Considering the staggering rates of global expansion and technology development, it’s impossible to imagine that there is even a sliver of this planet that remains undiscovered or unexplored. So there’s a certain comfort in knowing that, even today, there are mysteries that remain unexplored.
From man-made, guarded structures to natural enigmas protected by environmental science, a slew of spots across the globe are entirely forbidden to outside travelers. Picture islands teeming with vipers, extraterrestrial secrets, locked mysteries of religion, virgin wildlife and entire societies that have never made contact with the outside world. Many of these locations are still shrouded in intrigue, with their goings-on staying behind closed doors. Other locations are better understood, though still off-limits due to a variety of safety, scientific or governmental regulations.
Area 51 (Nevada)
Area 51 is a secret US base deep in the Nevada desert. It is the mother of all mystery places as it purpose is unknown to the public till date. With rumored theories around the area being used for alien autopsies, UFO crash-landings, top secret technologies and underground bases, Area 51 remains off-limits to everyone and steeped in controversy. It really is a mystery. Try as you might, any dependable information on it remains minimal and vague at best.
Metro-2 (Russia)
Metro-2 is a secret underground metro system which parallels the public Moscow Metro. It was built by Joseph Stalin and was code-named D-6 by the KGB. It is supposedly still operated by the Russian Ministry of Defence. The length of Metro-2 is rumored to exceed that of the public Metro and it is said to connect the Kremlin with other locations of national importance. The FSB or the Moscow Metro administration refuse to confirm or deny its existence to this very day.
North Sentinel Island (India)
This is one of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, where a group of indigenous people, the Sentinelese, live. Their population is estimated to be between 50 and 400 individuals. They live completely isolated and have rejected any contact with other people. The Indian Government has declared it off limits. Entry is made even more challenging by locals reported desire to kill outsiders. They have been known to fire arrows and throw rocks.
The Negev Nuclear Research Centre (Israel)
This Israeli nuclear installation is located in the Negev desert. Its construction started back in 1958 with French assistance but any information about the facility remains highly classified. The place is not allowed nor opened for curious people who would like to see in person how this nuclear center looks. It is also a strictly no-fly zone.
Pine Gap (Australia)
Known as Australia’s equivalent to Area 51, this facility is run by the government and the CIA. It is the only place down under which is declared as a no-fly zone and is used as a monitoring station. What exactly they are monitoring, nobody knows. It employs over 800 people and has been subject to numerous public controversies over the years.
Jiangsu National Security Education Museum (China)
This Chinese spy museum exhibits guns disguised as lipstick, hollowed-out coins used to conceal documents and maps hidden as a deck of cards. However, amid repeated complaints overseas about alleged modern-day Chinese espionage efforts, banned foreign tourists from viewing the exhibits.
Bohemian Grove (California)
Since 1873, Bohemian Grove has hosted top secret meetings for the richest and most powerful men in the world. It is most famous for giving birth to the Manhattan Project, which in turn led to the creation of the first atomic bomb. The secrecy, symbolism and rituals of the group have been controversial since its inception.
RAF Menwith Hill (England)
RAF Menwith Hill is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, England. It provides ‘communications and intelligence support services’ to the UK and the US military. It is thought to be the largest electronic monitoring station in the world, originally set up to intercept messages between the Soviet Union and the eastern bloc allies. Many now believe this original scope has widened.
Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China
The Terra-Cotta Warriors at Xi’an is one of the most important discoveries of all time. Thousands of unique, one-of-a-kind lifelike statues depicting ancient Chinese warriors filled underground caverns of the burial complex of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. But while the site is one of China’s most prominent tourist attractions, the tomb itself still remains a guarded mystery.
The tomb will likely remain sealed for the foreseeable future, as it is rumored that there are booby traps protecting it from invaders. There is also a high concentration of mercury within the tomb that would be deadly to anyone who entered without the proper precautions. The only glimpse we have into this treasure are the 2,000 warriors that are exposed to the public. Still, it is said another 6,000 remain within the tomb, along with a myriad of other treasures.
Snake Island, Brazil
About 93 miles off the coast of Sao Paulo, Brazil is Ilha da Queimada Granda, also known as Snake Island. To what does it owe this title? Researchers estimate there are between one and five snakes here per 10 square feet. The snakes, specifically golden lanceheads, are known for their poison, which literally disintegrates flesh around their bites.
So maybe it’s not such a bad thing that you’re not allowed to visit Snake Island…
In the quest to discover the history of the human race, there is one spectacular place that provides enormous insight. The Lascaux Caves in southwestern France are home to a series of stunning Paleolithic paintings, estimated to be up to 20,000 years old. The paintings, which plaster the walls of the cave, are hauntingly vivid, depicting stags, cattle, bison, cats and more. But the most incredible of all the paintings can be found in the Hall of the Bulls, which is known for its four bull murals, one of which is 17 feet long.
Sadly, the caves have been banned to the public since the 1960s, as they have been invaded by fungi and black mold, both detrimental to human health. Plus, human presence is considered destructive to the works of art.
Fortunately, though, you can experience the next best thing: Last year, a museum and cave replica right next to the real deal opened to the public.
A conspiracy theorist’s playground, Area 51 has stumped the public for decades. The hidden military base in the Nevada desert has kept its purpose a secret for quite some time, though many like to believe it’s kept for alien testing.
One thing is for sure — attempting to access the forbidden area would be highly irresponsible, as the grounds are protected by mines and other defenses.
On North Sentinel Island, a small island in the Andaman chain in the Bay of Bengal, natives have long been opposed to the influences of the modern world. In fact, the Sentinelese people who live on the island refuse communication with any outsiders, and are willing to get violent to protect their isolation. Following the 2004 tsunami, when the Indian Coast Guard flew a reconnaissance mission over the island, men reportedly emerged from the forests to shoot arrows at the helicopter, which did not land.
The Sentinelese have lived on the island for some 60,000 years, and with the protection of the Indian government — which prohibits visitors of any kind — it has successfully resisted anthropologists, authorities and tourists.
Japan has shrine culture down pat. There is estimated to be upwards of 80,000 shrines in the island nation. But none is more important than the Ise Grand Shrine, an intricate temple that happens to be one of the most expensive in the country due to the detail of its architecture.
The shrine is rebuilt every 20 years (at a million-dollar price tag), in order to symbolize the Shinto tradition of death and renewal of nature. The current iteration was build in 2013. And unless you’re a member of the Japanese imperial family, there’s no chance you’ll be entering the hallowed halls of this ancient, significant representation of Japanese culture.
Twisted doesn’t begin to describe the history of Poveglia Island, a small island between Venice and Lido in Northern Italy. For centuries the small island has been prime real estate for, well, dumping of the dead. The island became a quarantine colony in the 14th century for victims of the Bubonic Plague. In the 19th century, Poveglia became an asylum for the area’s mentally ill, where it was rumored that a cruel doctor performed experiments on the patients.
Today the island is abandoned, save for the ghosts of the tortured souls that once lived there. Tourists and locals are banned from visiting, unless you want to undergo a lengthy paperwork process. But as this is considered the most haunted place in Italy, that’s likely for the best.
The secrets of religion are some of the most heavily guarded in the world…and none more so than the Vatican Archives. Centuries of secrets remain a mystery within the vaults of the Vatican, from state papers to accounting to letters. Speculation on what lies beneath include evidence of demons, extraterrestrials and even the Church’s alleged contribution to the fascism of the mid-20th century.
Today only the highest qualified scholars and educators are allowed in the vault, and only after stringent review. Those looking to simply take a peek will sadly never know what sits between these storied pages.
North Brother Island, United States
