Wilsons Promontory National Park in Australia is home to a spooky, isolated island that resembles a giant skull from afar. Countless onlookers have been captivated by the large caverns, sheer cliffs, and overall eeriness of Cleft Island, which is often referred to as Skull Rock. Visitors can peer into the dark recesses of Skull Rock…
The Haiku Stairs Also known as the Stairway to Heaven, this is a ladder that takes you from the base of the Puʻukeahiakahoe mountain to the top, at an elevation of about 2,800 feet (850 m). As you’d expect, this activity is quite a workout, so you may want to think twice before stepping on…
According to Ottawa and Chippewa lore, two stately sea stacks on a small island in Lake Huron are the stone bodies of two star-crossed lovers. The pair boarded a boat to escape to an island so that they could evade their disapproving families. The unlucky lovers were turned to stone by a disgruntled spirit as…
If you have ever wondered what life would be like if women were in charge, a visit to the Estonian island of Kihnu will help you envision a matriarchal world. Women are the keepers of culture and do virtually every job on Kihnu because the men of the island have historically spent the bulk of…
When most people think of Alcatraz, they immediately think of a foreboding island which was home to an infamous prison where some of America’s most notorious criminals were detained. Alcatraz Island is much more than the site of a former federal prison. The island is also home to a garden of rare roses, a bird…
On the outskirts of the lively city of Buenos Aries in Argentina, there is a mysterious circular island located in the Parana Delta which rotates on its own axis like a distant planet. Scientists believe that the unusual island—known in Argentina as “El Ojo” or “The Eye”—formed in 2003. There is not yet a scientific…
Have you ever heard of Las Encantadas, commonly known as The Enchanted Archipelago in Ecuador? About 600 miles from Ecuadorian shores, multiple coasts with an exceptional archipelago have amazed visitors with their great wildlife spectacles and breathtaking shallows. This group of 19 islands is today known as the Galapagos Islands. Visitors to these islands have…
To the untrained eye, Skellig Michael—a small, rocky island in Ireland which rises dramatically from the sea—appears to be uninviting and uninhabitable. Irish historians will happily tell you that Skellig Michael is in fact the site of one of Ireland‘s most celebrated monasteries. Beginning in the 6th century, austere Irish monks risked everything to painstakingly…
