In addition to the dangerous population, there is another difficulty in visiting North Sentinel Island: this 72 km² piece of land is tightly surrounded by reefs, against which many ships have wrecked over time.

4. Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway

Hidden inside a mountain on a remote island of the Svalbard archipelago (Svalbard), halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, the Global Seed Vault is a secure storage facility designed to preserve the diversity of plant seeds in case of a regional or global food crisis. The facility is designed to store 4.5 million seed samples, and currently, about one million have already been brought here.

5. North Brother Island, New York, USA

North Brother Island is located in the East River and is part of New York City. This modest piece of land is one of the most famous abandoned and uninhabited places in the American metropolis. The island has a very grim history. Since 1885, there was a quarantine hospital here, and it was on North Brother that the famous Typhoid Mary lived (an American who became the first known carrier of typhoid fever in the United States). In the 1950s, the hospital became a rehabilitation center for drug-addicted youth. Now, this place is abandoned, inhabited only by birds and small animals. Access to the island is strictly prohibited for people.

6. Gruinard Island

Reason for the ban: Biological weapons testing
In 1942, the British government purchased the Scottish island of Gruinard, covering 196 hectares, to conduct biological weapons testing—specifically anthrax. The British were satisfied with the results: it was found that anthrax seriously and long-term contaminates the territory and poses a threat to human and animal life for decades, causing a fatality rate of 95%. Until the 1980s, the island was one of the deadliest places on the planet—visits were completely prohibited. Only in 1986 did scientists finally begin "cleaning" the sinister island: they sprayed 280 tons of formaldehyde diluted with seawater and then released sheep onto Gruinard. The animals survived and remained healthy, and in 1990 the island was declared safe; however, no one chose to settle there. Archaeologists warn that anthrax spores remain in the island's soil, meaning it will be uninhabitable for hundreds of years.

7. Heard Island, Australia

This is one of the most remote places from civilization on the planet. Heard Island is located between Madagascar and Antarctica and politically belongs to Australia. The archipelago has two active volcanoes, and its land is primarily composed of limestone rock and volcanic debris. In 1996, the Australian government included Heard Island in the national heritage list and developed a plan that strictly prohibits access to the island without special permission. This way, the authorities aim to protect the unique and very fragile nature of the island.

8. Poveglia Island, Italy

This small island is located in northern Italy between Venice and Lido. Poveglia is a forbidden place with a dark and even insane past. Once, it housed a quarantine hospital for plague patients. It is said that nearly 160,000 infected people lived on this small patch of land at the same time, many of whom spent their last days and hours of agonizing existence here. It is estimated that 50% of the soil on Poveglia Island now consists of human remains. After the quarantine center was closed, a psychiatric hospital was established here, where many patients were reportedly tortured and killed. This institution was also closed, and since then the island has been completely deserted. Today, access to the island is strictly prohibited.

9. Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory

This island is located south of the equator in the central part of the Indian Ocean and is an atoll that looks almost like an ideal tropical resort with white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. However, after the British forcibly expelled the local inhabitants in 1973, a large military base was established here, and access to the island is now restricted to authorized personnel only.

10. Niihau Island

The next place where ordinary mortals cannot go is Niihau Island. It is part of the chain of islands belonging to Hawaii. Access to the island is allowed only for its residents and their relatives. There are no stores, restaurants, or other favorite spots for city dwellers on Niihau. There is only one school, which has no electricity, and the only source of light is the sun. This eternal luminary provides the residents of the island with a flow of energy. Niihau is owned by the Robinson family. In 1864, Elizabeth Sinclair purchased it from the Hawaiian government and passed it on to her family. Even relatives of the indigenous people on the island require special permission to visit. There are unique tours that allow visitors to get a glimpse of this mysterious corner of the earth. However, curious tourists will only have the opportunity to walk along the shore of the island, nothing more. No soul on the entire planet has the right to interfere in the lives of the inhabitants of Niihau. Therefore, one can only enjoy photographs of this enchanting island.