Have you ever said ‘I want to get as far away from here as possible’? If so you may be wondering where the furthest you can get away from anywhere is? So if you’re thinking of getting away from it all for a while you may be interested in booking a ticket to one of these destination airports…
Ascension Island
Over a thousand miles from anywhere else, Ascension Island in the Atlantic, almost on the line of the equator, is best known as a refuelling stop for British military aircraft on their way from the UK to the Falklands but you can catch a civilian flight there if you want a little peace and quiet. The island has a tropical climate but is quite arid. It’s only as you climb up the mountains that it becomes more fertile and green. There are a limited number of places to stay but if you hang around for a while you can scuba dive or play a round on what has been called the world’s worst golf course.
Perth
This one is a little of a paradox for the airport serves a huge city, yet the city and the airport are over 1,300 miles away from the next nearest city of Adelaide. Perth has great beaches and a rich cultural life with a range of entertainments including sport, theatre and music. You can also drive the coastal road and see some of the remoter communities nearby.
Easter Island
Mataveri Airport on Easter Island is over 2,300 miles from the coast of Chile. Easter Island is one of the most mysterious places on earth with the giant Moai carved heads dominating it. It’s still not known the exact purpose of the monuments but they attract thousands of visitors each year who visit the quarry inside the cone of a dormant volcano to see how they were extracted and carved. The airport serves as a stopping off point for travellers going onwards to Tahiti from Chile.
Svalbard Airport
Svalbard Airport is the world’s northernmost airport and whilst geographically not very remote from other cities, the desolate landscape and intense cold which improves only slightly in summer means that you’ll feel like you’re completely isolated. It’s located at 78 degrees north putting it well inside the Arctic Circle. The airport serves the town of Longyearbyen which used to be a prominent coal mining town but which now counts research into Arctic conditions and their effects as its main economic activity.
Petrapavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport
Petrapavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport gets you into the city of the same name and it’s a good job for the city is the second biggest in the world that is inaccessible by road. The only other way in is from the sea. It’s located at the end of the Kamchatka Peninsula which, despite being on the same latitude as Manchester, has a much harsher climate. The city is also unusual in having so many mountains and volcanoes surrounding it that there’s not a single point in the city where you can see the true horizon so you really can’t see much of the outside world, adding to the isolation.
You won’t be able to get much further away from civilisation than these airports but if you want to be alone, you might need to get a loan as air fares to them aren’t cheap. Enjoy your trip and don’t forget to send a postcard!