15 Very Popular Tourist Attractions that Are No Longer Open to the Public

Travelling is a passion for many people. They love to travel all over the world and visit unique spots. All tourist attractions are not of the same nature though. Some of them are immune to the footfall, while others are not. In this article, we have compiled 15 tourist attractions that are no longer open to the public.

Whether it is because of damage, intentional or unintentional, caused by tourists, or climate change, or simply economic problems, these attractions are no longer open. This article will make you realize that when you travel, you must try to not damage historical or natural monuments.

1Guaíra Falls

Guaíra Falls was located on the Paraná River that serves as a border between Paraguay and Brazil. It was a series of 18 waterfalls and was one of the most powerful in the world, while not the highest. It was demolished in 1982 by the Brazilian army to construct the Itaipu Dam. In the last months, millions gathered to say goodbye, even causing many accidents, but that didn’t stop tourists.

2Maya Bay

Maya Bay is located in the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. There was a sudden boost in tourist activity to the locations after it was popularized by the movie ‘The Beach’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. After that, it started receiving footfall of nearly 5000 people a day. As you can understand, this must have impacted the beach negatively. In 2018, it was closed indefinitely by authorities for recovery.

3Wedding Cake Rock

This rock is so called because of its completely white appearance. It had always been one of the top destinations in Australia. However, after several yogis and pros uploaded videos of them balancing near the edge of the rock, footfall increased significantly. From 2000 visitors a month, the number shot up to 10,000. After the death of a few people, a fence was put up in 2015. It has been closed since 2015 due to fears about its stability.

4Chacaltaya Glacier

The glacier was located atop the Chacaltaya Mountain. This was Bolivia’s only ski resort and was accessible by only a dirt road. It was heavenly for ski-enthusiasts. However, in the 1990s, scientists noticed that as an effect of climate change, the glacier was melting at an alarming rate. They predicted it would disappear by 2015. By 2009, the snow and the ski-run disappeared completely.

5Lake Poopó

This lake is also located in Bolivia. It had dried up once in 1994 but was later rejuvenated by rainwater. However, in 2016, it dried up completely and did not rejuvenate again. This was due to the effect of climate change and also the effect of agricultural and mining development in the nearby regions.