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Hekla, Iceland -

With a height of 4,892 feet (1,491 meters), Hekla is an active volcano on the southern part of Iceland. It's one of the nation's most active volcanoes, having had over 20 eruptions since 1210.

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Hekla, Iceland -

Due to these eruptions, during the Middle Ages the Icelandic Norse called the volcano the Gateway to Hell, which spread over much of Europe. Medieval monks wrote that the volcano was a doorway to hell, as well as the eternal prison of Judas.

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Boca do Inferno, Portugal -

Portuguese for "Hell's Mouth," Boca do Inferno is a chasm located in the seaside cliffs in the Portuguese city of Cascais. The old cave forms an archway, which the Atlantic waves crash relentlessly through.

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Boca do Inferno, Portugal -

A popular tourist attraction, the cave was the first to be depicted in moving pictures, in the 1896 British film 'A Sea Cave Near Lisbon.'

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St Patrick's Purgatory, Ireland -

Founded in the 15th century, St Patrick’s Purgatory is a small monastery located on Ireland’s Station Island. According to old Irish tales, St Patrick visited the island and Jesus sent him visions of the torments of hell.

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St Patrick's Purgatory, Ireland -

The spot where the saint received these diabolical hallucinations was later considered to be an entrance to Satan's pit. The monastery was built to cover the hole.

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Darvaza gas crater, Turkmenistan -

Situated in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert, the Darvaza gas crater is also known as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell. And we can all see why!

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Darvaza gas crater, Turkmenistan -

A burning natural gas field, it collapsed in a cave that has been burning for an unknown period of time. It has a diameter of 200–230 feet (60–70 meters), and a depth of about 98 feet (30 meters).

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Houska Castle, Czech Republic -

Located north of Prague, Houska Castle is a 13th-century Gothic gem, which supposedly sits on top of hell's gate. According to local legend, the castle's chapel was built to cover an enormous hole in the ground that served as Satan's threshold.

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Houska Castle, Czech Republic -

Houska Castle is still considered haunted, and tourists have reported seeing headless horses and demonic winged beasts lurking around.

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Hell, Cayman Islands -

Saying that you're going to visit Hell on a trip to the Cayman Islands isn't weird at all! One of the island's most visited tourist attractions, Hell is a geological site.

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Hell, Cayman Islands -

Its name comes from a group of short, black limestone formations located in the area. Hell is roughly the size of half a football field.

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Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya -

Located northwest of Nairobi, Hell's Gate National Park was named by British explores in the 1880s after the narrow break in the cliffs.

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Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya -

The national park is known for its wide variety of wildlife and for its scenery. Additionally, it has three basic campsites and a Maasai Cultural Center.

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Cave of the Sibyl, Italy -

Naples also has a gateway to hell called the Cave of the Sibyl, which was described by Virgil over 2,000 years ago in 'The Aeneid.'

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Cave of the Sibyl, Italy -

According to the poet, the Trojan hero Aeneas met the oracle Sibyl there, who guided him through the cave into hell. In 1932, explorers finally uncovered this entrance to the 'underworld.'

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Chinoike Jigoku, Japan -

In Beppu City lie a series of nine hot springs, each one flowing in a different color and composition. However, Chinoike Jigoku, meaning "bloody hell pond," stands out with its rich color from natural iron oxide.

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Chinoike Jigoku, Japan -

Mentioned in Buddhist texts that date back to 700 CE, Chinoike Jigoku has a collection of sculpted demons around it, some even carved in the rocks. The ancient Buddhist monks sometimes used this bubbling pit to torture prisoners before boiling them alive.

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Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua -

The indigenous people of Masaya didn't believe that the mouth of their caldera was a gateway to the afterlife, but there was a local belief that the volcano was a god and that a sorceress lived inside it.

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Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua -

It was the Spanish colonizers who arrived in the 16th century, and had little familiarity with volcanos, who associated the Masaya with hell.

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Osorezan, Japan -

Japan's Osorezan, or Mount Osore, is a pilgrimage site that translates to "Mountain of Dread." For centuries, this volcano was believed to be a gate to Buddhist hell.

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Osorezan, Japan -

With a height of 2,884 feet (879 meters), Mount Osore last erupted over 10,000 years ago. However, as the area has many fumaroles, emitting steam and volcanic gases, it's still an active volcano.

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Fengdu Ghost City, China -

Fengdu Ghost City is a temple with close ties to Naraka, the underworld of Chinese mythology. Visitors can find the entrance to hell at Guimen Gate, which is also known as the Ghost Torturing Pass.

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Fengdu Ghost City, China -

This 2,000-year-old settlement is located on Ming Hill, at the northern end of the Yangtze River. Its streets and squares are filled with statues of ghosts and demons, as well as reminders of the punishments that await the wicked in the next life.

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Cape Matapan, Greece -

The ancient Greeks believed the dead descended into the underworld, ruled by Hades. When Orpheus and Hercules made heroic journeys into Hades' home, they supposedly entered through the caves of Cape Matapan.

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Cape Matapan, Greece -

The ancient Spartans built several temples there, dedicated to various gods, including Hades.

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Mitla, Mexico -

One of the most important archaeological sites in Oaxaca, Mitla was a sacred burial site for the indigenous Zapotec culture.

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Mitla, Mexico -

The name Mitla is derived from the Nahuatl name Mictlán, meaning the "place of the dead" or "underworld."

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Poço do Inferno, Portugal -

Located in the Serra da Estrela mountain range in Portugal, Poço do Inferno literally translates to "Hell's Well."

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Poço do Inferno, Portugal -

Found at an altitude of 3,500 feet (1,080 meters), the water gets so cold in the winters that it literally freezes over, like hell. 

Sources: (Atlas Obscura) (Gizmodo) (Fodor's)

See also: Bizarre religions and their strange beliefs

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