Incredible places you aren't allowed to visit
Off limits
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Some of the world’s most fascinating places can be impossible – or nearly impossible – to get to. War, natural disasters and overtourism can turn a previously popular destination into a no-go area. But, sometimes, the reasons a place becomes off limits are quite bizarre.
Read on to discover the locations unlikely to be on your bucket list any time soon...
Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway
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Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway
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North Sentinel Island, India
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North Sentinel Island, India
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Pine Gap, Northern Territory, Australia
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All sorts of rumours swirl about this remote and covert Australian-American military base set in the central Australian desert just southwest of Alice Springs. Commonly known as Pine Gap, it’s officially called the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap and is totally off limits to anyone but officials. Exactly what goes on in there is a closely guarded secret, but it inspired a Netflix series called Pine Gap.
Pine Gap, Northern Territory, Australia
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The US satellite surveillance base was founded in the 1970s. It now employs around 1,000 people and it collects a wide range of signals intelligence as well as providing information on early warning of ballistic missile launches.
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Poveglia, Italy
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Poveglia, Italy
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In 2014, the island made headlines when businessman (and later Mayor of Venice) Luigi Brugnaro attempted to buy it at auction. But his bid was ultimately rejected after a crowdfunding appeal to prevent the sale. Once Brugnaro began his campaign for the mayorship of the floating city, he put aside his interest in Poveglia. It remains abandoned today, with visits only granted to those with special advance authorisation from the Municipality of Venice.
Heard Island, Australia
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Heard Island, Australia
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Ilha da Queimada Grande, Brazil
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This Brazilian island almost makes for the perfect escape: it’s warm, unspoiled and its rocky expanse is carpeted with lush, green vegetation. But there’s a good reason it's off limits. Aptly nicknamed Snake Island, it’s home to around 4,000 venomous vipers. They’re called golden lanceheads (or Bothrops insularis) and their bite is deadly.
Ilha da Queimada Grande, Brazil
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Surtsey, Iceland
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Surtsey, Iceland
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Area 51, Nevada, USA
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Area 51, Nevada, USA
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You can’t go on the base, naturally, but that hasn’t stopped a small tourism industry from springing up nearby along the self-proclaimed Extraterrestrial Highway. Eyes are glued to the skies for sightings of anything unusual – preferably something from another planet.
Sana'a, Yemen
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Yemen’s capital is one of the oldest and highest cities in the world. Sana’a is also one of the most enchanting, its Old City crammed full of Islamic and Ottoman buildings. People have been living in Sana’a for more than 2,500 years and its exquisite architecture has earned it a place on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Sana'a, Yemen
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Many of the houses here are built of rammed earth known as pisé, and most of its Old City was built before the 11th century. But civil unrest and then Saudi-led air strikes have put the city in danger. Today the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the US Department of State advise against all travel to Yemen.
Point Nepean National Park, Victoria, Australia
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Point Nepean National Park, Victoria, Australia
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Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant, Ethiopia
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Chapel of the Ark of the Covenant, Ethiopia
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Timbuktu, Mali
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Timbuktu, Mali
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Its significant place along Africa’s major trade routes gave Timbuktu its wealth, and salt traders still travel this route in spite of the dangers. Before the insurgents appeared, the town was the focus of fighting from its Tuareg population.
Heart Reef, Queensland, Australia
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Heart Reef, Queensland, Australia
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Heart Reef has protected status so it’s forbidden to sail or snorkel there, though there are numerous snorkelling and diving sites nearby. You can also admire Heart Reef from above on a scenic flight or helicopter tour from Hamilton Island.
Ni’ihau, Hawaii, USA
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Ni’ihau, Hawaii, USA
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Mount Athos, Greece
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Mount Athos, Greece
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Cartier Island Marine Park, Australia
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This small sand cay, which lies 373 miles (600km) north of Broome and is closer to Indonesia than the shores of Western Australia, is within a 66-square-mile (172sq km) marine reserve where around 16% of Australia's fish species can be found. Cartier Island and its surrounding reefs have been prime fishing grounds for Indonesian fishermen looking to collect birds, bird's eggs, clams, sea cucumber, shells, turtles and turtle eggs for centuries. It is now an official sanctuary zone and entering or anchoring is strictly forbidden.
Cartier Island Marine Park, Australia
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Leptis Magna, Libya
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Leptis Magna, Libya
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Sadly, though, it will be some time before tourists can visit these little-explored ruins safely, as official advice in both the USA and the UK is against all travel to Libya.
Navassa Island
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Navassa, an uninhabited island in the Caribbean, has been the subject of a territorial dispute between Haiti and the USA for centuries. While the US claimed the land in the 1850s, Haitians maintain that it has been in their control since 1697. The conflict shows no sign of abating. In any case, due to the endemic wildlife here, access to the island is heavily restricted. Navassa’s waters teem with rare marine life and boast a rich bed of coral, currently protected by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Navassa Island
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Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
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Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
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For years, tourist activity on Uluru damaged its fragile surface and distressed the Anangu people who revere it. But, in November 2017, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board and the rock’s traditional Anangu owners decided to ban climbing. While tourists are still welcome at Uluru, you'll no longer be able to climb to the top.
Now discover these incredible abandoned places that are actually open to visitors
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