Get ready to add the most remote places in the world to your travel bucket list! This article will take you on a journey from isolated arctic islands to secluded canyons. By the end, you might have a new perspective on the world (or you might start packing your bags).
1. Greenland, Rainbow House
This is a remote settlement known as the edge of the world. The small village sits on Greenland's east coast, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and helicopters are the only route in and out of the Arctic outpost for most of the year, though a boat arrives every two years to deliver supplies.
2. Coober Pedy, Australia
This desert hideaway is in the far outback of South Australia, where miners have long flocked to dig for opal. Coober Pedy is still known as the opal capital of Oz, and today most people live in what is known as a basement house: cool, underground bolt holes built into the sun-tanned ground. Getting to Coober Pedy is not easy, from Adelaide it takes about 8 hours to fly along the Stuart Highway.
3. Churchill, Canada
Churchill, the self-proclaimed polar bear capital of the world, is on the edge of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. From July to November, more than 900 people in Churchill live with these snow bears and the beluga whales that migrate to the bay during the summer. This isolated cave in Canada, only accessible by train or plane, has also become an unlikely center for street art.
4. Argentina, Iruia
A long, narrow gravel road carved into the mountainside leads to Iruia, a towering village looking out from the top of the mountain. Located in the plateau region, at an altitude of more than 2,700 meters, it is known for its gentle architecture, hiking trails, historic churches, and breathtaking mountain views.
5. India, Garba, Himachal Pradesh
This breathtaking mountain town is 2,759 meters above sea level, surrounded by towering peaks. It's near Kinnor Kelash.
6. Canada, Iqaluit
It's not uncommon for the Northern Lights to dance overhead in Iqaluit, Nunavut's capital and only small city. Located on the water's edge on Baffin Island, it is surrounded by three parks, surrounded by forests, waterfalls, and archaeological wonders.
Iqaluit is also known for its Inuit culture, and it has a thriving arts and crafts scene that usually hosts two popular festivals.
7. Norway, Svalbard Longyearbyen
Add a smattering of brightly colored houses, art galleries, and plenty of reindeer in one corner of the North Pole, and you have a pocket metropolis in Svalbard, surrounded by peaks.
This is the northernmost settlement in the world, with a stable population of over 1,000 people.
8. Invery, Scotland
On the Scottish peninsula, only 120 people live on the remote Noyd Peninsula. Here are some quaint buildings, tea rooms, cozy dining bars, hotels, and residences, gathered around Lake Nevis, with mountains and forests behind.
9. Oran, Germany
Åland, one of Germany's Halligen Islands, is one of the few ultra-low-lying islands controlled by tides. Mostly mudflats and swamps, it's also home to a tiny pint-sized village accessible only by a crumbling narrow-gauge railway that connects 16 residents to the mainland.
10. Egypt, Siwa Oasis Small Village
In remote western parts of Egypt, in the long stretches of the Western Desert, is a fertile oasis dotted with olive trees and springs. An estimated 30,000 people live here, and the Siwi usually live in mud-brick villages scattered throughout the area.
