Explore the real-world places that appear in Mysterious Island by Jules Verne. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Granite House, Chimneys, Port Balloon, Mount Franklin, Lake Grant and 10 more.
Cyrus Smith's cave home in the cliff
Cyrus Smith, Gideon Spilett, Pencroft, Nab and Harbert find a hollow in the granite cliff after their balloon escape from Richmond. They enlarge it into a multi-room home with a ladder and later an elevator powered by water. It becomes the heart of their colony.
The great granite wall overlooking the sea was shaped by ancient volcanic action. Its natural corridors were hollowed by ancient water flows before the castaways claimed it.
It represents civilization rebuilt from nothing through science and cooperation. It embodies the novel's belief in human ingenuity.
First shelter of the castaways
The five castaways first shelter in these rocky passages after Cyrus Smith is found alive. Nab and Pencroft light the first fire with Top the dog's help and Smith's lost-and-found matches. Here they plan their survival.
Wind and waves carved these wave-beaten passages in the granite cliff. They channel the wind into howling chimneys.
It marks the colonists' first step from desperation to organized survival. Its crude shelter contrasts with later achievements.
Landing point on the northeast shore
The balloon from Richmond crashes on the island's shore, and Cyrus Smith vanishes in the storm. Harbert, Pencroft and the others struggle ashore and search for him. This is where the story's survival tale begins.
Named by the colonists after the balloon that brought them. Its sands bore the ruined remains of their escape.
It marks the transition from war captivity to freedom and from civilization to wilderness.
Volcano at the island's center
Cyrus Smith and the colonists climb the mountain to survey the island and discover it is an island. Later the volcano wakes, threatening everyone. Its final eruption destroys the island.
The volcano rose from the sea floor long ago, building the island by repeated eruptions. Its lava has carved paths to the sea.
It symbolizes nature's power, which finally overwhelms human works. It forces the colonists to face their limits.
Freshwater lake on the east
The colonists name the lake after Captain Grant, whose story they know. It supplies fresh water and fish. Its outflow powers the mill and the Granite House elevator.
The lake lies in an ancient volcanic hollow, fed by rainwater and streams.
It anchors the colony's water supply and its link to the wider literary world of Verne.
Freshwater river flowing to the sea
The castaways name it Red Creek and later Mercy River for its steady waters. They float timber and cross it to explore. Its freshwater is vital.
Fed by springs on the volcano's slopes, it winds down to the sea through the forest.
It is the lifeline that lets the colony grow into a thriving community.
Forest where the colonists hunt
The colonists hunt kangaroos, peccaries and other game in the woods. Pencroft and Harbert gather wood for the boat. Here they find the strange creatures that live in the forest.
The forest has deep roots and a mix of tropical and temperate trees. Its dense growth hides hunting grounds.
It shows nature's gifts and the need to use them wisely.
Swampy lowlands in the southeast
The colonists hunt wild ducks and other waterfowl in the marshes. Gideon Spilett and Harbert explore it for game. The nearby coast gives them seabirds' eggs.
The marshes formed where streams meet the low coast. Water birds nest in thick reeds.
They show the abundant resources the island provides.
Southwest headland of the island
The colonists sail around the cape in their boat Bonadventure. Pencroft pilots the vessel and learns to navigate the coast. They search the coast for ship traces.
Its shape resembles a crab's claw jutting into the ocean. Sailors fear its currents.
It marks the limits of the colonists' world and their growing mastery of the sea.
Bay on the southern coast
The colonists name the gulf for the sharks seen there. Pencroft and Harbert fish near its waters. They later build their shipyard on the coast.
A gulf shaped like a shark's open jaws, its currents carry fish and dangerous predators.
It shows the dangers that surround the colony and the courage to face them.
Curved peninsula in the east
The colonists explore the long, twisted peninsula in search of the mysterious benefactor. They find odd wreckage and signs of strangers. The place remains eerie.
The peninsula is shaped like a serpent's tail, formed by lava flows.
It embodies the mystery and the unseen presence that shadows the colony.
Nearby island with Ayrton's hut
The colonists sail there on the Bonadventure to find Ayrton, a former mutineer abandoned years ago. Gideon Spilett and Cyrus Smith meet him, and he joins the colony. A note from the benefactor guided them.
The island was used by Captain Grant's rescuers as a refuge. Ayrton lived there alone for years.
It is a place of redemption and forgiveness, where Ayrton regains his humanity.
Livestock enclosure near the volcano
The colonists build a corral for mouflons and goats at the foot of Mount Franklin. Ayrton later lives there. Pirates attack it, and Ayrton is captured.
The corral stands in a mountain valley sheltered by cliffs.
It shows the colonists' growth into farmers and herders, and their vulnerability.
Hidden grotto of Captain Nemo
Led by a mysterious signal, the colonists find an underwater tunnel and a cavern housing the Nautilus. They meet the dying Captain Nemo, who reveals he was the benefactor. He gives them a chest of jewels and dies.
The cavern was hidden in a volcanic cave and flooded by the sea. Nemo made it his last harbor after wandering the seas.
It reveals the island's secret and ties the novel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It brings themes of redemption and mercy.
Dense woodland of the western coast
The colonists explore the wild western forest and find evidence of other life. Wild beasts roam there. Their expeditions reveal more of the island's riches.
The forest's thick growth shelters unknown wildlife.
It stands for the unknown wilderness that remains beyond the colonists' reach.
More by Jules Verne: Around the World in 80 Days locations map · The Mysterious Island locations map · Around the World in Eighty Days locations map · Journey to the Center of the Earth locations map · All Jules Verne books