When we think of islands, the typical image that comes to mind is that of pristine sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, and a serene atmosphere. However, not all islands conform to this idyllic image. Some are harsh, dangerous, and completely uninhabitable.
To discover some of the world’s most unique and lesser-known islands, we turned to leading tourist websites. They helped us identify a variety of islands that remain mostly untouched by human hands. While some of these islands are largely inaccessible, others can be visited as part of sightseeing tours. So, let’s see which islands they are.
Big Major Cay, Bahamas
Big Major Cay, or Pig Beach, is a small island in the Exuma Cays of the Bahamas. It’s famous for its colony of feral pigs. The pigs can be spotted enjoying swimming in the turquoise waters alongside tourists. The origin of the pigs is unclear, with theories including them being left by sailors or swimming ashore from a shipwreck. The island is uninhabited by humans, making it an island paradise for the pigs and a unique stopover for visitors.
Bishop Rock, England
Bishop Rock is a small granite islet located off the western tip of Cornwall, England. It’s known for its iconic lighthouse, built in 1858. It was made to warn ships of the treacherous surrounding waters. The perilous nature of Bishop Rock is evident from its history, marked by numerous shipwrecks. Today, the Bishop Rock lighthouse is automated and remotely monitored.
Bouvetoya, Norway
Bouvetøya, also known as Bouvet Island, is a tiny volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is located far southwest of South Africa. It holds the distinction of being the world’s most remote island. The nature reserve is covered almost 89% by glaciers. Due to its isolation and protected status, Bouvetøya’s ecosystem is relatively untouched. Norway has run an automated meteorological station here since 1977 to study local wildlife.
Clipperton Island, Pacific Ocean
Clipperton Island, also known as Île de Clipperton, is a tiny atoll located in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is roughly halfway between Mexico and Hawaii. This Island has a fascinating history. It has served as a whaling station, a temporary exile location for a group of Mexican revolutionaries. It was even a potential claimant in a phosphate mining dispute. Today, Clipperton Island is uninhabited and administered by France. The island is home to a rich seabird population and is part of a French marine reserve.
Joal Fadiouth, Senegal
Fadiouth, located in southwest Senegal, is a unique island village built on a lagoon. It features traditional shell cemeteries where the living and the dead coexist peacefully. Villagers use colorful painted wooden pirogues (canoes) for transportation within the lagoon. The place isn’t exactly a naturally formed island. Fadiouth is also known for its oyster production, a major source of income for the community.
Floating Islands Of Lake Titicaca, Peru
The Floating Islands, also known as the Uros Islands, are a unique man-made archipelago located on Lake Titicaca, high in the Peruvian Andes. The Floating Islands are made of totora reeds, a buoyant aquatic plant native to the lake. The Uros people have inhabited these floating islands for centuries. Traditionally, the Uros people lived a self-sufficient life on the islands. They did fishing, hunting waterfowl, and crafting objects from totora reeds. Today, tourism is a major source of income for the Uros people. Visitors can take boat tours to the islands to learn about their culture and way of life.
Heybeliada Island, Island in the Sea of Marmara Turkey
Heybeliada Island is the second largest of the nine Prince Islands in the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, Turkey. It is known for its relaxed atmosphere and minimal motorized vehicles. Visitors can explore the island by bicycle, horse-drawn carriage, or on foot. Heybeliada is home to several former Greek Orthodox monasteries. Some of them are now museums or hotels.
Ilha de Queimada Grande, Brazil
Ilha de Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island, is a small Brazilian island located off the coast of São Paulo. This island is infamous for its dense population of venomous snakes, primarily the Bothrops insularis, or island golden lancehead viper. The high concentration of vipers is believed to be a result of the island’s isolation and lack of natural predators for the snakes. Due to the extreme danger posed by the snakes, Ilha de Queimada Grande is off-limits to the general public to protect both the snakes and people.
North Brother Island, New York
North Brother Island is a small island located in the East River between the Bronx and Rikers Island in New York City. The island has a fascinating and somewhat eerie history. It served as the site of Riverside Hospital. It was a quarantine facility for infectious diseases like smallpox and tuberculosis from 1885 to 1943. After the hospital’s closure, the island was briefly used as housing for veterans. Later, in the 1960s, it was a drug rehabilitation center before being abandoned. Today, the island is abandoned and uninhabited.
Okunoshima Island, Japan
Okunoshima Island, also known as Rabbit Island, is a small island located in the Hiroshima Prefecture of Japan. The island gained its nickname due to its large population of wild rabbits. The origins of the rabbits on Okunoshima are unclear. It’s believed that these rabbits are descendants of those released in the past, although details remain unclear. Today, the rabbits are a major tourist attraction.
Sealand, England
Sealand is an interesting case, as it’s not universally recognized as an island nation. It’s a self-declared micronation on an abandoned military platform named HM Fort Roughs, located in the North Sea about 12 kilometers off the coast of Suffolk, England. Paddy Roy Bates, a former British soldier, occupied the fort in 1967 and declared it an independent sovereign state. Sealand has its own flag, national anthem and even claims a currency (Sealand dollar (SX$)). However, the UK considers Sealand to be within its territorial waters.
Vulcan Point, Philippines
Vulcan Point is a small peninsula located on the southern tip of Luzon Island in the Philippines. This area is geographically interesting because it’s not technically an island. It is rather a land formation jutting out into Taal Lake. However, the volcanic activity of Taal Volcano, which is located within the lake, has significantly shaped the landscape of Vulcan Point. The area is known for its volcanic rock formations, hot springs, and sulfuric vents.