Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
23 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
25 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
26 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Inaccessible Island

Inaccessible Island

It might not be as impossible to reach as its name would imply, but just about.

Inaccessible Island

Added By
Dylan Thuras
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Inaccessible Island   NASA ASTER
Inaccessible Island   NASA ASTER
Gough and Inaccessible Islands (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland).   Ron Van Oers / UNESCO
Inaccessible Island on the right, next to Stoltenhoff Island.   Brian Gratwicke
Inaccessible Island   Brian Gratwicke
Inaccessible Island   Brian Gratwicke
maybe it´s not that innaccesible   El-Waleed Abdel-Samed
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Sitting off the coast of Tristan de Cunha, the world's most remote inhabited island, is another little spit of land with a much more telling name: Inaccessible Island. 

First discovered by Europeans in 1656, the exact origins of the island's descriptive name are unclear. One theory has it that the Dutch ship that first encountered the island named it thus when the crew was unable to reach the interior of the remote island, while another theory is that it was renamed by a crew that arrived to the island almost a century later, and weren't even able to land. No matter where the name of the island truly came from, it really is pretty inaccessible.

From the 1800s on, ships have managed to make landfall on the island—though none have stayed for very long. The tiny island measures just about five and a half square miles, much of which is covered in greenery. Given its picturesque environment, some people have (unsuccessfully) tried to set up shop on the island, with locals occasionally using it as a source of guano and other salable items. The island is also home to dozens of plant species, but very few animals. Despite the lack of fauna, it is home to the Inaccessible rail, a small bird that can only be found on the island.

Today, no one lives on the island, and it remains just as inaccessible as as it always was. It is probably best known today from lists of places with strange names, which it is often included in.  

Related Tags

Islands Strange Names Names

Community Contributors

Added By

Dylan

Edited By

Robby Ayers, EricGrundhauser, Meg, onoclara3

  • Robby Ayers
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Meg
  • onoclara3

Published

April 13, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inaccessible_Island
  • http://www.tristandc.com/inaccessible.php
Inaccessible Island
Inaccessible Island
-37.300356, -12.673301

Nearby Places

Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha

miles away

Nearby Places

Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha

miles away

Related Stories and Lists

How Did the World's Smallest Flightless Bird Get to Inaccessible Island?

islands

By Sarah Laskow

Related Places

  • The 1000 Islands Tower

    Lansdowne, Ontario

    1000 Islands Tower

    This observation tower is a longstanding, 1960s landmark in the Thousand Islands region of Canada.

  • Pancake Island, 2022.

    Providence, Rhode Island

    Gingerbread and Pancake Islands

    The origin of these small islands' sweet names is a local mystery.

  • Rabbit Islet.

    Lampedusa e Linosa, Italy

    Rabbit Islet

    Contrary to what its name suggests, you won't find any bunnies here.

  • Crapaud, the Jersey toad.

    St Helier, Jersey

    Le Crapaud

    A statue erected in honor of the toadish nickname given to Jersey residents by the French.

  • Ko Tapu islet in front of the Khao Phing Kan islands in the Phang Nga Bay.

    ambon Kalai, Thailand

    Ko Ta Pu (James Bond Island)

    A tall karst islet popularized by 007.

  • “What Cheer” water tower

    What Cheer, Iowa

    What Cheer

    No one knows the origin of this small town’s unique name.

  • A sign for Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!

    Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Québec

    Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!

    The only town in the world with two exclamation points in its name.

  • The train station.

    Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Wales

    Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

    This Welsh village gave itself a ridiculous name in a publicity stunt a century ahead of its time.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.