There are places on this earth that remain inaccessible to tourists from all over the world. Here we take a look at some of the forbidden islands.
The island of Poveglia
This island, located near Venice, is off-limits and under surveillance by the Italian government. Infamous for having become a plague decontamination center in the 16th century, more than 160,000 people are said to have died here.
During the 19th century, it was intended to become a quarantine center until the Second World War, when it took in soldiers who had fallen on the battlefields. It later became a convalescent home for the elderly.
According to legend, the elderly were victims of apparitions of plague victims. The doctor in charge of the center then decided to perform lobotomy operations, and he in turn went mad and fought back.
Ramree Island
Located in Burma, the island of Ramree is accessible to anyone wishing to visit, but we don’t recommend it. This island and its crocodiles are included in the Guinness World Book with the record for the “greatest number of men killed by animals”.
During the Second World War, on February 19, 1945, the British and their commander Andrew Wyert decided to carry out a strategic maneuver. They drove the best Japanese commando regiment back into the island’s swamps.
Thinking they had a strategic advantage, the Japanese jumped into the trap, while the British watched the enemy advance through binoculars. Suddenly, they were confronted with an abominable spectacle, as soldier after soldier fell.
Of the 1,215 elite soldiers of the Japanese army, only twenty or so made it out alive and were taken prisoner.
Queimada Grande Island
Otherwise known as the Isle of Snakes, this island off the Brazilian coast is home to between 3,000 and 5,000 Jararaca-ilhoa. This species of snake hasone of the most violent venoms in the world, capable of killing a human being in less than an hour. The Brazilian government has therefore declared the island off-limits to tourists and accessible only to herpetology researchers.
If you decide to go on an adventure, be sure to take out travel insurance covering hospitalization and repatriation!
