The world’s 15 most isolated homes: From Australian mountain retreat to Georgian villa on top of a limestone monolith and Icelandic bolthole where your only neighbours are puffins
In the midst of noisy traffic, nosy neighbours and day-to-day commutes, many of us have dreamed of what life might be like if we lived in the middle of nowhere.
But for some daring owners, this is a reality.
MailOnline has compiled a list of some of the world’s most isolated properties from Bhutan to Antarctica to just a short drive away from London.
1. Flintstones-style mountain home in Portugal
Located in the Fafe Mountains, Casa de Penedo is the spitting image of The Flintstones home. But despite it’s Stone Age appearance, this shelter was only built in 1974.
Its interior boasts a dimly lit cozy feel with a small living room and attached kitchen on the ground floor.
From the outside it may seem that it is only a single-storey property, but a staircase leads up to a small loft with a sleeping area.
Despite it’s Stone Age appearance, this rocky home in Portugal was only built in 1974
The boulder home Casa de Penedo is located towards the north of Portugal
2. Australian home in a spot dating back to the dinosaurs
One of the world’s most isolated homes was also on the market for the first time in 40 years during 2021, according to The Sun. The 3027 sqm property is perched on the edge of Western Australia’s isolated Kimberley coastline, surrounded by rocks and turquoise ocean.
Prior to becoming a home, the building was once a nun’s retreat and camp for Girl Guides.
The area, known as Broome’s Gantheaume Point, is known for its rich 130million-year history going all the way back to the dinosaur era.
The 3027 sqm property is perched on the edge of Western Australia’s isolated Kimberley coastline, surrounded by rocks and turquoise ocean
Before becoming a home, the building was once a nun’s retreat and camp for Girl Guides
The area is known for its rich 130-million-year history dating all the way back to the dinosaurs
This isolated home was also on the market for the first time in 40 years during 2021
Broome’s Gantheaume Point is located towards the north of Australia on the coastline
3. Historic English home built by an Earl in the 1800s
The chance to snatch up England’s most remote property has already been taken after it was put up for sale at £1.5million in 2021. Skiddaw House is a 19th century shooting lodge that was used for years as a gamekeeper’s lodge, according to Rightmove.
It was built in 1829 by the Earl of Egremont of Cockermouth Castle and is located in Keswick at the heart of the Lake District.
Inside the two-storey property hosts a number of kitchens, three living rooms and one lounge. But sellers said it is only accessible by foot of 4×4 vehicle.
England’s most remote property, Skiddaw House, was sold for £1.5million in 2021
Skiddaw House is nestled in the Keswick market town in northwest England
4. Georgia’s church that is only accessible by ladder
In the remote countryside of Georgia’s Imereti region sits Katskhi pillar – a towering limestone monolith home to a secluded church.
Each day, monks make a 20-minute climb up ladder that has been fixed onto the 40 metre-high rock. It is these local monks that are now the only people allowed to access it.
Each day, monks make a 20-minute climb up ladder that has been fixed onto the rock
Georgia’s Imereti region is home to Katskhi pillar, only accessible by local monks
5. The most isolated property in the world is in Iceland
The world’s most isolated property is located off the southern coast of Iceland. Built in 1930 has no electricity or piped water but serves as a hunting lodge.
Although it is situated in a desolate 0.4sqm island called Elliðaey, things can still get pretty busy thanks to its puffin visitors.
The most isolated property is located off the coast of Iceland on an island called Elliðaey
Elliðaey is a small island south of Iceland and is part of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago
6. The Crystal Mill in the depths of Colorado, USA
Off the beaten track on Colorado’s Crystal River lies a 1890s wooden powerplant known as the Crystal Mill.
It is situated just a short distance from a tiny town called Marble which has a population of 130 people, situated next to the Elk Mountains.
The property is just a short distance from a tiny town called Marble which has a population of 130 people
The Crystal Mill is south west of Denver
7. The world’s smallest inhabited island near New York
The world’s smallest inhabited island is aptly named Just Room Enough Island for a good reason.
That’s because the tiny speck of land off Alexandria Bay in New York state has just enough room for a house and a tree – and that’s it.
The island is one of 1,864 islands located on the St. Lawrence River, which separates New York from Ontario.
Once known as Hub Island, it was purchased in 1950 by a family known as the Sizelands.
The island measures approximately 3,300 square feet – or one-thirteenth of an acre. It is big enough to fit a tennis court.
The world’s smallest inhabited island is aptly named Just Room Enough Island for a good reason
The tiny speck of land off Alexandria Bay in New York state has just enough room for a house and a tree – and that’s it
7. The highest city in the world can be found in Peru
Peru is home to what is considered the highest inhabited city in the world with no plumbing and no sanitation system. La Rinconada is located at nearly 16,700ft and is situated at the foot of a majestic glacier.
Located at the foot of a majestic glacier, this settlement is considered the highest above sea level in the world
La Rinconada is located up high near the eastern border of Peru adjacent to Bolivia
8. Three major temples on Bhutan’s steep cliffside
The Tiger’s Nest was built in 1692 around a cave where it is said that a guru meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, & three hours many years ago.
Three major temples are situated on the steep cliffside area of Paro valley, which were also visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2016.
Three major temples are situated on the steep cliffside area of Paro valley in Bhutan
The Tiger’s Nest was built in 1692 around a cave where it is said that a guru meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, & three hours many years ago
The Tiger’s Nest is situated in west Bhutan and is a sacred Buddhist site located near Paro
9. Scotland’s highland home in two acres of land
Another of Britain’s most isolated homes was advertised for sale in 2018 for £380,000. Located in the Scottish Highlands, this retreat overlooks Doune Bay – a location only accessible by boat or ferry, and is about a 15-minute walk from the nearest road.
The house has about two acres of land with two polytunnels that produce fruit and vegetables throughout the year, including figs, apricots and asparagus, a rear garden with deer fencing, a hen house and run and a smokery.
Another of Britain’s most isolated homes was advertised for sale in 2018 for £380,000
The property’s two acres of land include a deer-fenced rear garden, a hen house and run and a smokery
It has 2,304 sq ft of accommodation with a kitchen, breakfast room, sun room, sitting room, cold store and drying room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fourth bedroom or office and a large attic space, which could be another bedroom
Four-bedroom ‘self-sufficient’ house that’s only accessible by boat or ferry and comes with solar panels and polytunnels to grow your own food
Doune Bay is a location only accessible by boat or ferry in the remote Scottish Highlands
10. The Antarctic research station built on volcanic rock
With a population of 1,200, McMurdo Station sits on the world’s most isolated continent. The site is used as a United States research station and is built on bare volcanic rock.
Two technicians were killed while working on a fire-suppression system at McMurdo Station (pictured) in Antarctica on Tuesday, according to the National Science Foundation
With a population of 1,200, McMurdo Station sits on the world’s most isolated continent
McMurdo Station is situated at Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island in Antarctica
11. The town in Greenland only accessible by helicopter
Home to around 450 people, Ittoqqortoormiit is a sparsely populated town in one of the most isolated parts of the world. Helicopter is the only way to access this small settlement for nine months of the year – there is no road or airport access.
Home to 450 people, Ittoqqortoormiit is a sparsely populated town in one of the most isolated parts of the world
The remote town on the edge of Greenland is only home to around 450 people
12. Canadian island known as the ‘graveyard of the Atlantic’
Sable Island , which is only accessible by boat or charter plane, is home to hundreds of wild horses, which are completely unmanaged.
It’s believed the animals arrived on the island in the early 18th century to help with agricultural work when a settlement was attempted and later they were recruited to help man a lifesaving station.
Sable Island – which is shrouded in fog for around 125 days of the year – is a notorious shipping hazard.
It is said to be home to more than 300 shipwrecks, earning it the nickname ‘graveyard of the Atlantic’. One of the more recent accidents occurred in 1981.
Sable Island is a narrow, crescent-shaped sandbar measuring 26 miles long and 0.93 miles across at its widest point. It is considered to be part of the district of Halifax, although the urban area is located some 190 miles away on the Nova Scotian mainland
Wild landscape: The only other residents on the patch of land are around 400 horses, 300,000 grey seals and 350 species of bird
13. The Serbian house designed for tired swimmers
For 45 years this bizarre little house has survived everything that nature can throw at it.
The structure is located near the town of Bajina Basta, Serbia, and has become a well-known attraction for visitors to the area.
The idea for it came in 1968 when a group of young swimmers out having a splash in the river needed a place to rest.
The parts and supplies were transported by boat and kayak, and the larger pieces were simply placed in the water upstream, and captured as they floated down past the building location.
The house has been battered by wind, rain and floods for 45 years since its construction
14. The Greek buildings ‘suspended in the air’
Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Meteora is a three-hour drive from Thessaloniki in the central Greek mountains.
Its name can be translated as ‘suspended in the air’, with the buildings perched on the top of steep rocks.
The spectacular cliff-edge monastery of Agia Triada, with views of the Greek countryside
The Roussanou Monastery overlooking the towering rock pillars of Meteora
The scenic and towering rock pillars of Meteora are located far north of the Greek capital
15. The 1700s Italian church next to the mountains
The Church of St. Johann is most known for its idyllic remote location in the Funes Valley in the Dolomites.
It has a rich history, having been constructed in the 1700s and has often been cited as a popular tourist destination for road-trippers sight-seeing around Italy.
Located in the Funes Valley of the Dolomites, this church is an idyllic location for peace and quiet
The remote church is located in the Funes Valley in the Dolomites in northeastern Italy
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