Inside the World’s Most Remote Towns to Escape the Rat Race

Welcome to Whittier's largest shared home

Welcome to Whittier, Alaska, a minuscule town on the far side of the Prince William Sound, nestled in the shadow of snow-capped mountains. Unlike many small towns in remote locales which offer a conventional cluster of buildings, both residential and commercial, Whittier offers a truly remarkable alternative: nearly all of its roughly 200 residents live under one roof, with the odd sea otter for company too. Click or scroll to find out more…

One-way entry

Whittier can only be accessed by a single-lane tunnel through the mountains, which cars can only pass through once an hour in either direction, forcing residents to organize their lives around the tunnel’s timetable. Moreover, the town effectively has a curfew, since the tunnel closes at 10:30pm, and if you miss the last entry, you’ll find yourself sleeping in your car – a not uncommon occurrence. According to CNN, many of the town’s residents own shirts which read POW, or ‘Prisoner of Whittier.’

Under one roof

However, while isolated, Whittier offers residents everything they need, not just contained in one town, but in one building. The 14-story Begich Towers Incorporated, known locally simply as the BTI, may seem like a bit of a blot on the winter wonderland-eque landscape, but reportedly almost all of the 200-odd Whittierites, it’s home…as well as the local hospital, school, police station, grocery store, church, post office, and city council headquarters!

"We're all family here"

Inside the BTI – a former Cold War-era army barracks which now resembles an ageing brutalist hotel – the atmosphere is apparently reminiscent of a high school, with cinder block hallways lined in bulletin boards, according to writer Erin Sheehy. Residents, who work primarily in commercial fishing, recreation, tourism, or for the state ferry and railroad, seem to enjoy the sense of community facilitated by living under the same roof. “We’re all family here,” they claim.

Inhospitable conditions

And, given the inhospitable conditions outside most of the year, it’s just as well that they feel this way. In the true dead of winter, leaving Whittier used to be nigh on impossible, only feasible by train, weather permitting. Plus, with six months of rain, followed by six months of snow, and winds raging up to 80mph, stepping outside is far from an enticing prospect. While the surrounding scenery may be worthy of a National Geographic shoot, it’s generally best enjoyed from inside the BTI.

Alaska swag

However, for the town’s hardened inhabitants, their singular lifestyle leaves little to be desired. "For me it's just home," says Erika Thompson, the town’s schoolteacher, who lives in the BTI. "For the most part, you know everybody. It's a community under one roof. We have everything we need." Whittier has a real charm for outsiders, too, attracting many tourists during the more hospitable months. “They want that Alaska swag,” was one citizen’s comment.

Read on to discover more weird and wonderful places to live in some of the world's most inhospitable places... 

READ MORE: The most isolated places on Earth

Have you ever thought about escaping the rat race and riding it out in one of the most remote places in the world? From the highest settlement on Earth to the coldest, some people spend their entire lives detached from the mainland. Let's take a look at the measures they take to survive in the most remote of locations.

Coober Pedy, Australian Outback, Australia

Located 526 miles north of Adelaide, in the Australian Outback, one of the most hostile places on Earth, is the town of Coober Pedy. With over 4,000 hours of sunshine a year and barely any rain, this otherworldly landscape is known for opal mining. At the height of Australian summer, the temperature in Coober Pedy swings between 77.5°F and 98.1°F. With record highs of 117°F, it's not surprising that half of the town's 1,942 inhabitants choose to live underground.  In May 2023, 11 incredible homes were auctioned off by the town, due to previous tenants not paying council rates. 

Coober Pedy, Australian Outback, Australia

Warren Andrews, director of Andrews Property, told The Sun that some of the bills dated back three years. He added that some of the properties that were up for auction are still in good condition, while others need a lot of work. As a result, bidding opened at just AU$5,100 (around $3.4k) on the cheapest lot and by the time the auction was over, all the properties had sold, with buyers snapping up bargains for as little as AU$16,300 ($10.9k). This Jelly Crescent home, which was bought by one lucky bidder, is typical of the area, with corrugated metal structures above ground and the main house below. 

Coober Pedy, Australian Outback, Australia

Although the listing didn't contain any recent interior photos, this image of the kitchen at Jelly Crescent from 2017 gives a good idea of what to expect from cave living. The tiled floors, uneven, distinctive walls and low ceilings are typical of homes in Coober Pedy. No matter how harsh the climate, the underground homes maintain a comfortable temperature all year round, with an estimated 50% of the locals living below the surface. 

Coober Pedy, Australian Outback, Australia

Due to their circumstances, the properties went for a song. This 8,600-square-foot empty residential plot on Jones Street was the cheapest property up for grabs. Meanwhile, a number of three-bedroom family homes were available for starting bids of AU$30,000–AU$558,000 ($20k–$372k). Despite some of the properties selling for less than the council had hoped, a spokesperson told 7 News that the total recouped from the auction was AU$504,000, which is around $337,000 and "all the outstanding rates were recovered." 

Supai, Arizona, USA

Often referred to as the most remote community in the lower 48 states, the secluded community of Supai is located within the Grand Canyon in an area known as Havasu Canyon. Only accessible by helicopter, mule or on foot, it sits eight miles from the nearest road and feels like extreme living at the end of the Earth. 

Supai, Arizona, USA

Inhabited by the Havasupai Tribe, who have lived in the village for the last 800 years, they survive in the arid, solitary landscape by irrigation farming in the summer and hunting animals. The blue waterfalls and springs are able to provide them with a constant water source.

Supai, Arizona, USA

Spread over 188,000 acres of land, the canyon is prone to flash floods but still attracts more than 20,000 visitors a year. With a school, store and a small church, the village offers some amenities for the locals.

Supai, Arizona, USA

To this day, the village is the only place in the US that receives their mail and parcels by mule. A series of linked donkeys carry the packages along the eight-mile trail to the village on a regular basis to the small population.

Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena

The world's most remote populated island, Tristan da Cunha sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. 1,750 miles from Cape Town, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the only settlement on the island, is home to around 234 permanent residents.

Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena

Even though the island has a harbor, any large yachts or vessels have to anchor a distance from the coast. Local ferries operate as frequently as they can to and from the island, but with the weather only good enough 70 days a year, reaching the extreme location where people live is difficult. 

Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena

All the residents have access to modern-day amenities including a hospital that offers dental treatment and minor operations, as well as a grocery shop and post office, where the island produces its very own stamps. 

Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena

Open Monday to Friday, the local supermarket provides essential produce for the villagers. However, goods need to be ordered months in advance of the arrival of the incoming ships so many islanders grow their own crops and rear their own stock so as not to rely on the supermarket.

Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA

The northernmost community in the United States, Utqiagvik feels completely cut off from the world. With no roads connecting it to other settlements, the dirt roads that do exist lead just a few miles outside the main town.

Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA

The city is built upon a layer of permafrost that's up to 1,300 feet deep in some places, making life hard for the permanent population of just over 4,000 residents. The warm season has an average high of just 35.6°F, and the winter lasts for 160 days a year, with more than two months spent in complete darkness.

Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA

Even though Utqiagvik is seen as a modern community, the locals still practice hunting, fishing and whaling to support the economy as well as for their own food. Only accessible by plane, the town has an airport which is the lifeline for any imports of vital supplies.

Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA

Not completely cut off, the residents have a great quality of life. The homes are heated by natural gas from local oil fields and they also have modern water and sewer systems. The town also has churches, various schools and a college as well as phone, internet, mail, radio and cable communications. 

La Rinconada, Peru

At a height of over 16,000 feet, La Rinconada in Peru is the highest human habitation in the world. Perched atop Mount Ananea in the Peruvian Andes, the high-altitude homes are only accessible by a mountainside road and can take several days to reach. 

La Rinconada, Peru

Around 35,000 people call the town home, but with no basic modern amenities and little infrastructure as well as no sanitation system and no plumbing, it's not an easy life. 

La Rinconada, Peru

The city itself is iced over for most days of the year and at such a height the air is so thin that the residents have had to adapt. They've also had to find ways of entertaining themselves which include meeting in cafés and setting up a local football team.

La Rinconada, Peru

Even though the town is extremely poor, the economy relies on the unregulated gold mines that are carved into the mountainside. Miners work through the month without any pay and then reportedly for themselves for around a week when they are allowed to keep any gold they extract.

Migingo Island, Lake Victoria, Africa

Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and is home to one of the most isolated communities on Earth, Migingo Island. With a reported population of around 1,000 people, made up mostly of fisherman crammed into less than 22,000 square feet, the island is far from paradise. It is also at the center of a territorial dispute between Kenya and Uganda.

Migingo Island, Lake Victoria, Africa

Inaccessible to those without boats, the crowded island is jam-packed with houses made from recovered tin and scavenged materials.

Migingo Island, Lake Victoria, Africa

However, islanders have made the best of life on the island and have built bars, hair salons and even a tiny port to make getting in and out of the island easier. A few of the residents have mobile phones with contact to the outside world, but the signal is patchy at best.

Migingo Island, Lake Victoria, Africa

The residents made their way to the island because the surrounding deep water is home to large numbers of Nile perch, which provide income for the fishermen. Living directly on the island saves them fuel and also gives them easy access to wholesale buyers.

Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica

Many think of Antarctica as barren, empty land, however, there's a small Chilean community that call the icy expanse home. Villa Las Estrellas is as isolated as towns come with just 14 homes, one bank, a post office, a small school, church, gym and a souvenir shop.

Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica

Located on the Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva Base with a population of around 100, which gets smaller in the harsh winter months, the residents tend to be a rotation of scientists or personnel from Chile's navy and air force. Those on long-term stints often bring their families.

Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica

The hospital on the island is equipped for basic lifesaving procedures and a small pharmacy is also available. However, with limited facilities and only one doctor and one nurse, all emergency cases have to be flown to health centers in South America a mere 625 miles away.

Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica

Not only is the town remote, but it also comes with an ultimatum. If you want to live on the island you must have your appendix removed. A pretty extreme precaution to have to take!

Oymyakon, Russia

An almost inhospitable location, the town of Oymyakon in Russia is closer to the Arctic Circle than it is to the nearest city. Frostbite blights the lives of the local residents in the isolated village, which has been labeled the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth. 

Oymyakon, Russia

With winter temperatures averaging -72.4°F, pretty much everything is frozen in the village. Engines freeze, meaning many cars are left running all the time and face coverings are a must as eyelashes and even saliva freeze in an instant.

Oymyakon, Russia

The nearest city is Yakutsk which is 576 miles away. The constant layer of permafrost makes life hard for the locals and prevents farming as nothing can penetrate the hard ground. The frozen ground also stops the town from having running water, so toilets are outhouses.

Oymyakon, Russia

Most residents live off high-protein foods including raw frozen fish, reindeer meat and ice cubes of horse blood to get their nutrients. There are no conveniences in town due to the remote location and in the freezing weather, even pen ink freezes.

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

The small town of Ittoqqortoormiit in Greenland is the most remote inhabited community in the Western Hemisphere. Its closest neighbour is the Northeast Greenland National Park, the world's largest national park. Overrun by polar bears, reindeers and walruses, the only human presence in the park is the Sirius Sled Patrol, a Danish naval unit, so residents really are all on their own here.

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

The tiny outpost is made up of a scattering of small wooden buildings, painted in bright shades of blue, red, yellow and green. These homes are perched on a coastal bluff made from gneiss, which is some of the oldest rock on Earth.

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

For around nine months of the year, sea ice blocks the town's access to civilization, meaning hunting and fishing are the only ways the local residents can survive. With a small population of just 345 as of 2020, residents in this isolated spot derive an income from hunting and summer tourism. The population briefly swells in August and September when cruise ships arrive with about 3,000 tourists in total.

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

Ittoqqortoormiit's inhabitants have access to a local pub that opens just once a week, a supermarket filled with freeze-dried food, plus a small souvenir shop and post office, all located in the center. To reach the nearest airport, residents have to fly by helicopter or in warmer months, they can take a boat.

Palmerston Island, Cook Islands

Around 2,000 miles northeast of New Zealand sits the self-sufficient island of Palmerston. One of the 15 Cook Islands, the atoll has a population of less than 60 people, all of whom permanently reside in one of the most isolated communities on the planet. 

Palmerston Island, Cook Islands

Even though it may look idyllic, the tiny island has no link to the outside world apart from a telephone station for emergencies. Cargo ships only visit a few times a year as without a harbor, access to the island is treacherous. 

Palmerston Island, Cook Islands

There are just two main dirt tracks on the island, while access to electricity and the internet is available for just a few hours a day. Palmerston Island is so remote, it wasn't featured on standardized maps until 1969.

Palmerston Island, Cook Islands

Life on the island is one of isolation and simplicity, with the locals collecting rainwater for drinking and relying on fish and coconuts to get by. The community is self-reliant due to its fishing, a rainwater-catchment system and a solar generator. 

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