Islands instantly have something exotic and tropical to them. There’s no better way to relax than to lie down on the beach with a nice cocktail, looking at the white sand and the lovely blue ocean. And while there may be many islands in the world, some will have that little something extra compared to others.
While beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder, so you may not agree with some of these islands below, we did make a list of islands that are slightly more unusual than the regular variants. Just in case you were wondering where your next social distancing-proof vacation would be headed. Well, if you’re allowed to visit, that is.
Sable Island, Nova Scotia
This island is mostly known for its huge population of wild horses. You can get there by boat or by plane if you wish to visit this amazing island, but there’s no way of staying there overnight. Considering how it’s essentially a piece of land in the middle of the ocean with nothing but horses and shipwrecks, it’s probably not a very lovely place to get some quality food anyway.
Uros Floating Islands, Lake Titicaca, Peru
Lake Titicaca is one of the most beautiful places on this planet, so every island in it is bound to be something special and unique. But these floating islands are something else entirely – they’re man-made and they function as small villages. They were made a long time ago by the original builders to evade their enemies, and I guess they liked the view so much they decided to stay.
Ilha de Queimada Grande, Brazil
This island is completely off limits to visitors for a simple reason: the island is probably the biggest hotspot in the world for golden lancehead vipers. It’s one of the deadliest snakes in the world, and this island literally has thousands of them on it. I doubt I need to convince you to stay far away from this place.
Surtsey Island, Iceland
While Iceland in itself is one big island, Surtsey Island is a small island off the coast of Iceland. It’s the most recent island to have been formed – only since a volcanic eruption back in the 60s – so sadly people aren’t allowed to visit it yet. It’s currently being used as a sort of natural research station, to give us more insight into the early years of an island being formed.
Olkhon Island, Russia
While Russia isn’t exactly known for its majestic beaches, this island in Siberia does seem to fit that bill. This island is located in a lake, Lake Baikal, which you can find pretty much in the middle of Siberia. The island has various natural wonders on it, but I imagine getting there won’t be all that easy.
Brother Island, New York
Sadly, this place is also off limits to the public. Brother Island was originally used as a quarantine facility, where the infamous Typhoid Mary was held. You can only go there if you have a permit, which I can imagine they don’t just give to every tourist with a healthy dose of curiosity.
Isola La Gaiola, Italy
This unique island is just off the coast of Naples, and is actually two small islands connected through a bridge. The island is allegedly cursed, if you believe in that kind of thing, because it’s been owned by several wealthy people who have all encountered grave misfortunes – or even an untimely death.
