Imagine a place so remote, it’s only reachable by boat, surrounded by fog-drenched cliffs, and inhabited by thousands of seabirds—not people. Welcome to Bear Island (Bjørnøya), Norway’s little-known gem, sitting alone between the coast of Norway and the icy Svalbard archipelago. This Arctic island might not host polar bears, despite its name, but it does have enough natural wonders, wildlife, and haunting beauty to leave a mark on any adventurer’s soul. Bear Island earned its name in 1596 when Dutch explorers, looking for a northern route to Asia, spotted a lone polar bear swimming near its coast. Though the bears don’t make this rocky island their home, the name stuck, giving it a rugged and wild reputation that holds up to this day.

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A mere hundred yards from the Moroccan coast lie the Alhucemas Islands. Among them, the most intriguing is the fortress called Peñon de Alhucemas. It dates back to the Spanish Empire, and has remained in Spanish hands even though Morocco vehemently contested it since its accession to independence in 1956.
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