A piece of land that is connected to the mainland at low tide during which time they can be reached on foot is called a tidal island. During high tide the island is completely cut off from the mainland and becomes a real island. Sometimes, the tidal islands are connected to the mainland by a man-made causeway allowing easy access for visitors wishing to cross over. But even these can get submerged by the sea. So you have to check the tide times before visiting a tidal island, otherwise you have to swim to get back.
10. Enoshima
Enoshima is located at the mouth of the Katase River, which flows into Sagami Bay in Japan. It is a small tidal island about 4 km in circumference. It is part of the city of Fujisawa and linked to the mainland by a 600 meter-long bridge. At low tide you can walk to the island on the exposed sandbars.
Bordering the closest beach to Tokyo and Yokohama, the island and the nearby coast are the hub of a popular resort area. In 1880 a British merchant had developed a botanical garden, which is a major attraction on the island and attracts over half a million visitors a year.
9. Castle Tioram
Castle Tioram is a ruined castle located on the tidal island EileanTioram of Loch Moidart, Scotland. The castle controls access to Loch Shiel, even though it is hidden from the sea. The curtain wall is believed to be constructed during 13th century.
But the tower and other interior buildings were constructed between the 15th and 17th century. You can visit the castle on foot across the tidal causeway, but you cannot go inside the castle because of the risk of falling masonry. we place this at number nine in our list of top 10 mysterious tidal Islands around the world.
8. Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. A monastery was founded on Lindisfarne around 635 AD which became the base for Christian evangelizing in the North of England. A Viking raid in 793 on Lindisfarne caused much consternation throughout the Christian west and it is often considered as the beginning of the Viking Age.
In the 16th century a small castle was built here. At present, the island is a popular tourist attraction. Visitors wishing to walk between the mainland and the island are advised to keep to the marked path, check the tide times and weather carefully, and seek local advice if in doubt.
7. Ko Nang Yuan
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Ko Nang Yuan is situated off the northwest coast of Ko Tao. It is a small island formed by three separate rocky outcrops, which is interconnected by a long sandy beach. During high tides most of the beach gets submerged and creates three separate tidal islands. The coral reefs and marine life are clearly visible in the transparent blue sea that is just 10 meters from the shore of Ko Nang Yuan. The island is popular with day trippers. There is a resort located on the middle island with a full range of facilities.
6. Haji Ali Dargah
The Haji Ali Dargah is a mosque. It is located on an islet off the coast of Mumbai. It is an exquisite example of Indian Islamic architecture. The Dargah contains the tomb of Sayed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. A rich Muslim merchant constructed The Haji Ali Dargah in 1431, who gave up all his worldly possessions before making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The islet is linked to the city by a nearly one kilometer (0.6 miles) long narrow causeway. The Dargah is accessible only during low tide because the causeway gets submerged during the high tides. With the sea on both sides, the walk on the causeway is one of the highlights of a trip to the shrine.
5. St Michael’s Mount
St Michael’s Mount is located 366 meters off the Mount’s Bay coast of Cornwall, in south-western England. It is connected to the mainland by a man-made causeway of granite setts, only passable during mid to low tide. A 15th century building known as the chapel of St Michael, has an embattled tower which has a small turret in one angle that served for the guidance of ships. Some studies indicate that the Cornwall coast, including the St. Michael’s Mount will be at risk due to any rise in ocean waters as well as existing natural erosion.
4. Jindo and Modo
In the southwest of South Korea there are two islands known as Jindo and Modo. Due to extremely low tides a natural causeway opens two times a year, which connects the islands for a period of one hour. The causeway connecting the islands is almost 3 kilometers (2 miles) long and over 40 meters (120 feet) wide.
Every year a festival (the Jindo Sea-parting festival or Jindo Moses Miracle) is arranged which is dedicated to this natural wonder and people from all around the world attend it. On each of these days, the populace and the visitors traditionally walk to the middle of the causeway to meet one another. Visitors and tourists from each island celebrate in the middle of the causeway for an hour.
3. Eilean Donan
Eilean Donan is located in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is a small tidal island connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the village of Dornie. The island is dominated by a picturesque medieval castle. In the early 13th century the original castle was built as a defense against the Vikings. Now-a-days, it is one of the most photographed attractions in Scotland and a popular venue for weddings and film locations. The castle has appeared in such films as The World Is Not Enough and Highlander.
2. Sveti Stefan
Sveti Stefan is a seaside resort situated on the Budva Riviera in western Montenegro. The island was a small fishermen’s village during the 15th century. In the 1950s the last residents of the village were evicted and the Sveti Stefan was transformed into a luxury town-hotel. The exterior such as the streets, walls, roofs and facades of the buildings were preserved, while the interior were transformed to offer the most modern luxury hotel comfort.
Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas and Claudia Schiffer were among the guests of this luxurious hotel. During the breakup of the former Yugoslav federation the hotel fell into decline. A Singapore based luxury resort operator won a contract to lease Sveti Stefan for a 30 year period in 2007. The island was then closed and extensive reconstructions began with plans to re-open it in 2009.
1. Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint Michel is located just off the coast of the northern French region of Normandy. It is a small tidal island best known for the site of the spectacular and well-preserved Norman Benedictine Abbey of St Michel at the peak of the rocky island, which is surrounded by the winding streets and convoluted architecture of the medieval town. The monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel gave its support to duke William of Normandy in his claim to the throne of England in 1067.
For the support it was rewarded with properties and grounds on the English side of the Channel. The property includes a small island, which is modeled after the Mount and became a Norman priory named St Michael’s Mount. The mount can still pose dangers for visitors who avoid the causeway and attempt the hazardous walk across the sands from the neighboring coast with tides that can vary greatly.
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