What's the Big Deal With the Undying Lands?

[Etharius]

I was wondering, so many people got to go to this piece of land. Elves, Ringbearers, Gods, Gimli

Whats the big deal? Why is it so special?

My Numenorean curiousity excels me.

[Aethelwine]

Etharius, I believe Valinor ( as it was called by the elves ) was Tolkiens vision of Heaven. A beautiful land, where the Valar lived, an undying land of unmatched beauty where you can find peace for eternity. A place where you can rest after a hard long life.

Wouldn't you like a glimpse of Heaven?

Cheers mates!

Aethelwine.

[Etharius]

Strange. This Valinor is reachable by sea and is an actual piece of land on the planet?

[Lord of Angmar]

Etharius, your Numenorean curiosity would probably best be quenched with a reading of The Silmarillion. It's a mighty good read.

Strange. This Valinor is reachable by sea and is an actual piece of land on the planet?

Not exactly. Though it is reachable (only to those permitted by the Valar) via the Great Sea, it is not actually a piece of land within the physical confines of the planet Ea. In that sense it does somewhat resemble a Judeo-Christian Heaven. A jolly good place to retire.

[Guinevere]

According to the Elf-centred mythology there was at first an actual Earthly Paradise, home and realm of the Valar, as a physical part of the earth.
(The Valar or "gods" are best described as angelic powers whose function was to exercise delegated authority in their spheres.)
The Valar persuaded a large part of the Elves to come and live with them in Valinor.(They were transported there on an island, Tol Eressea) Some of those Elves, however, went later back to Middle-earth.
Until the downfall of Numenor in the end of th 2nd age the world was envisaged as flat !
When the Numenoreans in their pride and folly broke the ban to sail West and tried to assault Valinor with a huge Armada (they thought they could thus gain immortality) the Valar appealed to Eru (God) and the old world was broken and changed. The earth became round, and the Immortal Lands (Valinor and Tol Eressea) were removed from the earth. But the immortal Elves who still lingered in Middle-earth in the 3rd age, could still take ship and find the "straight way" and come to the ancient West.
For the few mortals who by special grace went to Aman with the Elves, (Frodo, Bilbo, and later Gimli and eventually Sam) it didn't mean that they would become immortal though! They could only dwell there a limited time to receive peace and healing and would eventually die.

I hope this brief summary helps you to make things clearer, Etharius.
If you want to know more, you ought to read the Silmarillion, as the Lord of Angmar said.

[Aethelwine]

Ah yes, and to ad to what Guinevere said before me about finding the straight path:

I am sure you are familiar, in one way or the other, with the legend of King Arthur. Think about the magical world of Avalon, the land that is surrounded by mist. Only if you know where to find it, thus if you now the path, you can get there. I gather there’s something similar going on with Valinor, or Tol Eressea if you like.

This is speculation on my part, but it is not unlikely. For we know that Tolkien wanted to created a mythology for his country ( even the legend of King Arthur, though know as very English, is originally French ) and such a mythology as the Legend of King Arthur could very well have been a great source of inspiration for the Professor.

I hope this helps you a bit, Etharius.

Cheers mates!

Aethelwine.