Marco Crisciotti In the world there are forbidden, inaccessible and forbidden places, custodians of who knows what secrets: let's discover them together
When it comes to mysterious and inaccessible places, Area 51 is often the first that comes to mind. Located in the Nevada desert, this military base has become a global symbol of secrecy, shrouded in myths and conspiracy theories.
Area 51 represents the archetype of a forbidden place, where access is strictly prohibited and activities within are wrapped in the deepest mystery. This aura of secrecy has fueled the collective imagination, transforming Area 51 into a pop culture icon and a focal point for enthusiasts of secrets and mysteries.
While Area 51 is the most famous, it is not the only inaccessible place in the world. There are other equally enigmatic sites that, for security reasons or to protect valuable secrets, remain off-limits to most people.
Let’s explore some of the most fascinating and forbidden places on the planet.
North Sentinel Island
Located in the Bay of Bengal, India, North Sentinel Island is home to the world’s most isolated group of people.
The Sentinelese, one of the few remaining tribes with no contact with the modern world, are extremely hostile to outsiders and fiercely defend their small, jungle-covered island. Comparable in size to Manhattan, North Sentinel is perhaps the most famous of the Andaman Islands, known for some disastrous tourist encounters. The most recent was in 2018, when an American missionary, John Allen Chau, made several attempts to evangelize the indigenous people but ended up being killed by them.
To protect both the community and potential tourists or adventurers, the Indian Coast Guard now patrols the waters of the Bay of Bengal, enforcing a strict ban on visits to North Sentinel.
The Vatican secret archives
Founded in the early 17th century, the Vatican Secret Archives—renamed the Vatican Apostolic Archives in 2019—were built to house the personal documents of all the Popes. For over 250 years, the archives remained completely sealed, but in 1881, Pope Leo XIII finally relaxed some restrictions, allowing a select group of Catholic scholars to access the archive.
To this day, however, the archive remains off-limits to all tourists, including journalists, and only a very small number of carefully accredited religious scholars are granted entry.
The Doomsday Vault
Officially known as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, this secure facility is located on the island of Spitsbergen, the northernmost permanently inhabited place on Earth and the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway.
The so-called Doomsday Vault contains seeds of over 1.3 million plant species and crops from around the world, serving as a backup in case a natural (or unnatural) disaster destroys existing supplies. Buried more than 328 feet (100 meters) inside a mountain, the facility is built to withstand earthquakes, nuclear attacks, and rising sea levels. It is also heavily guarded against germs and other unwanted visitors, including humans.
Snake Island
Queimada Grande Island, also known as Ilha da Queimada Grande or Snake Island, is a small Brazilian island off the coast of São Paulo state. As the name suggests, the island is home to many snakes—between 2,000 and 4,000, some of the most venomous in the world. It’s not hard to believe the island is practically deserted since every attempt at human activity has failed due to its inhabitants.
Today, the Brazilian government, considering the place’s dangers, only allows visits by researchers and military personnel, who must be strictly accompanied by medical staff.
The Cathedral of Our Lady Mary of Zion
Indiana Jones may have found the Holy Grail in Petra, but legend has it that the Ark of the Covenant is actually kept inside a church in Aksum, Ethiopia. Much like in the 1989 film, it is said that the guardians of this religious relic cannot leave their post and are trained to kill anyone who tries to enter.
In reality, the revered object inside the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion is likely a replica of the Ark, which may or may not actually exist. However, since no living person today has been allowed to enter the church, it is difficult to know for sure what it truly contains.
