9 of the Most Remote Bars on Earth

Drinks taste better when you have to work for them—when getting to the bar takes more than just a few presses in your Uber app. Reaching hard-to-get-to bars gives you a feeling of accomplishment, of going somewhere few have gone before. And if you consider yourself a boozy explorer, these are the places for you. Located in some of the farthest flung places still occupied by humans, these are some of the world’s most remote bars.

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Longyearbyen, Norway
In the world’s northernmost city, Longyearbyen, Norway, you can curl up in the newly remodeled Funken Bar at The Funken Lodge. After extensive renovations, the bar and hotel are set to reopen in February 2018. Sit back with a stiff glass of aquavit in front of a roaring fire in the type of tastefully appointed space only Norwegians could pull off north of the Arctic Circle.

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Langebaan, South Africa
At the end of a dirt road in a sparsely populated part of South Africa’s Atlantic coast you’ll find the entrance to Die Strandloper on a dirt only marked by a wooden sign reading “beach bar.” And while a highlight a trip to Langebaan includes Strandloper’s 10-course seafood feast on the beach at sunset (all for $25), the beach bar is an equally enjoyable and less filling stop. The bar itself is full of sand, beer and South African wine. It is the perfect combination of dive bar and oceanfront beauty.

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Knoydart, Scotland
Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most remote pub on the British mainland, the Old Forge is only accessible by boat (or on foot if you’re a heartier sort). Once you settle in, you can have one of two beers exclusive to the pub or some of the harder stuff that Scotland is known for.

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Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
Eastern Iceland is not where you’d expect to find a high-end sushi restaurant and bar, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Norð-austur. With plenty of fresh fish from the Icelandic coast and chefs imported from New York, the sushi is loved by locals and tourists alike. And the drinks menu, though short, has a lot to offer too, from different expressions of Nikka whisky to a Brennivin (Icelandic aquavit) and rhubarb cocktail.

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Tibooburra, NSW, Australia
Originally a 19th century inn in the town of Tibooburra (population 134), the Family Hotel’s claim to fame is its murals. During the 1960s, famed Australian artist Clifton Pugh painted one bar wall with a scene of nude women and an anatomically correct devil enjoying each other’s company.

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Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Beto’s calls its offerings “endemic drinks,” a play on all the endemic species that live only in the Galapagos. You’ll feel like you’ve reached the end of the world at this little beach bar. Watch the sunset over the ocean with a cold beer or rum cocktail in hand.

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Maldives
Staying at high-end resorts when you’re traveling to the ends of the Earth doesn’t always provide you with the most authentic experiences. But it does provide you with the most extravagant. On the Maldives in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Niyama resort goes all in on over-the-top luxury with their Subsix nightclub. Billed as the world’s first underwater club, you can only get there by taking a speedboat to the entrance and then descending three flights of stairs beneath the water. The drinks are much what you’d expect from nice hotel bars above the waves, like the barrel-aged Negroni.  

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Faraday Bar

Vernadsky Research Station, Antarctica
Billed by its creators as the southernmost bar in the world, Faraday caters to the relatively small number of Antarctic tourists and the even smaller number of Ukrainian researchers stationed there. One writer who stopped by the bar said she found the vodka (the drink of choice) to be “slightly sweet with the strong taste of almonds and hints of vanilla.” All for only $3 a pop. That makes it simultaneously the cheapest and most expensive drink you can get down there.

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Outside Uyuni, Bolivia
In the southwest of Bolivia you’ll find the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt plateau. And about 16 miles outside the town of Uyuni, you’ll find the Luna Salada, a hotel made entirely of salt. Order up a Pisco Sour at the hotel’s bar/lounge and take in the haunting scenery. If it looks like something out of Star Wars, it is; they filmed portions of The Last Jedi on the plateau.