We live on a massive rock in space, which is home to some truly beautiful places that tourists flock to year after year.
But another thing tourists love is danger – the thrill of surviving a trip to a dangerous locale is unmatched.
For those wondering, our planet has no dearth of such places. From a ring of fire to a valley of death, here are 18 of the most dangerous places on Earth.
1. Mount Everest
Mount Everest—the highest mountain on Earth—is now a popular destination for adventurers.
Still, it remains one of the most dangerous places on the planet, thanks to its harsh terrain, extreme weather, and “The Death Zone”—the altitude above 8,000 meters where the oxygen is so low that the human body slowly starts to die.
From 1922 to the end of the 2022 climbing season, about 310 people lost their lives during their climb.
2. North Yungas Road/ Death Road
Built by Paraguayan prisoners of war after the devastating Chaco War, the North Yungas Road is now a favorite among thrill seekers despite its infamous ‘Death Road’ tag.
It’s barely 3 meters long in most places, has steep slopes, and no guardrails. Additionally, fog and mud during monsoons make it even harder for vehicles to travel safely.
Between 200 and 300 drivers reportedly experienced road accidents up until the mid-1990s. It was also the location of one of Bolivia’s worst road accidents— in 1983, a lorry fell off the road, killing everyone on board.
3. Danakil Depression
If one braved the toxic fumes and harsh temperatures to visit the Danakil Depression in East Africa, it would feel like a scene from a sci-fi movie.
Dubbed “Mars on Earth” by scientists, Danakil forms part of the Afar Triangle, where three tectonic plates are slowly diverging.
It is one of the lowest places on Earth and contains geysers and highly acidic ponds.
4. Darvaza Gas Crater
A place called the ‘Door to Hell’ or the ‘Gates of Hell’ definitely deserves a spot on this list.
Turkmenistan’s Darvaza Gas Crater was reportedly created in 1971 during a Soviet drilling accident, and efforts to stop the toxic gasses from spreading led to a fire.
Located in the Karakum desert, the hole is about 230 feet wide and has been burning for over 50 years. It is undoubtedly an eerie sight amidst its barren surroundings.
5. Ilha Da Queimada Grande/Snake Island
Ilha Da Queimada Grande in Brazil, also known as Snake Island, is home to 2,000 to 4,000 golden lancehead vipers.
Separated from the mainland by rising sea levels, the snakes thrived and reproduced rapidly due to the absence of predators and the instinct to ensure their survival as a species.
The vipers are some of the most poisonous snakes in the world, and their venom can cause kidney failures, necrosis of muscular tissue, brain hemorrhaging, and intestinal bleeding.
Thankfully, the island is closed to the public to protect people and the critically endangered species of snakes.
6. Skeleton Coast
Remember how, in horror movies, bones being scattered around a place is usually an obvious sign to stay away from it?
Well, Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is no different. The seaboard has animal bones scattered all around, and many ships, including the South West Seal, are known to have met their end at its shores.
Lions and other predators that often prowl about make the place more dangerous. No wonder the beach is referred to as ‘the mythical end of the Earth.’
7. Lake Natron
Lake Natron, often called the ‘Deadly Red Lake,’ in Tanzania, is both beautiful and eerie. Its striking pinkish-red hue is mesmerizing, yet the lake is highly alkaline due to volcanic material from Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai that mixes with the water.
The magnesite and salt deposits in the lake make the water poisonous for anyone who drinks it. Only a single species of fish, some algae, and a colony of flamingos live in this harsh environment.
8. Oymyakon
The Russian settlement of Oymyakon roughly translates to ‘water that doesn’t freeze,’ which is ironic considering that the place is the world’s coldest permanently occupied area.
Temperatures fall so low in Oymyakon that your eyelashes could freeze on your face, and you would be in danger of frostbite.
The dark can last up to 21 hours during the shortest days of the year. In 1924, the temperature fell to 96 degrees below zero Fahrenheit—an occasion commemorated with a monument in the town square.
9. North Sentinel Island
India has banned its citizens from visiting the North Sentinel Island, situated in the Indian Ocean, because of the danger posed to anyone who attempts to approach it.
The island is inhabited by the Sentinelese people, who are known to react aggressively to outsiders.
The island made headlines when two fishermen were murdered on the island in 2006 when they washed up on the shore.
10. K2
George Bell, who was part of the 1952 expedition to Pakistan’s K2, called the mountain “a savage mountain that tries to kill you”— the nickname ‘Savage Mountain’ stuck.
While Mount Everest is more well-known, K2 is considered more dangerous for climbers. The weather is unpredictable and treacherous, and the mountain rarely flattens.
The fastest route to the summit is a narrow gully with seracs jutting out in K2’s “death zone.”
11. Pacific Ring of Fire
The ‘Ring of Fire’ is precisely what it sounds like – a string of more than 450 volcanoes lines the edges of the Pacific Ocean, making up 75% of the active volcanoes on Earth.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are commonplace in the region, and some of the most devastating natural disasters have purportedly originated in the area.
It was also the setting of the earthquake that led to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
12. Boa Viagem Beach
People often visit Brazil for its picturesque beaches, but there is one beach in this South American country that is notorious for shark attacks.
The Boa Viagem Beach in Recife started seeing an unusual number of shark attacks in the early 1990s and is littered with warnings for tourists. While it isn’t prohibited to swim in the waters, people are encouraged to stay towards the shallow end.
Since 1992, sharks have attacked about 57 people off the coast of Recife, and 40% of the incidents happened at the Boa Viagem beach.
13. Zone Rouge
The 1916 Battle of Verdun was the longest of World War I and caused permanent damage to the area.
The region experienced intense shelling during the war, leaving unexploded shells that continue to pose a danger. Additionally, the forests likely conceal thousands of bodies.
Declared the Zone Rouge— or the ‘red zone’ by France— the area has no human residents.
Outside Verdun lies La Place à Gaz, where the arsenic levels in the soil are up to 35,000 times higher than normal, as per a 2007 environmental study.
14. Blue Hole
The Blue Hole in Egypt lies in the Red Sea near Dahab town on the Sinai Peninsula and is considered to be the most dangerous diving site in the world.
While the dive isn’t impossible to execute, it requires practice and specialized equipment to complete.
An underwater tunnel, which is 26 meters in length, is the most risky part of the journey. The dive poses a danger of nitrogen narcosis, which hampers both the physical and mental abilities of a diver.
While an exact death toll isn’t available, more than 100 people have reportedly lost their lives in the Blue Hole.
15. Mount Washington
For its comparatively smaller size, Mount Washington in the Presidential range poses many threats to climbers, and one of the most obvious reasons is the extreme and unpredictable weather.
The winds blowing through the mountain can quickly gain speed, especially since it is situated at the intersection of many storm tracks.
Consequently, windchill is a common occurrence which can lead to frostbite. More than 150 people have died in the range since record-keeping started in 1849.
16. ‘Valley of Death’ in Kamchatka Peninsula
The base of Kikhpinych in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula is a trap for both the prey and its predators.
From hares to bears, several animals have been found dead in the area. The assumed cause of death is the presence of dangerous gases that almost instantly kill animals or birds that fly too close to the ‘Valley of Death.’
Helen Robinson, a researcher at the University of Glasgow, told Atlas Obscura that the valley might contain gases like hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide.
17. Chernobyl exclusion zone
After the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster, the plant, the nearby towns of Pripyat and Chernobyl, and the surrounding affected land became the “Chernobyl exclusion zone.”
Once home to about 50,000 residents, Pripyat was declared too radioactive for humans to live in for at least 24,000 years.
While Ukraine opened the area for some guided tours in 2011, Russia captured the power plant for a while in 2022, leading to concerns about increased radiation levels caused by the war.
18. Mariana Trench
The seadevil anglerfish, goblin shark, and zombie worms are all terrifying creatures that thrive in the Mariana Trench.
Another thing the Mariana Trench contains is the Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth’s surface (that we know of).
While the place can seem alluring, the pressure is more than enough to kill a human being instantly – it can exceed 1,000 atmospheres.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.