25 Most Extreme Places On Earth

If you want to catch some gnarly waves and hang ten, then Teahupo’o, Tahiti might be the place for you. Surfers flock to this location to experience the heaviest and deadliest waves on the Earth. What makes it so deadly? The waves break just feet off a sharp coral reef, creating some nasty injuries.

When looking for great vacation spots, not too many families are wanting the coldest place on Earth. So, things get relatively lonely at Vostok Station, Antarctica, where the temperatures can drop to -126.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-87 Celsius). In the summer, around 25 scientists live there while that number drops to 13 in the winter.

Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world. It falls from a height of 3,230 feet (984 meters) and an uninterrupted drop of 2,647 feet (806 meters). To put that in perspective, it’s about three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower.

Located in between Israel and Jordan, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth. It’s roughly 1,410 feet (430 meters) below sea level. On top of that, the Dead Sea is incredibly salty. In fact, the dense saline levels allow people to float without much effort.

Named after the Norse god of thunder, Mount Thor is mighty and worthy of the name. Its impressive western peak has the longest vertical drop on Earth, measuring 4,101 feet (1,249 meters). Very few have actually scaled it and many others have failed.

Great White Sharks love to hang out near Gansbaai, South Africa, making it a prime spot to go see them in action. Because of that many shark documentaries are filmed in this area. If you’re feeling particularly bold, you can take a boat out to go diving in shark-infested waters.

Located near the Black Sea and in the Arabika Massif, the Krubera Cave is the deepest cave in the world. It starts as a small hole and sinks all the way down to 7,208 feet (2,197 meters). Originally, the cave passages were very small, but excavations have made it possible to pass through. In recent years, it has become the “Everest” of spelunking.

If you like dry climates, it doesn’t get any drier than at the Atacama Desert in Chile. Tests done by NASA indicated it was the driest desert on Earth. As you might imagine, its temperatures are extreme, ranging from 40º C (104º F) during the day and 5º C (41º F) at night.

While New Zealand certainly has its own stunning vistas and landscapes, it also can claim the world’s longest place name. One of their hills is called Taumatawhakatangi­hangakoauauotamatea­turipukakapikimaunga­horonukupokaiwhen­uakitanatahu. Good luck trying to pronounce that.

What does it mean? Roughly, “The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the slider, climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one.”

In contrast to the highest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench is the deepest point of the ocean. Only a few have actually traveled down into it. It’s located in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines. Its deepest point from the surface of the water down is nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers).

Off the coast of Brazil near São Paulo lies the most dangerous island on the planet, lha da Queimada Grande. It also has another name: Snake Island. With the highest concentration of golden lance-head vipers, a deadly venomous snake, it’s prohibited for anyone to set foot on the island because of the likelihood of immediate death. It’s said the venom can kill a person in under an hour.

Oymyakon is not any ordinary village in Russia. With temperatures reaching 88 below zero, it’s pretty much the coldest inhabited town on Earth. And it’s incredibly dangerous to live there. When two men had their car break down, they froze to death trying to get help. From December 1st to March 1st, no record exists of it ever rising above zero degrees Fahrenheit.

It doesn’t get more extreme than Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii. As one of the most active volcanoes, you won’t want to be near this thing when it goes off. One of its longest-lasting eruptions destroyed up to 200 buildings.

Though it’s alien-like landscapes make Dallol, Ethiopia compelling, it doesn’t exactly make it extreme. However, what does make it extraordinary is the unbelievably high temperatures. They are not only high but consistently high with an average of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 degrees Celsius) throughout the year.

Climbing Mount Everest is an amazing feat, but there’s a common misconception that it’s the highest peak on the Earth. Depending on how you measure things, however, another mountain comes out higher. When measuring from sea level, Mount Everest wins at 9,000 meters, but if you measure from the center of Earth, Mount Chimborazo wins. Even better, Chimborazo only takes 2 weeks to climb in comparison to the two-month climb to Everest.

Though Chernobyl recently marked its 30th anniversary and hosts tourists to visit certain parts of the area, it’s not exactly a friendly environment to be in. At the time, it dumped out tons of radioactive waste, causing 100,000 people to evacuate. Now, it stands as a crumbling ghost-town.

During the winter, Paradise, Washington’s gorgeous landscapes are thoroughly covered in snow. In fact, it’s considered one of the snowiest places on Earth. On average, it gets about 643 inches (16 meters) of snow a year. As such, they have plenty of snowy activities for everyone who loves lots of snow.

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is a salt flat stretching out for as far as the eye can see, measuring 4,500 square miles (7,242 km). It’s truly a one of a kind. However, seeing it as a tourist isn’t easy. The roads to it are non-existent and the nights in winter become tremendously cold.

If you’re looking for the smallest island with a large structure built on top of it, then look no further than Bishop Rock. Due to costly shipwrecks, the British built a lighthouse on top of a very small island in 1858. The 167-foot (51 meter) lighthouse is still there today.

Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island on the planet. It’s not exactly a great getaway vacation spot either. There aren’t any restaurants or hotels, and you can’t pay with a credit card. To get to the island, you have to take a seven-day boat trip as it doesn’t have an airport.

There’s almost no place more extreme than North Korea. With a totalitarian regime that starves its citizens, imprisons people into deadly working camps, and continues to improve its nuclear capabilities, it’s as dangerous as ever.

Pico De Loro in Colombia has some of the most extreme surfing on the planet. Since it isn’t a popular beach spot, you’ll have to get there by boat and hire a local guide to help you find the best area to surf. Not only that but its also very remote and requires taking food, drink, and camping equipment.

While some places might be the most remote and least populated, the Mong Kok district in Hong Kong is the opposite. It’s the most densely populated place on the planet with 130,000 people in one square kilometer.

The Iron Mountain in California is heavily polluted with acidic rivers, acidic salt, and bacterial slime coming out of the mine walls. The concentration of pollution and acid in the water can burn skin and dissolve fabrics. It’s so hazardous that NASA sent a robot inside the mine and no one saw it ever again.

The Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis, Minnesota has been dubbed the quietest place on Earth, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s a great place to record but horrible for your sanity. Most people can’t stand sitting in there for too long, uncomfortable by the sounds of their own body.