Incredible island off the coast of Europe’s ‘most beautiful’ country is off limi

Iceland is known for its hot springs, cold weather, and stunning landscapes. But one lesser-known part of Iceland is Surtsey Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that people are not allowed to visit.

It is a volcanic island located in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off the southern coast of the country – hailed as Europe’s most beautiful place.

It was formed after an eruption underwater that eventually rose above sea level back in 1963. It is therefore one of the world’s newest islands. Only a select few people have ever been allowed to visit Surtsey in those years.

No human interference also allows researchers to see how a new island develops naturally. UNESCO says of the island: “It is all the more outstanding for having been protected since its birth, providing the world with a pristine natural laboratory.”#

“Free from human interference, Surtsey has been producing unique long-term information on the colonisation process of new land by plant and animal life.

“Since they began studying the island in 1964, scientists have observed the arrival of seeds carried by ocean currents, the appearance of moulds, bacteria and fungi, followed in 1965 by the first vascular plant, of which there were 10 species by the end of the first decade.

“By 2004, they numbered 60 together with 75 bryophytes, 71 lichens and 24 fungi. Eighty-nine species of birds have been recorded on Surtsey, 57 of which breed elsewhere in Iceland.

“The 141 ha island is also home to 335 species of invertebrates.”

Because of its infancy, as being the youngest island on the planet, it has acquired the name of being the most studied – this is because scientists can trace all evidence from its formation.

Despite no one being allowed to step foot on the volcanic island, people can still book boat tours to get as close to it as possible.

Reviews of such tours are scarce, but some people claim the island can only really be seen, even from a boat, in good weather.