Top 10 Forbidden Tourist Attractions

São Paulo, Brazil
Would-be visitors, be warned: this island’s name isn’t a misnomer or just a colorful nickname. Situated in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, Snake Island is almost exclusively visited by scientists interested in studying the local wildlife. Because rising water levels cut the island off from the mainland, so today it’s completely overrun by the critically endangered yet extremely venomous golden lancehead pit viper. If bitten, symptoms attributed to its venom range from innocuous swelling to deadly brain hemorrhage and the premature death of vital tissue. Given that there are also no hospitals on Snake Island, being bitten out there is pretty much a death sentence – unless you bring your own doctor, of course.

Monte Rio, California, USA
Public imagination is awash with stories of secret societies, but one very real organization does exist, and holds its meetings in the isolated Bohemian Grove in rural California. This high society summer camp is a playground for the world’s elite, having boasted members like former U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Taking place in mid-July, the encampments last two weeks, with infiltrators describing bizarre, owl-centered rituals, and plays performed for the entertainment of other members. The all-male membership can also use the facilities for private meetings, like a 1942 conference concerning the Manhattan Project. And while women, children and non-members are allowed on the grounds, they must be gone by nightfall and cannot attend the mysterious July encampments.

Hawaii, USA
Many people joke about buying their own tropical island if they had the money. Well, in 1864 that dream became a reality for the Sinclair family, whose descendants are now called the Robinsons. It was sold to Elizabeth Sinclair by King Kamehameha V with strict instructions to preserve the native Niihauan way of life. The Robinsons have restricted outside access to it ever since, doing what they can to keep their promise to the king. Although the Robinsons have allowed some limited access to outsiders since 1987, it remains difficult to get permission to visit – and so, Niihau is still nicknamed “The Forbidden Isle.”

Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago, Iceland
Named for the Norse fire giant Surtr and roughly is roughly half a square mile in surface area, Surtsey is a hotspot for geological activity. The Icelandic island was born in the 1960s thanks to a volcano, with the underwater eruption that created it lasting more than three years, from November 1963 and ending in June 1967. Because of the relative rarity of a new island popping up pretty much out of nowhere, and to ensure that as few outside forces affect the island’s ecological makeup as possible, only scientists may visit. These researchers are studying how life establishes itself on a new landmass, with Surtsey currently being inhabited by many seabirds, plants and seals.

Venetian Lagoon, Italy
Dubbed the most haunted place in the world by some, Poveglia Island was regularly inhabited until the 14th century, and eventually served to defend Venice. But after that, it all went downhill: the island was used predominantly to quarantine plague victims en masse and burn the corpses. Then in the 1920s, it became an insane asylum run by a mad doctor who ultimately committed suicide by jumping from the site’s bell tower. Why? He said the ghosts drove him insane. Today it stands empty and dilapidated, and the Venetian authorities don’t exactly encourage public access – though it fascinates paranormal investigators and ghost hunters alike. Some may doubt it’s haunted, but it sure looks the part.

Spitsbergen, Norway
One of the most secure places on Earth is this location, nicknamed the “doomsday seed vault.” Located on an isolated Norwegian island in the Arctic Circle, the vault contains samples of as many seeds and plants that exist on the planet as the researchers there can acquire. The idea is that, in the event of a global catastrophe or apocalyptic event, these important seeds and genomes will be preserved for humanity’s future use. As of 2018, it only stored about 900,000 samples but it has the potential to store as many as 4.5 million, hopefully safeguarding Earth’s ecology from disaster. Anyway, as you can imagine, visits to the seed vault are pretty much entirely off-limits… for obvious security reasons.

Axum, Ethiopia
The Ark of the Covenant is the legendary item that apparently contained the Ten Commandments. And today, it’s supposedly kept safe and sound in a chapel in the Ethiopian Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion. This house of worship has existed in some form since the 4th Century, and its monks are tasked with guarding the Ark day and night for life. However, no one except one guardian monk each generation has ever been allowed to see the Ark itself, casting doubt on their claims. What’s more, only men can enter the old church. Although if the real Ark is as face-meltingly awesome as its cinematic counterpart, we’re pretty sure even they’d be happy to keep their distance…

Montignac, France
Discovered in 1940, this complex cave network is decorated with more than 600 primeval paintings by ancient cave people. Depicting various plants and animals, these works of art are thought to be roughly 17,000 years old. Obviously, this fascinating find intrigued the masses, and once they were opened to the public in 1948, they began receiving over 1,000 sightseers per day. Sadly, with them, these visitors brought carbon dioxide, humidity and other pollutants that severely damaged the images. In 1963, the caves were closed to anyone except restoration workers and archaeologists, though a replica was constructed for tourists to visit in the early 1980s. Today, due to further deterioration, the Lascaux Caves are even restricted to preservationists.

Andaman Islands
The cliché of undiscovered tribes living in the wilderness and attacking foreigners on sight is alive and well when it comes to North Sentinel Island. This is technically an Indian territory, and the Indian government makes it clear that anybody who ventures to North Sentinel Island does so at their own risk. This is because the native people are the most isolated group on the planet, and they’ve been known to violently attack and sometimes kill those who try to have contact with them. The island is almost entirely untouched by modern civilization, and the Sentinelese will do anything to keep it that way.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions:
- The Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican City
Limited access to some of the archives is granted to authorized academics, but public viewing is mostly prohibited.

- Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
Entry is tightly regulated because this Shinto shrine is supposedly the location of the Sacred Mirror.

- Pripyat, Ukraine
Access is restricted due to its location within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Lincoln County, Nevada, USA
Probably the most mysterious place in America, Area 51 has captured the public’s interest ever since stories about UFOs and aliens began to surface in the mid-20th century. This base didn’t have its existence formally acknowledged by the CIA until 2013, when a Freedom of Information Act request for documents finally forced the government to declassify papers pertaining to the remote spot. According to these documents, the base’s purpose was to test experimental planes during the Cold War and not to hide evidence of aliens, as is popularly thought – though this hasn’t stopped people from speculating. Trespassing here could result in you being arrested, or worse, shot by U.S. soldiers for your trouble.