Some of the worlds most interesting locations are only accessible for a few hours a day.
These tidal islands come and go day in, day out, unknown to many, and inaccessible to most.
In the recent popular Netflix series, Jack Whitehall:Travels with my Father, we see the dynamic pair venture throughout the UK and within the first episode they head to Burgh Island, a tidal island off the coast of South Devon. The fascinating use of a large tractor-like vehicle instead of a ferry adds to the wonder and mystery of these islands and makes the journey just as enjoyable as the trip- that is if you don’t miss the last sailing (or drive in this case) whilst waiting on your fish and chips order…
How about an in-depth guide to where, when and how you too can discover what these floating regions have to offer?
Our top four most stand out tidal islands across the world are:
Minister’s Island, a Canadian tidal island located in New Brunswick, Canada. A gravel strait that’s strong enough to allow vehicles to pass across is available at low tide – but only for five hours during low tide. visitors lucky enough to spend time on the island can check out the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, the Kingsbrae Gardens and the summer estate of Sir William Van Horne, the man who built the Canadian Pacific Railway.
This island is also perfect for hiking, biking and spotting wildlife due to the 200+ hectare nature preserve, along with over 20km of coastal trails.
Jindo and Modo, south western islands in South Korea. These historically rich islands are only accessible on foot during extremely low tides. A natural causeway appears just twice a year, once in May and once in mid-June – and only for an hour at a time. Jindo is the third largest island in South Korea and helps to form the Jindo County. The Southwest island even hosts a yearly ‘miracle sea road festival’, where locals and travellers meet in the parting area of the sea to celebrate the natural phenomena.
Modo is a much smaller island in the same County which connects to Jindo during the festival.
Mont Saint-Michel located in Normandy, France. Rising sea levels separated this island from the mainland, that’s home to monks and nuns that reside in a stunning abbey. The bay in which the abbey stands is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site!
The best time to visit is between May and October, but the following dates are also a good option to drive down and see it: March 1st and 2nd, 29th and 30th. April, 28th and 29th, October, 7th and 8th and November 5th and 6th.
St. Michael’s Mount in Mount’s bay, Marazion, England. This hilly island is just off the coast, and only accessible for four hours, either side of low water depending on weather conditions. However, at high tide the sea covers the causeway and the Mount is inaccessible on foot – so most tourists ditch their cars in favour of a boat. The man-made causeway leads visitors to the town of Marazion and is protected by the National Trust.
Little pockets of history sit sheltered by the sea every day, which are you must intrigued to visit?
(Research of that mentioned was conducted by NI Travel News and DiscoverCars.com)
