Five of the World’s Most Interesting Remote Islands

The small ships that are integral to expedition cruising allow us access to parts of the world that few people tread. Narrow straits, secluded bays and small ports to name but a few. This also includes some of the world’s most remote islands, located so far away from other landmasses that their existence is often forgotten.

Some of these islands are home to tiny communities that, against the odds, have carved out a living in the unlikeliest of places. Others preserve relics of a long-forgotten past. Biodiversity and island ecosystems go hand in hand. With hundreds and often thousands of species evolving out of sight of the rest of the world, some of the planet’s rarest wildlife awaits only the most intrepid of travellers. You can visit these islands on our Caribbean and North Brazil Discovery cruise and on the South America East Coast Discovery cruise.

Officially the least populated territory in the world, and the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific, the Pitcairn Islands are located almost 5,000km from the nearest continent. The group consists of four remote islands, the namesake Pitcairn itself plus the uninhabited Oeno, Henderson and Ducie.

Only 50 people now call the rocky cliffs of Pitcairn Island home. All residents are directly descended from the famous HMS Bounty mutineers. In 1790 several of the ship’s British sailors and their Tahitian shipmates seized control of the vessel from their captain and set the rest of the crew adrift. The island’s inaccessibility and steep-sided shores made for a perfect hideaway.

The islanders now enjoy welcoming the adventurous explorers who venture this far, including the guests on our French Polynesia & South Pacific Discover cruise. Peruse local crafts, view the HMS Bounty’s surviving anchor and cannon and make sure you don’t leave without a pot of Pitcairn Island honey.

Located over 3,700km from Chile, Easter Island (Rapa Nui to the native Polynesian inhabitants) is not only famously far away from just about everywhere, the island is also home to the renowned moai statues. For centuries, the mystical pull of this enigmatic land has captivated tourists and academics alike. The 600 plus mysterious moai, with their giant faces and squatting bodies, are dotted around the island. They are thought to have been erected between 1500-1700AD; the intended purpose of the monoliths is still the subject of much debate by academics and islanders.