Want to Disappear? These 7 Places Show How

Where survival meets solitude—inside Earth’s most extreme outposts.

Author

Philip Saparov
December 23, 2025

In partnership with

Greetings, explorer of the edge!

Imagine living where there’s no road, no rush hour, and sometimes… no sun. From Arctic outposts to wave-battered islands, some communities thrive in places the rest of the world forgot.

Why do they stay? And what can you learn from those who’ve made a life at the edge of what’s humanly possible?

In this edition, we travel to the ends of the Earth—where isolation isn’t exile, but identity.

Let’s begin.

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At 1,500 miles from the nearest continent, Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world. Located in the South Atlantic, this British Overseas Territory has fewer than 250 residents—and no airport.

Despite its isolation, the community thrives on fishing, agriculture, and a strong sense of collective responsibility. There's one school, one road, and a shared Internet satellite link. Mail arrives just a few times a year, via boat.

Residents have their own unique dialect of English and a policy of zero land sales—outsiders can’t move in, only visit.

🧬 Curious fact: There are just 8 surnames among the entire island population, all traced back to the original settlers of the 1800s.

La Rinconada is not just the highest city in the world—it’s one of the most paradoxical. Perched in the Peruvian Andes, it sits at over 5,000 meters (16,700 ft) above sea level. Oxygen is scarce, temperatures are below freezing, and infrastructure is virtually nonexistent.

So why do over 30,000 people live there? Gold.

La Rinconada is a lawless gold mining town, where people work under extreme conditions in the hope of striking it rich. There's no plumbing, little electricity, and toxic mercury contaminates the water. Still, the town grows.

⛰️ Jaw-dropping insight: At this altitude, residents develop barrel chests to adapt to the thin air—an evolutionary shift in real time.

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At the top of the world lies Alert, a Canadian military outpost just 500 miles from the North Pole. With no sunlight for half the year and temperatures plummeting to -40°F (-40°C), it’s the northernmost permanently inhabited place on Earth.

Only about 60 people live there at any given time—mostly scientists and military personnel. Supplies arrive by plane during short weather windows. There’s no local food supply. Yet Alert is vital for climate monitoring and early warning defense systems.

🌬️ Unexpected fact: Alert is closer to Moscow than to Ottawa, and your breath freezes in mid-air just seconds after you exhale.

Supai is the only town in the U.S. where mail is still delivered by mule. Nestled deep within the Grand Canyon, it’s reachable only by an 8-mile hike, horseback, or helicopter—no roads connect it to the outside world.

Home to the Havasupai Tribe, the village has fewer than 300 residents and lies near the famed turquoise waterfalls of Havasu Creek. Despite its beauty, life here is marked by logistical challenges—from emergency evacuations to food delivery.

📦 Fascinating detail: Even Amazon delivers to Supai… but the last leg of the journey is on horseback.

Say that three times fast: Ittoqqortoormiit. This tiny settlement on Greenland’s eastern edge may be the most isolated town you’ve never heard of. With a population of about 350, it's cut off by sea ice for 9 months a year. A helicopter and seasonal boat are its only links to the world.

Locals survive by hunting, fishing, and dog sledding. Tourism exists, but it’s modest—mostly extreme adventurers or photographers chasing northern lights.

🐻‍❄️ Cold, hard truth: The nearest town is 500 miles away, and polar bears occasionally wander the streets.

Temperatures here can drop to -96°F (-71.2°C). That’s not wind chill—that’s the actual air temperature.

Welcome to Oymyakon, a village in Siberia with about 500 residents who’ve made peace with permafrost. Cars are kept running all day to avoid freezing. Eyelashes ice over in seconds. Children don’t go to school unless it’s warmer than -60°F.

❄️ Brutal statistic: Metal can shatter like glass during peak cold spells.

Home to just around 50 people, Pitcairn Island in the Pacific Ocean was settled by the mutineers of the HMS Bounty in 1790. It's a living relic of maritime rebellion—and one of the hardest places in the world to reach.

There’s no airport. No harbor. Supply ships come every few months. Despite satellite Internet, modern healthcare and education remain limited.

🧬 Little-known fact: The entire population is descended from just 9 mutineers and a few Tahitian companions—making it one of the most genetically unique communities on Earth.

Why live on a cliff, in a crater, or halfway to the poles?

For some, it’s heritage. For others, freedom. For many, it’s the quiet power of choosing your own margins.

Remote places remind us: survival isn’t the goal—thriving is. Even on the fringes, people find purpose, connection, and even joy.

If you’ve ever dreamed of a quieter life, a bolder chapter, or simply off-the-grid wisdom—these edge-dwellers might be your map.

Stay sharp. Stay curious. And keep chasing the edge.

Warm regards,

Shane Fulmer
Founder, WorldPopulationReview.com

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