35 Mysterious Abandoned Places Around the World You Can Still Visit

20. Great Blasket Island, Ireland: Echoes of Gaelic Culture

Off Ireland’s craggy western coast lies Great Blasket Island, a rugged, windswept land steeped in natural beauty and cultural legacy. Once inhabited by a close-knit Gaelic-speaking community, the island was home to poets, storytellers, and fishermen who lived in stone cottages along its rolling hills. Life here was simple but harsh—defined by isolation, self-sufficiency, and a deep connection to the land and sea. By the early 20th century, dwindling supplies and medical access forced the last remaining residents to leave in 1953, marking the end of traditional life on the island. Today, the abandoned village remains intact, with its moss-covered homes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean like silent sentinels of Irish heritage. Visitors can take a ferry from Dingle Peninsula and hike the trails once trodden by islanders, gaining insight into a vanishing way of life. The island’s poetic atmosphere and cultural richness continue to resonate, reminding us of the stories, songs, and spirit left behind in the empty shells of a once-thriving community.