10 Locations That Have Disappeared Forever

Some places are remote, others are rarely visited, and a few are completely off-limits—but then there are those that have vanished entirely. Whether swallowed by shifting climates or destroyed by human intervention, here are 10 destinations you can no longer add to your travel plans.

1. Guaíra Falls

Before 1982, travelers along the Upper Paraná River, bordering Brazil and Paraguay, were greeted by a breathtaking spectacle: a collection of at least 18 cascading waterfalls called Guaíra Falls. With a total drop of 375 feet, the roar of the falls was reportedly audible from as far as 20 miles away. 

Guaíra Falls were considered the world’s most powerful waterfall in terms of water volume. However, their strength couldn’t withstand the actions of the Paraguayan and Brazilian governments. In the 1970s, construction began on the Itaipú Dam, a key component of a massive hydroelectric project. Completed in 1982, the dam formed a reservoir so vast that it entirely engulfed the iconic waterfall, erasing Guaíra Falls from existence.

2. The Pink and White Terraces

New Zealand once boasted what many referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World: the Pink and White Terraces. Geothermal activity near Lake Rotomahana on the North Island caused silica-rich water to cascade down, forming stunning terraces filled with warm, mineral-rich pools.

The Māori cherished the Pink and White Terraces, considering them taonga, or “treasures.” After European colonization, visitors from across the globe flocked to witness their beauty and bathe in the supposedly therapeutic waters. The site became a significant income source for local Māori, who served as guides. However, on June 10, 1886, Mount Tarawera erupted, obliterating the terraces and the nearby village of Te Wairoa. The disaster claimed over 100 lives and buried the legendary wonder beneath a crater, which later filled with water, expanding Lake Rotomahana. 

3. Rungholt

Off the northwestern coast of modern-day northern Germany lay an island called Strand. In January 1362, a catastrophic cyclone, the Grote Mandrenke or “Great Drowning of Men,” triggered a storm surge that erased parts of the island, including the medieval town of Rungholt. For centuries, Rungholt was spoken of as a mythical lost city (its remnants may have been discovered in 2023). The remaining parts of Strand survived for another 300 years until a massive storm in 1634 flooded the area, splitting it into the smaller islands of Nordstrand, Pellworm, and Nordstrandischmoor. 

4. East Island

The disappearance of islands doesn’t just impact humans. In 2018, a hurricane submerged East Island, part of the French Frigate Shoals in the Hawaiian Islands. This loss had severe consequences for wildlife: approximately 30 percent of Hawaiian monk seals were born there, and a significant portion of Hawaiian green sea turtles used it as a nesting site. The island’s vanishing dealt a critical blow to these endangered species. Studies indicate that they have relocated to other islands in the French Frigate Shoals, which are equally threatened by rising sea levels. While East Island has partially reformed since the hurricane, it remains only half its original size.

5. Doggerland

Doggerland was a vast landmass that once linked Great Britain to mainland Europe. It was home to now-extinct creatures such as cave lions, saber-toothed cats, mammoths, and cave hyenas, as well as modern humans and our ancient ancestors. Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and possibly an earlier hominid called Homo antecessor all inhabited Doggerland at different times.

However, as the Earth warmed after the last glacial maximum, Doggerland began to flood. Around 8200 years ago, a colossal flood from a North American glacial lake and a tsunami triggered by a Norwegian landslide ultimately submerged the land, sealing its fate beneath the waves.

The submerged remains of what is now called “The Atlantis of the North Sea” lay hidden underwater until the 1930s. A barbed antler point, possibly used as a spear, was found in peat accidentally hauled up by a fishing trawler. This discovery alerted 20th-century archaeologists to Doggerland’s existence. Today, archaeologists, community scientists, and fishermen still uncover artifacts left behind by ancient hunter-gatherers.

6. Bering Land Bridge

No discussion of lost landmasses is complete without mentioning the Bering Land Bridge. This area connected North America to Asia and was part of Beringia, a region stretching between Russia’s Lena River and Canada’s Mackenzie River. The land bridge is thought to have emerged roughly 35,700 years ago, when falling sea levels during the last glacial maximum of the Pleistocene Ice Age created a pathway between the two continents.

A widely accepted theory suggests that humans migrated to the Americas via the Bering Land Bridge. Some experts propose that people inhabited this 600-mile-wide landmass, hunting elk and small mammals and using wood fires to burn animal bones. Like Doggerland, rising sea levels at the end of the Ice Age submerged most of the bridge, cutting off the connection between the continents. Only a handful of islands remain visible today.

7. The Irharhar River

While the Sahara is now known for its extreme heat and aridity, the region it occupies wasn’t always so barren. Between 130,000 and 100,000 years ago, rivers and lakes flourished there. The Irharhar River was one such waterway, connecting a monsoon-rich southern area to the Mediterranean in the north. Its surroundings would have been rich with plant and animal life. A 2013 study proposes that the Irharhar played a crucial role in early human migration, suggesting that northern Africa’s ancient river systems may have provided a pathway for our ancestors to exit the continent. Today, the river lies hidden beneath vast sand dunes. 

8. Dry Falls

The conclusion of the last ice age triggered numerous catastrophic floods, many of which permanently altered the Earth’s surface. Dry Falls in Washington stands as a testament to their immense power. Despite its name, the cliffs, now dry, once comprised a waterfall believed to be five times wider than Niagara Falls, with a flow 10 times stronger than all the rivers on Earth combined. This waterfall formed when ice sheets blocked a river, creating a massive ice dam. Water accumulated behind the dam until it burst, unleashing colossal floods across the northwest. Geologists suggest that multiple such floods occurred over thousands of years, dramatically reshaping the landscape. However, as the ice dams melted and glaciers receded, the floods ceased, and rivers returned to their natural paths, leaving Dry Falls as a mere cliff.

9. Old Man of the Mountain

For centuries, a stone face gazed over New Hampshire from Cannon Mountain. Known as “Stone Face” by the Indigenous Abenaki and “Old Man of the Mountain” by settlers, it was not a man but a rock formation.

The Old Man, much like Dry Falls, was shaped by the last ice age. The freeze and thaw cycles of the warming climate eroded the rock into a strikingly human-like profile. Over time, the Old Man of the Mountain became a cherished symbol of New Hampshire. However, age took its toll: cracks appeared in his forehead, and extensive repairs were made throughout the 20th century to stabilize the crumbling formation. On May 3, 2003, the iconic Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. Today, a memorial viewing plaza stands where he once watched over the landscape.

10. Nuna Supermountains

While the Himalayas are awe-inspiring, Earth’s ancient supermountains were even more remarkable. The Nuna supermountains, for instance, rivaled the Himalayas in height but stretched an estimated 5000 miles in length—far surpassing the Himalayas’ 1500 miles. These colossal mountains spanned an entire supercontinent and emerged around 2 billion years ago. Their erosion, however, proved beneficial for life: A 2022 study in Earth and Planetary Science Letters revealed that as the Nuna supermountains wore down, they released vast amounts of phosphorus, iron, and other nutrients into the oceans, while also increasing atmospheric oxygen levels. This nutrient surge was a catalyst for evolution, fostering biological processes that led to the development of eukaryotic cells—the foundation for complex lifeforms like animals, plants, and fungi.