A former Hollywood haunt, nuclear disaster zone and James Bond island: Abandoned places reclaimed by nature - are YOU brave enough to visit?

They may look like the sets of post-apocalyptic science fiction films, but many 'ghost' towns and cities around the world are entirely real.While many have long since lost their human population, abandoned towns across the globe have, in many cases, welcomed a new inhabitant: Mother Nature.Such unique destinations, where the elements have set up shop, are popular among tourists seeking an out-of-the-ordinary travel experience.From once-thriving cities forced to evacuate their residents to deserts overrun by sand dunes, these are some of the wildest abandoned places that have been reclaimed by nature.Japan, Cyprus, Ukraine and the UAE all feature, alongside destinations as close to the UK as Italy and France. Here's a rundown of the craziest spots...Pripyat, Ukraine The main square of Pripyat, now only visited by a handful of tourists After the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Pripyat was left abandonedPripyat, an abandoned city near Ukraine's northern border with Belarus, is arguably the most famous abandoned town in the world – and has now succumbed to the whims of nature (although given its history, it's a surprise anything grows there at all).Residents were forced to flee with few of their belongings after one of the reactors at the Chernobyl power plant went into meltdown in April 1986, sparking the world's worst nuclear disaster.An exclusion zone covering an area of more than 1,000 square miles around the abandoned plant was created to protect people from the effects of any lingering radiation.Tourists may obtain day passes, and some workers who are rebuilding parts of the site are allowed in for limited hours only each month.Scientists say the area will not be safe to live in for another 20,000 years, but images show greenery taking over abandoned play areas, and growing in and around buildings.Trees grow through roofs, swallow former Soviet-era buildings and spring up everywhere you look. Houtouwan, China Houtouwan is China's abandoned fishing village covered in greeneryClothed in vines and leaves, the former fishing village of Houtouwan is uncanny from your first glance.In this spot on Shengshan Island, Zhejiang province, China, vines climb the old stone walls, weave through the windows and doors and creep along the crumbling paths. The 'creeper-covered homes' once housed a population of 2,000. However, Houtouwan faced issues with infrastructure and education, leading to an exodus of its inhabitants in the early 1990s. Kolmanskop, Namibia Kolmanskop is a ghost town in southern Namibia, having been abandoned In Kolmanskop, you'll find dilapidated and long-abandoned houses filled with sandOnce the home to hundreds of German miners seeking their fortune in the Namibian desert, Kolmanskop flourished after diamonds were discovered in 1908.But its decaying homes were left to rot after the mining field was exhausted.It was completely abandoned in 1954 and is now said to be haunted. Almost 100 years after Kolmanskop peaked as a thriving and bustling oasis, it became a dilapidated ghost town, slowly being reclaimed by the sand.The wooden houses built in the middle of the desert by wealthy German miners are completely overrun by sand dunes.The creepy remains of Kolmanskop have made it a magnet to ghost hunters.Hashima Island (Gunkanjima), Japan Hashima Island in Japan has a villainous air - so much so that it has featured in a Bond filmFans of James Bond might recognise Hashima Island, also known as Battleship Island (Gunkanjima), as it served as inspiration for the lair of 007's enemy, Raoul Silva, in Skyfall.Exterior shots of the island were used in the 2012 blockbuster.More than 5,000 people lived here until April 1974, when a coal mine shut down and the concrete island was abandoned.In the decades since then, towering industrial and residential buildings have been battered by the elements and left to crumble.Many buildings, as well as the seawall, have been negatively affected by typhoon damage. Craco, Italy The interior of the remains of a small church in the ghost town of Craco in Sicily The ruins of Craco, a once busy city in ItalyCraco is a ghost town in the southern Italian region of Basilicata that, more than a thousand years ago, was a bustling city.It was abandoned towards the end of the 20th century due to landslides, a flood and an earthquake, and 1,800 residents left in 1963.The town remains in ruins.The eerie-looking empty buildings have made Craco a tourist attraction and a popular filming location. One of the most notable films set here was the James Bond blockbuster Quantum of Solace.San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico San Juan Parangaricutiro church is all that remains following a volcanic eruption A church is all that remains of the small village of San Juan Parangaricutiro in the state of Michoacán in Mexico. The town was completely buried after the eruption of Volcán de Parícutin in 1943.For the next eight years, lava flowed freely, burying the town underneath feet of volcanic rock – though its church survived unscathed. It is now a pilgrimage site.Under the church, houses and other buildings remain buried, though no residents were injured during the eruption.Many believe its ability to withstand the lava was due to God - but the solid slabs used to build the structure have also been credited.Today, images show a stark contrast between the barren ground and the holy building.Varosha, Cyprus The beach and abandoned hotels in Varosha alongside overgrown grassFrom afar, it might appear to look like any beachside resort – but upon closer inspection, you will begin to spot the signs of decay. Varosha in Cyprus was once graced by glamorous film stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot.But in the summer of 1974, the city was invaded by Turkish troops and abandoned by locals.Today, the resort is fenced off and occupied by Turkish troops, and its dilapidated hotels are being reclaimed by nature.Bodie, California, US The town of Bodie, California has long been abandonedThe town of Bodie, California, is a classic example of a settlement that thrived during the Gold Rush in the US, and was left to wither and die after the boom ended.It had a population of around 10,000 in the 1880s, but experienced a gradual decline as miners moved elsewhere in search of other sources of gold.The Wild West town had just a handful of residents in the 1940s and was named a historic park in 1962. Though deserted, its buildings are still furnished with the belongings of previous owners.The dry climate means the weather-beaten wooden buildings look almost as they did when they were abandoned.Valley of the Mills, Sorrento, Italy Views of the 'Valley of the Mills' in Sorrento, ItalyThe Valley of the Mills is a gorge housing a collection of ruins, including old flour mills, in Sorrento, Italy. It was gradually abandoned over the years. The humid environment created a microclimate that reportedly proved favourable to ferns which covered the ruins in a layer of rich green flora. Tourists can visit the green wonder via stone ramps down into the valley, or gaze down upon the ruins from above.Al-Madam, United Arab Emirates Desert sands around the ghost city of Al Madam are overtaking the region Much like Kolmanskop, this UAE destination has been subject to the elementsWhat springs to mind when contemplating the UAE? Futuristic skyscrapers, luxurious hotels and mega shopping malls, perhaps?Well, not everywhere. The empty settlement of Al-Madam consists of a handful of houses as well as a mosque that overlooks the entire village. But these buildings are now gradually crumbling under the baking sun, with piles of sand filling the rooms.It is unclear exactly why this small village, some of which was built as recently as the 1980s, was abandoned.Local legend has it that a supernatural creature, called a jinn, swept through the settlement – driving residents away.However, the other theory is that encroaching desert sand made it an inhospitable environment.Oradour-sur-Glane, France Oradour-sur-Glane has been left to rot since the Second World WarDestroyed by the Nazis during the Second World War, the village of Oradour-sur-Glane was the scene of a massacre of 642 residents in June 1944.Today, its ruins stand as a memorial to the villagers, including more than 400 women and children, who were gunned down or burned alive.The village has been left untouched since the massacre, and a new village built nearby is home to more than 2,000 people.Overgrown weeds, ivy, moss, and wildflowers have grown through cracked cobblestones, while plants have sprung up across the ruins.