Ten tourist attractions which no longer exist

Nohmul Pyramid

Where? Belize

Breathtakingly senseless human destruction also led to the unseemly end of the Nohmul Pyramid, one of the most important Maya sites in Belize. The 17 metre-tall pyramid met its demise in 2013, when contractors set about knocking it down. They used the rocks, and turned them into gravel to fill roads. Four of the contractors and the company involved received relatively tiny fines for their bulldozer vandalism.

The Vang Vieng Tubing Bars

Where? Vang Vieng Tubing

A decade ago, Vang Vieng was the party capital of South-East Asia. Backpackers would float down the river on inner tubes, stopping at a series of raucous bars, many of which had constructed highly dubious zipwires and jumping platforms. Alas, the combination of dangerous amounts of booze and jumping in a river led to multiple deaths.

There was a major crackdown and, while tubing still exists in Vang Vieng, it's a more controlled, sedate affair. And one without the deadly zipwires.

The Tsukiji Fish Market

Where? Tokyo, Japan

The world's largest fish market – the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo – was closed in 2018. Before then, it was famous for its fish auctions, and a whole host of other market stalls and cafés sprang up around it. Those stalls and cafés remain, but the centrepiece has been hollowed out.

The fish traders have now moved to the far less atmospheric Toyusu Market, which sits on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay. It's still big, and you can still watch the auctions, but it's not the same thing.

The Azure Window

Where? Malta

The tiny Mediterranean nation of Malta was gutted to lose one of its prime itinerary tent pegs in 2017. The Azure Window, a majestic 28 metre rock arch on the island of Gozo, crashed into the sea during a storm. Given how many holiday snaps it had featured in before that, this was something of a blow to the local tourism industry. It's a good job Malta has plenty more rugged coastline to go round.

The Sutro Baths

Where? San Francisco, USA

If you think your local leisure centre pool isn't half bad, then the Sutro Baths in San Francisco were several leagues higher. This enormous oceanside complex, fed by the incoming swells, was the largest indoor swimming facility on earth. Equipped with slides, swinging rings and a springboard, the pool area was 152m by 77m.

Alas, upkeep was punishingly expensive, and the baths closed down in 1964. They burned down two years later, and the ruins are now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The Stardust Casino

Where? Las Vegas, USA

The Stardust was the most notorious Las Vegas casino resort of them all. Once the largest hotel in the world, and a hive of dodgy bookkeeping, the Stardust was a frequent haunt of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Movies including Swingers, Showgirls and Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas were shot there.

Alas, it became outdated and was pulled down in 2007. Resorts World Las Vegas is now on the site.

The Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana

Where? Near Rotorua, New Zealand

Back in the 19th century, the Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana were regularly touted as the eighth wonder of the world. They were hillsides lined with bright layers of silica sinter, and punctuated by geysers.

Then, in 1886, Mount Tarawera erupted, wreaking havoc on the landscape. The terraces were destroyed, and replaced by a big crater – which is now a new, much bigger lake.

The Crystal Palace

Where? London, England

This colossal iron and glass palace was originally built in London's Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851, before being moved to south London three years later. No building before it had ever been covered in so much glass – there was 84,000 square metres of it - and the Crystal Palace was three times the size of St Paul's Cathedral.

Initially a great tourist attraction, the palace got tattier and more downmarket over time, before a fire ripped through and destroyed it in 1936.

See also: Ten of the world's craziest social media stunts (so far)

See also: Ten overlooked metropoles: The biggest cities on Earth that no tourists visit