Top 20 Most Unusual Islands in the World

Tashirojima Island, located near the city of Ishinomaki in Miyagi, Japan, is known worldwide for its intriguing nickname, “Cat Island”.

Cat Island is home to only about 100 residents (mostly over 60 years old), with the main inhabitants being adorable cats living freely in large numbers on the island. These cats were introduced to the island from the mid-18th to mid-19th centuries during the Edo period to control mice in silk farms.

As the silk industry declined, most residents left the island, and the cat population began to thrive and rapidly increase.

Currently, Tashirojima Island still maintains a fishing industry. Therefore, the cats living on the island are not at risk of starvation, considering it fortunate for the island. Visitors are welcomed from April to November and can stay in small cat-shaped rooms. However, they are not allowed to bring dogs when visiting Tashirojima Island.

Vulcan Point (Philippines) is a peculiar island located within Lake Taal, and the lake containing this island is situated within an island in the Pacific Ocean.

Lake Taal is situated on Luzon Island in the Philippines, within which lies the Taal Volcano. There have been 33 recorded eruptions of the Taal Volcano. This is why this volcano is considered the second most active volcano in the Philippines and part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast area in the Pacific Ocean known for its frequent earthquakes and active volcanic clusters.

Many tourists are eager to visit Vulcan Point, yet the volcano's danger remains a concern.

Deer Island is one of the small islands in the Thousand Islands archipelago of the United States, located near the Saint Lawrence River, the city of Alexandria, close to Alexandria Bay, New York.

It is considered a 'retreat' for high-ranking secretive figures with significant roles in the United States, such as Skull and Bones. (Skull and Bones comprises prominent former government officials including former Presidents and Supreme Court justices William Howard Taft, George HW Bush and his son George W. Bush, US Secretary of State and former US Senator John Kerry, and more).

While Bonesmen remain secretive about the details of this island, the public perception is that it is essentially an uninhabited island. The island features several luxurious villas, but three of them have been completely burned down, leaving only one remaining house on the island. The mystery remains unsolved as to the true owners of these villas.

If Tashirojima Island is home to cats, then Okunoshima Island (Japan) is the 'friendly home' of hundreds of wild rabbits. Although the reason for the large population of rabbits here is not something pleasant.

During World War II, this island was a site for the production of chemical weapons by the Japanese. From 1929 to 1945, the Japanese military secretly produced over 6,000 tons of chemical weapons on Okunoshima. During that time, a herd of rabbits was brought to the island to serve as test subjects for the remaining toxic substances on the island.

Some speculate that the current rabbit population has descended from those brought to the island during that time, while others believe they are descendants of rabbits brought by schoolchildren in the 1970s.

Today, Okunoshima Island is a popular tourist destination with a small golf course, camping area, and beautiful beaches.

Gaiola Island (Italian: Isola La Gaiola) is an island off the coast of Naples. This island consists of two small islands connected by a short and narrow bridge, resembling an arch spanning over the two islands.

The island boasts serene and tranquil scenery, with beautiful stone pathways scattered across the two islands. Despite its breathtaking beauty, after a series of mysterious and eerie deaths of its owners, Gaiola became a place cursed and haunted by many locals.

The curse began in the 1920s when the owner at the time, Hans Braun, was found dead with his body wrapped in a carpet. Just a few months later, his wife also drowned in the sea.

The next target of the curse was the German owner, Otto Grunback, who suddenly died of a heart attack in his villa. The subsequent owner, pharmaceutical businessman Maurice-Yves Sandoz, also did not escape the curse, as he committed suicide in a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland.

Believed to be nothing more than unfounded rumors, the curse persisted. German steel magnate Baron Karl Paul Langheim intentionally bought the Gaiola island and went bankrupt. Next was Gianni Agnelli, the famous Italian Fiat owner, whose only son committed suicide after he became the owner of this island. Additionally, his grandson also passed away from cancer.

After several 'mysterious deaths,' the island became desolate, and no one dared to set foot on it except for explorers.

Christmas Island is an island territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean. This island has an area of about 135 km2 and was named after the day it was discovered in 1643. 63% of the island is an Australian national park and is the perfect rainforest ecosystem for red crabs to live. Every year, red crabs live under the canopy of moist forests, but during the rainy season, they leave their burrows and migrate to the sea to lay eggs.

Among the 14 species of land crabs residing on the island, red crabs make up the largest number. Christmas Island also witnesses the migration journey of 120 million crabs each year. It takes them a month to reach the sea and they have to endure various risks along the way such as dehydration, rugged terrain, difficult paths, and especially aggressive yellow crazy ants that can blind them. Upon reaching the sea, they mate, and male crabs return to the forest. The females stay on the shore to give birth to millions of tiny crabs, and they will return to the forest to continue the cycle of life.

Sable Island (Canada), located 100 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, is famous as the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic.'
The island measures 42 km in length and 1.5 km in width, but it boasts a staggering 475 shipwrecks and is currently home to over 400 wild horses that have survived shipwrecks and washed ashore.

There are no trees on the island, only seaweed, and rainwater serves as the main source of food for the horses. Sable Island became Canada's 43rd national park on June 20, 2013.

Ilha de Queimada Grande Island lies 90 miles off the coast of Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is estimated that there are between 2000-5000 snakes inhabiting this 106-acre island. The Golden Lancehead Viper (Bothrops insularis), one of the most venomous snakes in the world, is the primary species residing on the island.

The venom of the Lancehead snake is believed to be 3-5 times stronger than that of any other mainland snake and has the potential to kill almost instantly. The Brazilian government and Navy have issued an absolute ban on anyone setting foot on the island except for scientists due to the danger posed by the inhabitants.

La Isla de las Muñecas Island is a small island located on the Xochimico Channel near Mexico City, famous for having the creepiest dolls in the world.

Around 1950, Don Julian – the owner of the island and also a street preacher spreading the 'Word of God' in the streets of Mexico City – initiated this. He hung dolls on trees to ward off evil spirits from the otherworld when his young daughter accidentally drowned in a canal near the island. The story became even more mysterious when he himself drowned in the water channel – where his daughter had died. His son then continued the tradition of hanging dolls on trees started by his father, and to this day, it is a place attracting a large number of tourists.

The name Socotra derives from the language of ancient India, meaning the Island of Bliss. It boasts beautiful beaches, secluded from the outside world along with an incredibly unique ecosystem found nowhere else. The fauna here is extraordinarily peculiar with Dragon's Blood trees towering high to catch the sun on the rugged cliffs. Their appearance truly gives the impression that Dragon's Blood is an alien species from another planet. The resin of the trees has a distinctive red color and is a valuable medicinal substance.

In July 2008, Socotra Island was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site for its unique and pristine beauty. It's also the resting place of many sunken ships with mystical stories passed down through the years.

Stepping foot on this island for the first time, you'll feel like stepping into a sci-fi television series. Socotra lies in the Indian Ocean, 250km off Somalia, boasting an extremely harsh environment with vast sand dunes, limestone caves, and towering mountains. The hot and arid climate along with its unique altitude has created a highly distinctive ecosystem.

Among over 300 plant species, 24 reptile species, and 6 bird species found only here, the standout is the Dragon's Blood tree with a shape resembling what we imagine on another planet. Additionally, the red resin from the tree serves as a medicinal ingredient, predicted to have been used in medieval witchcraft rituals.

Furthermore, researchers suggest that some species have existed on Earth for 20 million years. Socotra Island (of Yemen) seems to belong to another planet; some believe it to be a true Garden of Eden. It has been isolated for a long time, and here, some plant species cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.

Palmyra Island is renowned as a wild paradise in the northern Pacific, boasting stunning, vibrant beauty. However, the island has also been rumored to harbor curses that make many people wary.

Situated between Hawaii and American Samoa, this coral island is uninhabited and serves as an excellent habitat for coral reefs. Palmyra is formed by coral reefs growing along the edges of a dormant volcano, submerged since ancient times, creating a magnificent coral community.

Despite its stunning coral island status, there are enduring tales of numerous supernatural, mysterious events that humans cannot explain. Specifically, on Palmyra Island, there have been reports of mysterious killings and disappearances. In 1974, Malcolm “Mac” Graham III, aged 43, and Eleanor LaVerne “Muff” Graham, aged 40, sailed to camp on this beautiful coral island aboard their boat, Sea Wind. At the same time, Buck Duane Walker, a former prisoner, sailed to Palmyra with his girlfriend Stephanie Stearns that summer.

The Graham siblings suddenly disappeared while Walker and Stearns were arrested for boat theft upon returning to Hawaii. Six years later, Muff Graham's bones were found among the coral reefs, yet Mac's body was never found. Buck Sterns was later convicted of murder in 1985.

Richard Taylor, who spent time on the island in 1977, said, “I had a bad feeling about this island. It's a haunted island, I've been to many different coral islands but none are like Palmyra. I couldn't put my finger on it, but this island isn't very friendly.”

Easter Island, a territory of Chile, is surely familiar to those passionate about archaeology. Perhaps this island's landscape doesn't differ much from the surrounding ones, but its uniqueness lies in the 887 stone statues, some 6,000 years old, scattered all around, with a weight that could reach up to 80 tons.

These meticulously crafted stone statues, with colossal dimensions, even challenge modern-day scientific and engineering standards. Over the years, they still stand there defiantly, challenging all scientific prejudices.

What's even more astonishing is that the island's inhabitants developed a peculiar language called Rongo Rongo thousands of years ago, completely different from any writing system in the world. Meanwhile, other ethnic groups living on the islands around the Pacific Ocean have no knowledge of writing.

Easter Island is regarded as a peculiar island not only for its magnificent natural beauty but also for the archaeological sites with undeniable evidence of an advanced civilization that once existed on this island thousands of years ago.

In fact, this is an artificial island with its foundation supported by 75,000 cubic meters of rock and soil. The idea of fortresses on the sea surface was conceived in the 1660s under the reign of King Louis XIV. However, it wasn't until 1804 that it was constructed under the direction of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

After various historical fluctuations, the 'island' was finally inaugurated in 1857. With an oval-shaped architecture, a ground area of 32 meters, and a height of 20 meters, it could accommodate up to 250 soldiers and 74 cannons. However, due to technological limitations, Fort Boyard was very limited in actual combat and was transformed into a military prison thereafter.

Madagascar Island has become familiar to everyone through a film series of the same name by DreamWorks. And of course, this is one of the most unique islands on Earth.

Located in the Indian Ocean territory, Madagascar is also known as a mini continent with an incredibly diverse ecosystem. Surprisingly, up to 90% of the animal and plant species in Madagascar are endemic, found nowhere else on Earth.

One of the most prominent plant species on this archipelago is the baobab tree, resembling a carrot with wide leaves and a height that can reach up to 24 meters. Besides, there are thousands of other famous species of flora and fauna such as lemurs, fossa, rare orchid species... However, with such a unique ecosystem, the conservation and preservation efforts are a headache for the local government.

Due to pressures from political instability and poverty, wildlife poaching and illegal logging are widespread in Madagascar.

Located amidst the Bering Strait are the Diomede Islands, comprising a large island and a small one. Despite being in a remote location, it is renowned for its incredibly unique position, which can blur the boundaries of time existence on this planet. Standing from the small island, you can glimpse into the future. Conversely, from the large island, we can delve into the past, even though they are only 3.7 km apart by sea.

Although part of the same archipelago, the Diomede Islands have a significant time difference due to Sa Hoàng Nga selling the small island to the US government in 1867. The time zones of Russia and the US differ by 23 hours. When a new day begins on the Big Island, the small island is still in yesterday's dawn...

During winter, the sea here freezes, inadvertently forming a bridge connecting the future with the past, and never has it been so easy for humans to walk from Europe to America. However, this is considered illegal. Today, the small island still has a village of 500 residents engaged in ivory carving handicrafts, while the large island, managed by Russia, retains only military bases without a trace of any civilian population.

The island's name in Kazakh is Barsa-Kelmes, which literally means 'the land of no return.' Its origin stems from ancient tales of escapees who lived here and never returned home.

Additionally, there have been many groups of people disappearing on the island. Kazakh people believe these disappearances are caused by flying lizards from ancient times. The island officially reopened to visitors in the mid-19th century, and in the 20th century, the island territory was occupied by hunting families. However, it later became a natural reserve area.

If you're a Harry Potter fan, then you surely can't forget the name of this island – Alcatraz. Alcatraz Island is an island located in San Francisco Bay on the Pacific coast.

This island was once a lighthouse, and later it became a famous federal prison specialized in housing gangster Mafia criminals and dangerous felons. Some of the infamous inmates 'enjoying' long-term stays on the island included 'Machine Gun' Kelly for bank robbery, Al Capone the gang boss, and Robert 'Birdman' Stroud the murderer.

It's also the site of the most notorious prison escape in U.S. history, led by three inmates with Frank Lee Morris at the helm. However, in 1963, the prison was closed down and transformed into a popular tourist attraction for visitors from all over.

The entire Fadiouth Island is composed of shells. This also means apart from shells, there's nothing much to admire on Fadiouth. As soon as you set foot on Fadiouth, you're stepping on shells. Even the houses on the island are built using shells as construction material.

The population of Fadiouth is around 46,000 people who make a living through tourism, fishing, and trading dried baobab leaf powder. Despite about 90% of Fadiouth's residents being Muslim, with only 10% adhering to Christianity, there's no religious conflict here. People within a household are also free to choose different faiths.

The most peculiar sight on Fadiouth is perhaps the shell cemetery. Instead of being a grim burial ground, Fadiouth's burial site is rather charming. It's known that empty shells accumulate over the years from the residents' shellfish harvesting activities to eat oysters and clams. Then they use these empty shells to build the shell island as it is today.

The most famous feature of Fadiouth Island is its shell cemetery. Here, graves are all adorned with shells. From birth to death, the lives of the islanders are sheltered by thousands of shells, creating a quaint charm that attracts many visitors.

Today, this island is famous for its large amount of wreckage scattered along the coastline. Besides its natural beauty, Handerson holds many mysteries. One of the biggest mysteries of the island is a cave with a stream where many human skeletons have been found. Around the rocky land, one can also find carved items like pottery, stone tools, and more. No one knows where these people came from or what their culture was like.

According to archaeological data, people lived on the island around the 12th - 15th centuries. The reality is that the island has a large amount of freshwater, and the neatly stacked bones only add to the strangeness of the mystery.

When in Peru, many travelers cannot overlook the opportunity to visit the 'Walking Islands' of Uros. In reality, these 'islands' are formed by houses entirely made of reeds to easily float on Lake Titicaca.

After a while, the 'islands' gradually sink, so every six months, the Uros people have to build new houses on different reed areas. Particularly, cooking utensils are not used here to avoid fire hazards.

Visitors can enjoy a ride on a reed boat to explore the islands, wear colorful outfits, and purchase souvenirs made from reeds. The intimate connection with nature and the friendly attitude of the locals often leave tourists reluctant to leave.