The legends, mysteries, and romance associated with the words “Bora Bora” bring an almost mystical presence to the island. The island, located about 230 kilometres northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef.

Bora Bora is predestined for snorkeling and scuba diving in and around its lagoon.

Made famous by books, movies, and its stunning beauty, the island is now besieged by tourism and overcrowding. Regardless, if you must visit a South Pacific island (and you should), Bora Bora would be an excellent choice.

Here are 25 Stunning Pictures of Bora Bora…

( photo by Viajes Mundoparaise – Plantour Ponferrada )

( photo by Carioto )

( photo by Kevissimo )

( photo by leah ashley )

( photo by underwatertourist )

( photo by Carioto )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by Super Starfish )

( photo by foto’s by gerg )

( photo by Viajes Mundoparaise – Plantour Ponferrada )

( photo by Carioto )

( photo by tiarescott )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by easy.tahiti )

( photo by easy.tahiti )

( photo by easy.tahiti )

( photo by D. [SansPretention] )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by Official Roxy Photos )

( photo by Official Roxy Photos )

( photo by sandra.melcer )

( photo by totalisator )

And now for some jokes:

And since sex sells, here’s a French patriot:

Are we all ready for a little exercise? It’s just a short hike, but maybe enough to get our blood circulating. Let’s go!

First, we take the tram up to the start of the trail:



Now we follow the path:


Use the railing if you find it helpful:


We might want to keep an eye on that guy in front of us:


Let’s pass these slowpokes!


Here’s a few steps to climb:


A little bit steeper here: be sure to use the handy toe holes!


Just a few more steps to go:


And here we are! Enjoy the pretty view for a minute, & then we’ll head back down. Race you to the bottom!

Berlin, Germany has been at the center of European history in many regards, most recently as the divided core of Germany before East and West reunification. This abandoned complex located in Beelitz (just outside of Berlin) dates back to the 19th century and was used by the Germans as a military hospital through the second World War. From the 1940s on it was continuously occupied and used as a military hospital by the Russians complete with a surgery, psychiatric ward and rifle range before being abandoned in the 1990s. During its years of operation, famous (or infamous) patients included Adolf Hitler and former East German leader Erich Honecker.

Mesen, Belgium is the smallest town in Belgium with fewer than 1,000 residents. However, it is the home of one of the most beautiful abandoned castles one could imagine, built, rebuilt, modified and expanded from the 1500s onward. This gorgeous structure evolved from a defensive fortress to a boarding school over
time before being abandoned in the middle of the 20th century. It has has decayed by natural means with very little outside interference or vandalism and conjures picturesque images of beautiful deserted buildings. Nonetheless, it is under threat of destruction. It seems that only in Europe, where such buildings are more abundant, could such a lovely structure be considered common enough to not necessarily warrant rehabilitation.

Copenhagen, Denmark has developed a rich tradition of industrial production in part due to its geography. Flanked on virtually all sides by water, it is no wonder this country has spawned many facilities like the refrigeration factory featured above. These pictures show the internal story of desertion, fire and other internal tales as well as the future plans for redevelopment on the site. Adjacent condos (shown in the last image) represent the likely direction of this abandoned property as waterfront real estate continues to replace old industrial uses.

Ryhope, England is home to an abandoned water pumping station that almost seems like a retrofuturistic structure straight out of a cyberpunk novel. This deserted structure is a monument to the Victorian era of industrialization, dating back to the middle of the 19th Century. It was an important step in the modernization of clean water distribution in an era where urban densification and disease went hand in hand. Though the station is no longer in active use all of the machinery still works, a true testament to the capabilities of Victorian English engineers.

Tempere, Finland is one of many places that saw considerable growth and prosperity during the industrial revolution. With a thriving Finnish timber industry came the matchstick factory featured above. Built between world wars, the factory was in continuous use until the mid-1970s at which point it switched industries with the times, become (among other things) an automobile plant for a period of time. Since being entirely abandoned the main building and surrounding structures have become hangouts for local teens as evidenced in the images above.

Warsaw, Poland has had a long and trying history of war and strife. It is perhaps no wonder that even in the heart of a relatively prosperous Polish city one can still find a vast abandoned factory complex. This series of deserted structures began as an electric lamp production facility in the 1920s before being converted to construct radios for submarines by the Germans during World War II. It reverted to its old function after the war but was poorly managed and eventually abandoned altogether, with remnant containers of chemicals and other assorted scientific equipment left behind as a testament to its earlier uses.

Paris, France is notorious of late-running Metro trains due to frequent worker strikes – but perhaps less well known for its numerous abandoned Metro stations. Urban explorers manage to find their ways into some of these abandoned subway tunnels while others have been converted to new uses including (appropriately enough) official homeless shelters. Some of the tunnels can even be visited privately late at night in groups led by sanctioned rail-expert tour guides.

The Eiffel Tower is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. The tower has become a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.The Parisian landmark is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognized structures in the world and is named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel.The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World’s Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. The tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, and opened on 6 May.

Almost the entire population of Balaklava at the time worked at the Base, even family members could not visit the town of Balaklava without good reason and identification. The base remained operational after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 until 1993 when the decommissioning process started and the warheads and low yield torpedos were removed. Then in 1996 the last Russian Submarine left the Base, and now you can go on Guided tours around the Cannel System, Base and small Museum, which is now housed in the old weapons stowage hangers deep inside the hillside.