15 Peaceful Places to Get Away From It All

The best escape is an escape from everything.

by isaacschultz

15 Places

Stressful assignment, nagging family member, that one chore that just won’t go away, even after you’ve just finished it: Everyone, at some point, needs to get away. Far away. The farther you are from everything, the less you have to worry about anything.

From the tiniest church in the world, to a solitary Douglas fir in Canada, to temples perched in seemingly impossible places, here are some sites that might represent loneliness, but also represent that kind of escape that many of us are looking for.

Hegra, Saudi Arabia

Qasr al-Farid

An unfinished tomb carved into a giant boulder in the Arabian Desert.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Nagano's Darkroom

This ancient temple is set up to take you on a pilgrimage of self.

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Added by journeylism

Wellesley Island, New York

Just Room Enough Island

This tiny little island has, as the name says, just enough room for its single house.

Josh

Port Renfrew, British Columbia

Big Lonely Doug

Saved by a logger, this Douglas fir is one of the last great old-growth trees in Canada.

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Juan Fernández, Chile

Robinson Crusoe Island

Named for the DeFoe novel inspired by a stranded sailor, this island is known for its rare plants and extreme beauty.

Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

At the crypt of St. Mary of Eulogies and the Dead you are left alone to ponder mortality among piles of skulls.

CadaverFormosus

Added by CadaverFormosus

Buford, Wyoming

Buford, Wyoming: Population 0

One of the smallest towns in the United States.

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Added by atimian

Monterey, California

Point Sur Lightstation

Life in this isolated, hilltop lighthouse was lonely, but it sure was lovely.

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Moni Strofadon, Greece

Strofades Monastery

A lonely medieval monastery on an uninhabited island.

Aika

Selárdalur Valley

A "simple-hearted artist" turned an isolated Icelandic valley into his own art museum.

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Added by Rachel

Wanaka, New Zealand

That Wanaka Tree

A solitary tree has grown up all alone on Lake Wānaka, backdropped by the beautiful Southern Alps.

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Added by Blindcolour

Kalsoy, Faroe Islands

Kallur Lighthouse

This isolated structure beckons adventurers with sublime views of the Faroe Islands.

Kerry Wolfe

Added by Kerry Wolfe

Kediri, Indonesia

Tanah Lot

Isolated atop this Balinese sea crag is a lovely Hindu temple that is said to be guarded by sea snakes.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing)

Two ancient Buddhist temples crown this dramatic rocky pinnacle.

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Added by lewblank

Oneida, New York

Cross Island Chapel

Possibly the smallest church in the world floats in the middle of a pond.

Map