It seems impossible, yet one of the most beautiful beaches in the world is not in a hot spot, but in Antarctica! Here is Pendulum Cove.
You may not believe it, but one of the most beautiful beaches in the world is not in the Maldives or the Bahamas. It’s Pendulum Cove in Antarctica!
Let’s be clear, this is not a classic beach as we can imagine our local ones. This is a unique location and very particular, but no less beautiful or interesting indeed. If you are planning a trip Pendulum Cove could be just the right destination for you.
Antarctica: the extraordinary beach of Pendulum Cove
Pendulum Cove is a bay that is located northeast of Port Foster on Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. As you may have guessed, the name of this bay is directly related to the pendulum: here, in fact, the British expedition led by Henry Foster in 1829, began to make the first experiments on the magnetic field, just with this simple instrument of the pendulum.
We have talked about beach and at Pendulum Cove, in Antarctica, there is really a beach of black sand of volcanic origin. Here, after an initial shiver of more than normal cold, you can immerse yourself in the thermal waters that come from the nearby springs and you will also be pampered by the fumes of the thermal vapors. A dip in the heat of the boiling water that, even if it is not abundant, manages to warm the whole body, giving a special emotion to anyone who finds themselves here.
Pendulum Cove, Antarctica: what to see
At Pendulum Cove there was the Pedro Aguirre Cerda Base, a meteorological research station, inaugurated in 1955, but then destroyed by volcanic eruptions in 1967: today these ruins have become a historical site. Besides this, obviously Pendulum Cove deserves to be discovered for its natural and geographical beauty. The cove falls within an Antarctic Specially Protected Area.
Sure going all the way to Antarctica for a hot spring may seem like overkill, but imagine how weird it can be to get naked and not feel cold in an area like that where penguins and seals live? If the idea doesn’t inspire you here you can find thermal waters and springs to soak in much closer!