hey everyone you know the world is full of incredible locations free to travel to explore but places where it's expressly forbidden to enter are some of the most interesting whether it's because of risk to life religious beliefs matters of security or for the preservation of historical artifacts we're going to take a look at 15 illegal places to visit on Earth number 15 the Montserrat exclusion Zone Montserrat is a small island in the leeward island chain of the northeastern coast of the Caribbean and measures just about 10 miles long and about seven miles wide it was named by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage and was originally settled on by Irishmen who in 1632 traveled from nearby Saint Kitts and it's why it's sometimes referred to as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean with tensions building throughout the region at the time the residents invited the French to take control but soon after this happened Montserrat was taken over by the English and became confirmed as a territory as part of the Treaty of bradum in 1667. in the following decades France would retake the island once more for less than a year before Montserrat became a British dependency again and while this became controversial in the same way it had been for other Caribbean islands it proved to be a life-saving situation for Islanders when disaster struck in 1995. in July of that year the previously dormant sulfried Airy Hills volcano in the south of the island erupted and because of the destruction it caused around two-thirds of the Island's population had to leave in the following five years most of whom went to the UK the volcano has continued to be active ever since and mostly affected the capital city of Plymouth which Now lies in Ruins while there are still residents on the island a large exclusion Zone was created across the southern part of the island and it's illegal to venture in unless you've obtained permission it's not just the threat of any eruption that poses risks here but the instability of the land and remaining structures that have been so heavily compromised in the north though efforts are underway to rebuild with a brand new capital city and an airport that's far away from danger number 14.
Chichen Itza Chichen Itza is one of the most famous pre-columbian city ruins of all it's located in the Yucatan state of Mexico it was believed to have been built by the Mayan civilization between the 8th and the 12th centuries and it's provided a wealth of archaeological information that shows how the Maya lived and what they believed in the entire site is one of Mexico's most popular attractions with as many as two and a half million visitors going there every year but while it's open to explore the central structure is now completely off limits known as El Castillo or the Temple of kukur Khan the 98-foot tall step pyramid is the most recognizable monument that remains at Chichen Itza designed to cast Shadows at certain times of the year that give the illusion of a feathered serpent crawling down upon it and also built in a way that if you clap your hands it mimics the call of the quetzal bird the pyramid used to be a challenge for visitors who would climb to 91 steps on one side to the top where they could see the temple in the stunning views of the surrounding area recently though research has found a huge sinkhole beneath it and the potential danger this poses among the death of a tourist in 2006 who fell from the top now means that it's forbidden to climb the temple or most of the other buildings in the city number 13 Uluru Uluru which you may know by its former name is ire's rock is a huge Sandstone rock formation that's in Australia's Northern Territory it's just over 200 miles away from the nearest city Alice Springs and it rises about 1142 feet above the surrounding landscape to give it a maximum altitude of 2831 feet above sea level it's believed that this structure was first formed around 300 million years ago and because the sediment that it's composed of is so densely packed it hasn't eroded away like other Rocky outcrops that once existed nearby have has such a striking feature in the outback humans have been drawn towards Uluru for more than 10 000 years surrounding the rock itself there are countless water holes in caves and one of the largest collections of ancient cave paintings anywhere in the world it's for this reason that it's been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site and until very recently it used to be an incredibly popular destination for tourists who would find it a challenging but manageable climb to reach the summit this this was controversial though because this caused continual damage to the formation that's also an incredibly sacred place for the local anangu people so in order to protect it uru has been completely off limit since late 2019 for anyone who hasn't received express permission beforehand number 12 Pluto's gate turkey there are various sites around the world that local Legends believe are the gateways to the underworld but there's one in the ancient city of hieropolis and turkey that has such a connection with life and death that authorities have banned anyone from venturing too close to it known as Pluto's gate it was a monument dedicated to Pluto the god of the afterlife and was a legendary place across ancient Greece it's thought to have been built around 2000 years ago on top of a cave that was said to lead to the underworld but after a series of earthquakes in the 6th Century the temple collapsed and the site was forgotten about the opening was mentioned in the writings of several academics from the time however and archaeologists had law long sought the mythical ruins it was finally Unearthed in 1963 but there's more to this Monument than it first appears became beneath has a crack in the rock that allows the release of noxious gases from below and are so strong that it can kill someone within a matter of minutes the Greek priests used to sell birds and small animals to visitors who could see the deadly effects for themselves but countless people are also thought to have died there too as a result no one's allowed anywhere close to it today because by the time you realize the danger it's too late researchers have to wear breathing apparatus to conduct their studies but this is one historical site that for understandable reasons remains off limits to everyone else number 11. heard Island herd island is a part of a remote sub-antarctic chain of volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean it's approximately at the midpoint between Australia and South Africa at only 1600 miles from the continent of Antarctica its complete isolation means that this is one of the last places on Earth untarnished by human activity or the introduction of alien species it's covered with snow and Glaciers with a 9 000 foot tall volcano called Big Ben rising at its Center as it's remain undisturbed for centuries the island is a great place to see Natural Forces at work with constant Glacier flows active volcano and a wealth of animal species that seek Refuge from the deep cold ocean that surrounds it it lies under the jurisdiction of Australia and has been designated as a Marine reserve with a number of creatures that are unique to the island meaning people aren't allowed to get anywhere close without express permission it's not the sort of place that you'd accidentally show up at either it's a two-week Voyage from Australia that passes through some of the most hostile ocean environments on Earth the sheer cost of reaching herd Island means the boats only occasionally reach it on average once every three years they're all chartered for scientific missions sadly the island is more susceptible to global climate changes than many other places and the impact in recent years has been clear the glaciers have noticeably retreated in the past 50 years but this has opened up fertile soil and created numerous ponds and pools that are now teeming with life number 10 issei Grand Shrine Japan Shintoism is a religion that originated in Japan and it sees followers worship Supernatural entities such as deities or spirit that are known as Kami shrines are built to house these coming and across the country there are thought to be around a hundred thousand shrines ranging from small ones in homes to much larger complexes they are incredibly important structures in their religion and arguably the most sacred of all is the ISE Grand Shrine in the city of issei which is on hanchu Island Shrine is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu and is believed to be where she lives the building of the inner Shrine which is called nikku is made from Cypress Wood that's been connected with joined wood instead of nails they're also said to be where the mythical sacred mirror of Japan is kept originally it was constructed around 2400 years ago and rebuilt several times since then the closest most people will ever get to this Shrine is on the other side of the fence that surrounds it it's mainly only the Japanese Imperial family and select important people that are ever allowed to venture inside and it's so linked with the family that the shrine's chief priest or Priestess must be a member with the current High Priestess being sayako Kuroda the daughter of Emperor Emeritus akihito unless you were born into royalty there's likely to never be a legal way for you to ever see what's hidden within this sacred place number nine Vanguard Fort India located in the Rajasthan state of India bangar Fort which is around 146 miles from Delhi was built in 1573 by the Region's ruler at the time bangladas for his youngest son to live in luxury but also as an outpost from where the family could keep control of their land and fend off Invaders it covers a huge area and while many parts now lay in Ruins you can see the sights of numerous former temples the marketplace in various different palaces as well as the smaller structures where everyday members of society would have lived it is one of the most popular tourist sites in the region but only during daylight hours once the sun sets it's expressly illegal to set foot anywhere near the site and this is because of the fort's links with the Paranormal during its Heyday the residents of bangar Fort lived during often cruel and tough times this was when the first stories began to be shared about mysterious apparitions and Spirits with evil intentions according to local Legends the fort was built on the land of a religious leader who said no structure should be taller than his own and if any Shadows from any other house were cast over his then he'd cause the unending destruction of those who were responsible for it further to this there's also a tale of a black magic wizard who was crushed to death in the fort's marketplace after failing to play a trick on a princess and it's his soul that's said to still roam the streets countless guests have reported seeing him complete with his dark robes and awkward walk and there's a real fear he's able to still use his nefarious incantations from beyond the grave and curse any who lay eyes upon him number eight Morgan Island United States off the coast of South Carolina there's a 4 400 acre Rocky outcrop known as Morgan island has been completely off limits to visitors since 1979. now historically because of its remote position it's never been permanently used by people but in that year a colony of free-ranging rhesus monkeys was relocated there from Puerto Rico and the risk of spreading disease means it simply isn't safe for anyone to come into contact with them the reason why they had to be moved in the first place is that they were part of a research facility and there was a huge problem with the Transmissions of herpes virus B infections and the eyelid was chosen so they could be studied and live their lives in a controlled environment now it's operated and overseen by the National Institute of allergy and infectious diseases most of the more than 3 500 monkeys live in a semi-marine tropical forest that's on the island and the risk is so severe that they're fed by an automated system from a nearby building only occasional researchers are ever allowed to set foot on Morgan Island which is also often called monkey the island and those that are allowed to go have to enter strict quarantine on their return to ensure nothing is spread into the general population number seven Snake Island Brazil if snakes send shivers down your spine then this is the last place on Earth you'd want to visit because the forbidden island of ir de Camara Grande is home to one of the most dangerous species in the world it's located about 20 miles to the south of the coast of Sao Paulo the Brazilian government has banned anyone from visiting this treacherous place but that doesn't stop a brave few from setting foot on its Shores from a distance it seems like any other island in the region with this four and a half million square foot outcrop is the only known habitat for the bathrooms in Solaris also known as the golden Lance hit Viper there are a lot of them there too with estimates suggesting as many as four thousand of the snakes ride around the island searching for food they grow up to 46 inches long and the golden Lance heads get their name because of their distinctive pointed heads they are the dominant predator on the island and even the Brazilian Navy avoid the place at all costs only daring to venture there to tend to automated Lighthouse that was quickly built in 1809 before the workers fled it's not known for certain how the snakes ended up there but the prevailing theory is that they were trapped when sea levels Rose about 11 000 years ago due to their isolation on the island the snakes have developed the fastest acting and most deadly venom of any snake in the world and if a human were to be bitten they would eat immediate medical attention to treat their rapidly melting flesh and high probability of death the reason why the Vipers had become so dangerous is simply due to their need to feed the only real source of food for them on the remote island are birds but by the time most snake toxins would incapacitate them they would be able to fly quite a distance leaving the snake without its meal instead the golden lens heads develop a way to kill their prey almost instantly by using toxins five times stronger than their Mainland relatives number six nihihao island with a population of around one and a half million people and as many as 10 million others visiting each year the state of Hawaii covers the majority of the Hawaiian archipelago which is made up of 137 Islands one of the largest of the islands though meow is different from the rest it's located about 17 and a half miles to the southwest of Kauai that covers an area of about 70 square miles and it's home to a number of animal species that are rarely seen elsewhere as far as humans go however there are few and far between on the island it was purchased in 1864 by Elizabeth Sinclair from the Kingdom of Hawaii and has continued to pass down to her Descendants the Robinson family to this day only members of the family along with their relatives members of the U.
S military Hawaiian government officials and invited guests are welcome and very few tourists and Hawaiian residents get a chance to visit there are though helicopter tours and occasional hunting trips but neither of these bring visitors in contact with the rest residents of the island and there's no accommodation available there for anyone to stay overnight number 5. mizorai Russia you may have heard of several abandoned towns or cities around the world that are restricted in terms of who can visit but what about a fully functioning one that's the strange case with mizkurai which is in the southern Ural Mountains and the Russian Republic of beshkiria and despite having an estimated population of around 16 000 people it is completely cut off from the outside world it's believed to have been founded in 1979 and officially declared a town in 1995 and it's there along with a base hidden in the mountains at a number of top-secret Russian military projects are carried out residents are all either employees or families of employees of the Russian government which is why it's been possible to keep it under wraps from what we do know about the town it's likely the place for example where Russia kept 73 of their nuclear warheads during the Cold War there are suggestions that it's the location of the country's Dead Hand Project that can supposedly launch a Nuclear Assault on the rest of the world automatically the list that's known about the town the more rumors that are spread about it too such as it being where the Russians keep evidence of the existence of aliens and where they're developing the next generation of mass destructive weapons whatever the truth may be it's certainly not something any ordinary citizen or tourist will be able to find out because if you get too close without permission you'll soon be faced with the barrel of a rifle and the suggestion that you turn away number four Diego Garcia Island first falling under British rule following the Napoleonic Wars and located in the chagos archipelago which is around 1100 miles from the southern tip of India in the Indian Ocean Diego Garcia island is one of the most controversial in the world in regards to who can access it or not in 1966 there was a population of around 924 people most of whom were farmers but between 1968 and 1973 the British government forced all of them to leave the island so a joint military base could be built with the U. S most of the people were deported to the Seychelles and Mauritius and the U.
S would go on to build a huge Naval Support Facility that's still in operation today no one without military authorization is allowed to go to the island and this has proved to be a contentious issue in recent years the international court of justice ruled that in 2019 the removal of the residence was an illegal act and they and their family should be allowed to return but British and American authorities so far have refused to recognize this rule and continued to forbid anyone from setting foot on the land number three Poveglia Italy the Venetian Lagoon in Northern Italy is an enclosed Bay on the Adriatic Sea where there's a number of protected Islands including most famously Venice itself the city is actually built across 118 Small islands that are connected by more than 400 Bridges and it was first settled more than 2500 years ago and the surrounding Islands have served in support of the main Center one known as Poveglia is abandoned and access is highly restricted not because of anything taking place there today but because of its story past it was originally inhabited but in the face of war the residents fled in 1379 and for almost 400 years it was left empty in 1776 though Venetian authorities saw it as the perfect place to set up a quarantine station the city had become a hub for tourism and trade but there were increasing risks of people bringing illnesses such as the plague with them so anyone showing any symptoms had to go there it was used for this purpose for almost a Sen century and then in 1922 the buildings were converted and turned into a mental Asylum before finally being abandoned in 1968.
