The 15 Quietest Places on Earth
Sound saturates every part of our planet as trains produce blaring noises, planes generate roaring sounds, and digital devices produce constant pinging sounds without any pause. WHO reports that over fifty percent of urban populations face harmful health effects from noise exposure.
Global noise pollution has reduced the space where one can find true silence to only a few untouched regions. Absolute quiet reveals its true nature to those who experience it directly. For those brave enough to seek out these hush-filled environments, the challenge isn’t external noise — it’s the intensity of hearing your thoughts loud and clear.
These 15 locations worldwide are potent reminders of how distinctive and impactful true quietness can be since they encompass desert landscapes, forest grounds, submerged cave networks, and tiled sound-blocking chambers.
Orfield Laboratories, Minnesota – The Room That Breaks People
Visitors to Orfield Labs’ Minneapolis anechoic chamber will experience a remarkable sensation after entering. This structure’s Guinness World Record -20.35 dBA, silent rating makes it quieter than absolute stillness.
Inside the chamber, visitors experience such intense silence that they claim to detect their heart beating, blood circulating through their bodies, and the movements of their joints. “The longest continuous time anyone has spent inside the chamber is about 55 minutes,” confirmed Gopal at Microsoft.
NASA relies on this chamber to test astronaut reactions to sensory deprivation experiences. To obtain complete tranquility (despite mental discomfort), visit this place, which delivers absolute quiet.
Hoh Rainforest, Washington – Nature’s Quiet Cathedral
The Hoh Rainforest enters your senses unexpectedly upon your arrival. Recognized for the “One Square Inch of Silence” project, this ancient temperate rainforest’s thick moss and lush ferns form a natural sound barrier.
An auditory specialist designates this area as the soundless region in the United States that does not match controlled laboratory environments. Being isolated in the Hall of Mosses wilderness results in such deep quiet that every slight disturbance creates an enduring impression.
Visitors consistently describe a spiritual tie to the land, which strengthens because the silence reveals the delicate natural sounds.
Tak Be Ha Cenote, Mexico – Silence Below the Earth
Located within the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, Tak Be Ha Cenote delivers sub-aquatic peacefulness to water divers exploring beneath its surface. Divers plummet underwater at the mineral-rich cave, where ambient noise from outside is blocked while air bubbles create the only audible sound.
Research conducted on visitors at this location shows that they decrease their stress levels while developing more mindfulness skills. To experience perfect tranquility, you must dive beneath the ground to absorb the music beneath the Earth’s crust.
Lake Baikal, Siberia – The Deepest Silence
The European Space Agency confirms that Lake Baikal possesses the mantle as the deepest freshwater lake in the world due to its approximately 23,000 cubic km volume of water. When thick ice wraps the peaks during winter, each sound transforms into distant thunder, and the ice silences every noise except for acoustic cracks.
With virtually no industry nearby and the nearest city hours away, locals describe Baikal’s silence as “timeless.” People from different backgrounds, such as photographers and meditation practitioners, visit this place because they claim to experience mental clarity, which is infrequently found in other locations.
Atacama Desert, Chile – Silence in the Sand
As agreed by CNN, it is statistically recognized as the driest place on Earth; the Atacama Desert is also silent for all practical purposes. A combination of scant vegetation, birds’ absence, and extensive salt flats produces ambient noise levels below 20 dBA.
Astrobiology researchers choose the Atacama Desert to mimic Martian scenarios mainly because of its extreme isolation. People standing in the desert will mostly hear only their respiratory intake. Those who want total solitude can find complete silence at this location.
Aysén Region, Chile – Patagonia’s Quiet Heart
Located in the central part of Chile’s southern regions, Aysén represents Patagonia’s quieter, unspoken side. The untouched natural environment of this region consists of peaks that reach skyward alongside rivers that maintain their pure state, along with fjords made from glacial ice.
More than one resident lives within each square mile of this territory, where internet signals remain difficult to access. The natural environment multiplies in abundance, although its presence is now only a soft murmur compared to its former loud announcement.
Aysén provides peaceful surroundings to isolated areas, inviting digital detoxers who want to immerse themselves in wind sounds without motor vehicle interference.
Denali National Park, Alaska – The Sound of Snow
According to the National Park Service, Denali National Park, which spans six million acres, is a pristine wilderness where you can wander for days without encountering another soul.
Professional acoustic researchers have documented that heavy snowfall is an organic sound-dampening material that reduces all sounds to minimum levels.
As your senses take over during this deep hush, the snow-moving sounds of your feet become the most noticeable noises, linking you to the pure park ambiance.
Namib Desert, Namibia – Silence Under the Stars
BBC reports that the Namib desert is the world’s oldest desert, showcasing silent dunes extending hundreds of miles. Nighttime brings absolute silence since the region lacks both wildlife and vegetation.
Throughout the Namib desert, stargazers and meditation groups choose the location as a base for nighttime meditation retreats where members experience a deep sense of tranquility after dawn breaks. The local guide research shows that Namib night sky exposure results in lower guest anxiety when measured through surveys.
Mongolian Steppe – The Sound of Nothing
The Mongolian Steppe covers a vast territory extending to 500,000 square miles of endless plains. A low population density of under two people per square mile and minimal development create a legendary peaceful atmosphere in this vast space.
The only daily disturbances are wind-blown grasses and occasional wild horse gallops from far away. At this location, you can listen to your inner thoughts or forget thoughts altogether.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia – Silence in the Salt Flats
Salar de Uyuni stands as the largest salt flat on Earth, with its enormous shimmering white stretching into a horizon that cannot be reached by sight. Due to the lack of wildlife, humans, and vegetation, sounds do not propagate through the area.
Photographers love to capture surreal landscapes, while many visitors come to confront the vast “emptiness” and leave feeling profoundly renewed. South America lacks a more tranquil meditation spot than Salar de Uyuni since it offers complete acoustic peace.
Karakol Valley, Kyrgyzstan – Echoes of the Past
The Karakol Valley rests in a mountainous area surrounded by ancient forestland between the peaks. The local herders claim that days can pass without encountering human voices. The lack of human habitation has driven UNESCO to explore turning this pristine area into a world heritage site due to its untouched atmosphere.
Anyone hiking here gets breathtaking views and complete silence, interrupted only by occasional river sounds and brief gusts of wind through the grass. The peaceful solitude is spiritual for both historians who admire nature and admirers of natural beauty.
Kakadu National Park, Australia – The Sound of Silence
The vast land area of Kakadu makes it Australia’s largest national park, covering 20,000 square kilometers. Almost all areas within this park are so distant that people cannot hear the bush sounds.
Guided groups operating during the dry season hear only the minimal distant singing of birds along with the silent atmosphere for lengthy periods. Aboriginal rangers see silence as more than an empty void since it brings spiritual significance that permeates the entire environment.
Tourists receive a welcoming call to enjoy a contemplative pace of life through mindful observation.
Forest Park, Portland, Oregon – A Breath of Fresh Air
Visitors can easily reach Forest Park from the busy Portland center. It is a vast green sanctuary covering over 5,000 acres. This urban forest is one of the most significant forested areas in the United States. It provides 80 miles of perfect hiking and running trails alongside natural spaces to escape the urban area.
Large Douglas firs and maples with moss covering their trunks stretch their branches toward the sky to form a tranquil overhead boundary, which listeners can enjoy alongside the soft creek noises and singing bird chorus.
All Portland residents and visitors treat Forest Park as their precious oasis for relaxation and Pacific Northwest nature exploration. You do not need to be an adventure seeker to find peace in this quiet urban retreat, where anyone can gain relaxation from their daily routine.
Greens Ledge Lighthouse, Connecticut – A Beacon of Quiet
The Greens Ledge Lighthouse stands alone one mile from Connecticut’s shoreline, with characteristics beyond its attractive visual presence. In 2025, Condé Nast Traveler recognized it as one of the world’s quietest places, offering “seclusion, without loneliness.”
During her visit, travel writer Hannah Towey realized that natural acoustic elements became the most prominent features since waves crashed rhythmically while seabirds called from a distance.
The restored lighthouse is open to the public only during summer tours, providing an exceptional opportunity to experience true peace on Atlantic shores.
Roosevelt Island Micro-Forest, New York – Urban Oasis
The micro-forest on Roosevelt Island features an unexpectedly peaceful sanctuary in the otherwise noisy environment of New York City. Planted in 2024 as a living sound barrier, the “Healing Forest” now shields passersby from the city’s clamor.
The 1,500 densely planted trees create a space where “nature takes center stage.” The only sounds you will hear at this location are bird songs, leaf noises, and the gentle streaming of East River water, because city sounds like sirens and yelling do not exist here.
The urban refuge of this green pocket permits city dwellers to achieve tranquility without leaving their urban environment
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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