Surtsey (Iceland)

This is a separate area of just under three kilometers located near Iceland. The island did not exist until 1963. It was formed after a strong volcanic eruption. Now it is a restricted area for all tourists. Only scientists can visit Surtsey to find out how the ecosystem can evolve from scratch without human intervention. Moss is the only plant species on the island. It has grown there without human participation.

Black Mountain Kalkajaka (Australia)

A large pile of black granite boulders is the most mysterious place in Australia. Many of the boulders are as big as a house. According to geologists, the mountain appeared 250 million years ago. There is a maze with many gaps and passages inside this mountain. The internal systems of the mountain’s caves are constantly changing because of the collapses. Sometimes people disappear in these mazes when trying to get inside the mountain. Visitors are strictly forbidden to climb the mountain and even to approach it as cave explorers rarely come back.

Ilha da Queimada Grande (Brazil)

This place makes tourists flesh creep. The island is also known as Snake Island because it is crawling with poisonous reptiles. The most perilous species of snakes in the world whose bites cause instant death live there. Officially, the island is closed to the public and protected by the state as due to lack of food, the population of some species of snakes has declined significantly. Sometimes some bold tourists are allowed to go on a tour there but only in the protective clothing and along the shore as the forest is teeming with snakes.

Gruinard Island (Scotland)

This island was considered one of the most dangerous places on the planet until the end of the twentieth century. It was used as a testing ground for the study of anthrax. The island was quarantined for 75 years because every tourist who came there died within minutes. In 1986, the government began cleaning up Gruinard, and in 1990 it was open to the public. However, the island remains deserted as the risk of being infected is still high. Anthrax spores are still in the soil of Gruinard. It seems that the island will be not suitable for life within a few hundred years.

Poveglia Island (Italy)

Poveglia is located in Italy between Venice and Lido. In the XIV century, it was used as a quarantine for victims of bubonic plague. The infected bodies were burned on giant bonfires there. In the XIX century, Poveglia became a place for a psychiatric hospital. According to legend, scientists tortured their patients and experimented on them. In the XX century, Poveglia was again used as a place for mental health institutions. Presently, the island is strictly protected. It is closed to tourists and locals.