We live on an incredible planet. Earth's natural wonders are parts of the natural world that nature has carved on such a scale that they defy belief. For human beings, survival within these extraordinary places can pose great challenges. Yet human ingenuity makes this possible. While there are many man-made feats that fill us with awe, some of the most impressive sites on the planet were crafted by Mother Nature herself. This website is a photographic journey from around the world that shows stunning images of our planet's spectacular places, natural and manmade.
Abraham Lake - North America - Canada
Frozen bubbles of methane, the result of decomposing organic matter at the bottom of the lake, dot the surface of the frozen Abraham Lake.
Amazon River - South America - Brazil
One of the most impressive water bodies on Earth, the Amazon is the longest river in South America at over 4,000 miles and has the largest drainage system on the planet, discharging roughly 7,4000,000 cubic feet per second. Whether or not the Nile is, in fact, longer is a point of contention for some as debates rage over the Amazon’s true headwaters.
Angel Falls - South America - Venezuela
The highest waterfall in the world, the water at Angel Falls travels 979 meters, which includes a free fall drop of 807 meters. It cascades over one of the biggest table-top mountains in southern Venezuela, known to the local Pemon people as Devil’s Mountain. Most of the water evaporates as mist before reaching the bottom. Angel Falls is in the remote jungle.
Angel Oak Tree - North America - United States - Georgia
The Angel Oak tree is a live oak located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island, South Carolina. It's estimated to be 400–500 years old, making it one of the oldest trees east of the Mississippi River.
Angels Landing - North America - United States - Utah
Angels Landing is a 1,488-foot (454 m) rock formation in Zion National Park in Utah. The 5.4-mile roundtrip hike features steep grades, slippery ledges, and steep drop-offs. The trail was carved into the rock in 1926 and leads to a plateau with panoramic views of Zion Canyon.
Antelope Canyon - North America - United States - Arizona
Arizona's Antelope Canyon is sheltered on Navajo land, not far from Utah's southern border. Classified as a slot canyon, its upper reaches are approximately 4,000 feet in elevation. When the sunlight shines on the colors of the canyon they look red, gold and orange.
Aurora Borealis - North America/Europe/Asia
The aurora, also known as the aurora borealis or northern lights are caused by the collision of solar winds with Earth’s magnetosphere and can be viewed from pretty much anywhere within certain latitudes, depending on the visibility and severity of the geomagnetic storms.
Bad Lands - North America - United States - South Dakota
Badlands National Park is a 242,756-acre park in southwestern South Dakota. It features a variety of landscapes, including steep canyons, spires, and a maze of buttes and pinnacles. The park also has the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States.
Banyu Wana Amertha Falls - Asia - Indonesia
Banyu Wana Amertha Waterfall is a collection of four waterfalls in Bali, Indonesia's Buleleng Regency. The waterfalls are located in the hills of north Bali, near Bedugul or Lovina. The waterfalls are a hidden gem and a must-visit. Some say the falls are beautiful, romantic, and have nice views. Others say the place is nice and the people are nice. The waterfall is covered by large trees and cliffs, making it a great place to take photos at any time.
Baobab Trees - Africa - Madagascar
Baobab trees (Adansonia) are solitary, deciduous trees that can grow to be 100 feet tall and 165 feet in circumference. They have broad trunks, compact crowns, and scraggly stems and twigs. Baobab trees are native to the savannahs of southern Africa and western Madagascar, where they survive by storing water in their trunks.
Bigar Falls - Europe - Romania
Bigar Waterfall, also known as Bigar Spring, is a protected area in southwestern Romania. It's located in the Anina Mountains on the Mini River, in Caras-Severin County, halfway between Anina and Bozovici.
Bioluminescent Beaches - Asia - Maldives
To experience the Maldives' magical glowing beaches, you can visit any of the 1,190 islands that comprise the South Asian sovereign state. Some of the top spots to see this natural light show — the result of bioluminescent plankton.
Bryce Canyon - North America - United States - Utah
This is where hoodoos and the forest meet! Bryce Canyon is actually not a canyon. It is a spectacular series of more than a dozen amphitheaters, each of which is carved at least 1,000 feet into the chromatic limestone of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
Cano Cristales River - South America - Columbia
Cano Cristales is a river in Colombia's Serranía de la Macarena National Park. It's a tributary of the Guayabero River, which is part of the Orinoco basin. It's known as the "river of five colors" or "melted rainbow" because of the many colors you can see beneath its clear waters. During certain months of the year, the river's waters appear as a flowing rainbow of red, yellow, blue, green, and black. This effect comes from the aquatic plants that grow in the riverbed.
Canola Flower Fields - Asia - China
Canola flowers are bright yellow and can form a layer that is at least 12 inches thick. When in full bloom, the flowers act as a reflecting and absorbing surface for solar radiation. Canola flower fields are a natural spectacle that can be seen in many places, including China & Australia.
Chocolate Hills - Asia - Philippines
The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation in the Bohol province of the Philippines. They are located in the middle of the island and are made of limestone. The hills are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, giving them their name.
Dead Sea - Middle East - Israel/Jordan
Sitting at 1,410 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on Earth's surface. Located in a desert and featuring a high concentration of salt, it's easy for visitors to float. The water is beautiful enough on its own, but the deposits and columns of salt that rise out of the water give it a unique, otherworldly look.
Danical Depression - Africa - Ethiopia
As a result of continental rifting, or the geological phenomenon in which the earth is literally pulling apart, the Danakil Depression exhibits multiple strange phenomena. In addition to bubbling mud lakes, the hot springs at this eastern African spot are bright yellow and the lava is blue.
Danxia Landform - Asia - China
The Danxia landform, located in the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, are also known as the eye candy of Zhangye. The rocks and cliffs come in a variety of formations — smooth, sharp, vibrant, and extremely tall. The colorful rocks and rainbow ridges are absolutely awe-inspiring.
Denmark Strait Cataract - Europe - Iceland
The world’s largest waterfall is actually underwater. Located in the Denmark Strait, between Iceland and Greenland. Towering at more than three kilometers high, it is three times taller than Angel Falls in Venezuela. The cataract carries an estimated 123 million cubic feet (3.5 million cubic meters) of water per second. The cataract begins 2,000 feet below the strait's surface and plunges to a depth of 10,000 feet at the southern tip of Greenland.
Dragon's Blood Trees - Middle East - Yemen
Only found on the Yemeni island of Socotra, the dragon's blood tree is so-named for its red resin, used for folk medicinal purposes. The species has become something of a bizarre attraction, dating back to prehistoric times and is notable for its green umbrella-shaped canopy sitting atop bare, rippled-looking branches.
Giant Gypsum Crystal Cave - North America - Mexico
The sparkling gypsum crystals growing in a cave connected to the Naica mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, grow as long as 36 feet. Known as Cave of the Crystals, the spot is estimated to have had crystals growing for approximately 1 million years.
Giant Redwoods - North America - California
This protected string of old-growth forests represents what’s left of the massive redwood trees that once covered Northern California and served as home to the Indigenous populations. Trees can reach up to 379 feet in height and nearly 29 feet in diameter and can live 1,800 years or more, making them among the oldest living things on Earth.
Glacier Meets The Ocean - North America - Canada
As glaciers terminate into the ocean, mass is lost through frontal ablation, where the ice meets the ocean. Glaciers in Canada include: Athabasca Glacier, Columbia Icefield, Saskatchewan Glacier, Peyto Glacier.
Giant’s Causeway - Europe - Ireland
Giant’s Causeway is a group of some 40,000 basalt columns in Northern Ireland that’s believed to be about 50-60 million years old. It’s a World Heritage Site and free to visit since most of the land is own by the country’s National Trust, which is akin to a parks service, the rest is privately owned.
Goblin Valley - North America - United States - Utah
Cowboys discovered the valley while searching for cattle in the early 1900s. The valley's rock formations were formed by both wind and water erosion. The rock formations are also known as goblins. It is basically one giant natural playground. You can climb and explore endless rocks. You can go back multiple times and still discover something new.
Grand Canyon - North America - United States - Arizona
The famous, massive canyon cut by the Colorado River through Arizona is one of the few wonders that belongs on every iteration of this list. At 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and attaining a depth of over a mile, it’s not the longest nor the steepest canyon in the world, but its overall scale combined with the beautifully colored landscape makes it one of the most amazing natural wonders. The Colorado River has been carving this canyon over the course of, according to several studies, five to six million years.
Great Barrier Reef - South Pacific - Australia
The largest coral reef in the world, Australia's Great Barrier Reef is than 3,000 reef systems here meet caves and stunning islands, and one of the planet's true marvels. There are so many ways to experience the reef-helicopter tours, kayaking, glass-bottom boat tours, or beneath it. Diving here can't be beat.
Great Blue Hole - Central America - Belieze
This is one of the most dangerous places for scuba diving. Near the center of Lighthouse Reef, an eerily large sinkhole takes up over 300 meters of the ocean. Over time the ocean rose, and a cave was flooded, creating this World Heritage Site.
Halong Bay - Asia - Vietnam
Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam is a popular tourist destination thanks to its gorgeous limestone karsts and floating fishing village. The landscape formed by its 1,600-2,000 islands, most of them uninhabited, is just spectacular. Thanks to these unusual landforms, many of them still unaffected by human impact.
Iguazu Falls - South America - Argentina/Brazil
The famous Iguazu Falls straddles the Iguazu River on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Its name, Iguazu, means “big water” in Guarani, and it seems appropriate — made of 275 waterfalls, it’s the largest waterfall system in the world. The tallest of these waterfalls, where approximately half of the river’s flow falls, is called the Devil’s Throat — a long, narrow, U-shaped chasm whose thunderous sound visitors never forget.
Lencois Maranhenses - South America - Brazil
Lencois Maranhenses is a 380,000-acre national park in Maranhao State, Brazil. The park is known for its miles of white sand dunes, seasonal lagoons, and mangrove swamps. The name LMNP translates from Portuguese to "bedsheets of Maranhao," referring to the smooth sand dunes.
Marble Caves - South America - Chile
Imagine the beauty of a pearl. Now imagine a wall of that gorgeous shimmer. According to Ecophiles, it was thousands of years of waves lapping at the mineral-rich walls of these caves that created their iridescent glow.
Meteor Crater - North America - United States - Arizona
Among the most famous and most visited meteorite craters in the world you have to mention the Barring crater. For several years now, he has been attracting the attention of scientists from all over the world. Interesting documentary films were shot over the crater. The age of the crater is more than 50,000 years, after the fall of a meteorite with a diameter of about 50 meters. The basic material of the meteorite was iron, which is why, despite its relatively modest size, it weighed a good deal - about 300 thousands tons.
Mossbrae Falls - North America - United States - California
If you live anywhere near Northern California or Southern Oregon, you may have heard about Mossbrae Falls, which is located in the very scenic area of the Shasta Cascade region in California. The area is pristine and well worth the hassle of getting there.
Mount Everest - Asia - Nepal/India
Everest’s peak is 29,035 feet above sea level, or at least it was. Nepal’s earthquake in 2015 is believed to have clipped the mountain’s height, so India and Nepal are about to measure it afresh. For the sake of counting these, if you’ve seen Mount Everest, located on the border of Nepal and Tibet, you’ve been to it. You don’t have to have made it to the summit.
Niagra Falls - North America - United States/Canada
Straddling the border between New York state and Ontario, Canada, Niagara Falls is actually three waterfalls named Horseshoe, American and Bridal Veil, respectively. Combined, they send six million cubic feet of water a minute plunging 160 feet into the Niagara Gorge below.
Pando - North America - United States - Utah
Pando is a tree colony spread across more than 100 acres in Utah that’s actually a single organism, the largest in the world. It weighs around 13 million pounds and is also one of the oldest organisms on the planet. Unfortunately, the extensive quaking aspen grove is dying due to grazing wildlife and human encroachment.
Pamukkale Terraces - Middle East - Turkey
Pamukkale is Turkey's leading mineral-bath spa because of its natural splendor. Hot calcium-laden water flows over a cliff. As it cools down it forms vivid travertines of hard, white calcium that form pools. Named the Cotton Fortress in Turkish, it has been a spa since the Romans built the spa city of Hierapolis around a sacred warm-water spring.
Phang Nga Bay - Asia - Thailand
A 400 km2 (150 sq mi) bay in the Andaman Sea between the island of Phuket and the mainland of the Kra Isthmus of southern Thailand. Since 1981, an extensive section of the bay has been protected as the Ao Phang Nga National Park. The park is in Phang Nga Province. Limestone cliffs with caves, collapsed cave systems, and archaeological sites are found about Phang Nga Bay. Around 10,000 years ago, when sea levels were lower, it was possible to walk from Phuket and Krabi.
Plitvice Lakes & Falls - Europe - Croatia
Plitvice Lakes National Park is famous for its 16 terraced lakes that are joined by waterfalls. The waters have flown over the limestone and chalk for thousands of years, creating natural dams, caves and waterfalls.
Prismatic Hot Spring - North America - United States - Wyoming
Deep inside Yellowstone National Park sits the Grand Prismatic Spring, a stunning marvel that may sit in the shadow of Old Faithful but deserves plenty of spotlight on its own. Larger than a football field, the concentric circles extending from the center are a colorful bullseye of bacteria growth. These microbes love the thermal heat and we love the colors they show us.
Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees - Asia - Philippines/Indonesia
Rainbow eucalyptus trees are tall, evergreen trees that are native to the Philippines, New Guinea, and Indonesia. They are the only eucalyptus tree that can grow in rainforests and can reach heights of up to 250 feet.
Reynisfjara Beach - Europe - Iceland
It looks otherworldly thanks to its black sand, basalt stone columns, and the fog that sometimes envelops it. You probably won't want to sunbathe on Reynisfjara, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.
Red River - Europe - Spain
Spain's Rio Tinto (Red River). Iron is responsible for some of the river's deep-red color, but a high level of acidity and various heavy metals add depth to the rich hue. While iron extraction likely played as big a role as Mother Nature in creating the striking visuals, the river isn't barren. It teems with life that can thrive in its harsh conditions.
Rocky Mountains - North America - United States/Canada
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are the largest mountain range in North America. They stretch 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) from British Columbia, Canada, to New Mexico in the United States. The Rockies are made up of more than 60 major mountain ranges and over 60 passes.
Salar de Uyuni - South America - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is a surreal sight, seeming as though it goes on forever. Indeed, this mesmerizing place is the largest salt flat in the world and so flat that, when it rains, the water turns it into a huge mirror.
Shoshone Falls - North America - United States - Idaho
Shoshone Falls is a 212-foot-tall waterfall in Idaho's Snake River Canyon, near Twin Falls. It's one of the largest natural waterfalls in the US, taller than Niagara Falls.
Stone Forest - Asia - China
As the name implies, this is basically a 150-square mile forest made of stone. The giant, otherworldly pillars are ancient karst formations, created by water and wind erosion, as well as seismic activity. The forest also features caves, waterfalls, ponds, and lakes, as well as an underground river.
Thi Lo Su Waterfall - Asia - Thailand
Thi Lo Su Waterfall, also known as Namtok Thi Lo Su, is a 820 ft waterfall in Thailand's Tak Province. It's located on the Mae Klong River, flowing into the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary.
Thor's Well - North America - United States - Oregon
Thor's Well is a 20-foot-deep hole that essentially functions as a saltwater fountain on the edge of the Cape Perpetua coast. To see it in full force, one has to visit between an hour before and an hour after the high tide, when the hole is repeatedly filled by the waves until water bubbles or sprays out from the top.
Twelve Apostles - South Pacific - Australia
The iconic rock stacks along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria have separated from nearby limestone cliffs. They began eroding away from the caves approximately 10 to 20 million years ago. The wind and water continue to corrode them at an average of 1 inch a year.
Victoria Falls - Africa - Zimbabwe/Zambia
Victoria Falls is one of the greatest attractions in all of Africa. It is classified as the world's largest sheet of falling water and boasts a width of 5,604 feet and height of 354 feet. Spray from the falling water can be seen miles away during the rainy season.
Waitomo Caves Glowworms - South Pacific - New Zealand
Glowworms can be found throughout New Zealand, particularly in forests and on the banks of lakes and rivers, but a night ride by bike, boat or kayak through the Waitomo Caves is a great way to catch the mesmerizing show of thousands of blue-green lights emitted by these tiny insects.
White Desert - Middle East - Egypt
The White Desert is a unique landscape in Egypt's Western Desert, about 500 kilometers southwest of Cairo. It's known for its chalk rock formations, which have been shaped by wind erosion over millions of years. These formations are made of white chalk and have been sculpted into unique shapes and structures, such as mushrooms, cones, and pillars. The desert's name comes from the layer of chalk and limestone which partially covers the landscape.
Zhangjiajie National Forest - Asia - China
Zhangjiajie, China's first national forest park, became famous worldwide from the movie Avatar in which the Hallelujah Mountains were inspired by Heavenly Pillar in Zhangjiajie. The most popular and iconic feature of the park are the dangerous sandstone peaks.
Angkor Wat - Asia - Myanmar
Angkor Wat is a vast temple complex featuring the magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century AD. These include the famous Angkor Wat temple, the world’s largest single religious monument, and the Bayon temple (at Angkor Thom) with its multitude of massive stone faces.
Chichen Itza - North America - Mexico
In the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico lies one of the greatest archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization, Chichen Itza. The vast site was constructed in around 400 AD and features some incredible sculptures and display which help us to better understand the Mayan culture. This once-major powerhouse of the Mayan people was way ahead of its time in terms of construction and this can be seen when you visit the incredible site.
Christ The Redeemer - South America - Brazil
The glorious Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro is an iconic mark of human construction and design. The statue depicts Jesus Christ with arms outspread and sits on top of the Corcovado mountain looking over the entire city. Christ the Redeemer was built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and designed by French sculptor Paul Landowski between 1922 and 1931. The statue stands at a dizzying 98 feet and the arms outstretched measure 92 feet. This impressive statue has become an iconic symbol of Brazil.
Eiffel Tower - Europe - France
The Eiffel Tower (nickname La dame de fer, the iron lady) is an 1889 iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tallest building in Paris, it is the most-visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named for its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.
Great Pyramids - Middle East - Egypt
The Giza necropolis, situated in the immediate vicinity of the southwestern suburbs of Cairo is probably the most famous ancient site in the world. The pyramids in Giza were built over the span of three generations – by Khufu, his second reigning son Khafre, and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and sole remnant of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Over 2 million blocks of stone were used to construct the pyramid, during a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The pyramid is an awe-inspiring 139 meters (455 feet) high making it the largest pyramid in Egypt, although nearby Khafre’s Pyramid appears to be larger as it is build at a higher elevation.
Great Wall Of China - Asia - China
The Great Wall of China built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from the attacks of the Xiongnu tribes. Several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China but little of that wall remains. The majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). The most comprehensive archaeological survey has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500.3 miles).
Machu Picchu - South America - Peru
One of the most beautiful and impressive ancient sites in the world, Machu Pichu was rediscovered in 1911 by Hawaiian historian Hiram after it lay hidden for centuries above the Urubamba Valley. The Lost City of the Incas is invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces and watered by natural springs.
Moai Statues - South Pacific - Easter Island
The world famous moai are monolithic statues located on Easter Island, one of the most isolated islands on Earth. The statues were carved by the Polynesian colonizers of the island, mostly between circa 1250 AD and 1500 AD.
Parthenon - Europe - Greece
The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis is one of the most famous buildings in the world and a visit to Athens is not complete without visiting this temple. The construction of the Parthenon started in in 447 BC, replacing and older temple that was destroyed by the Persians, and completed in 432 BC.
Panama Canal - Central America - Panama
The Panama Canal, which is often called the "Bridge of the Americas", is a true masterpiece in an engineering way. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and represents a complicated system of water intake works and locks. Its length is approximately 77 km. The Panama Canal was officially opened in 1920 and was the most grandiose construction project of those times. It is still one of the largest global engineering projects over the past 100 years.
Petra Ruins - Middle East - Jordan
Petra, the fabled "rose red city, half as old as time", was the ancient capital of the Nabataean kingdom. It is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. A vast, unique city, carved into the side of the Wadi Musa Canyon centuries ago by the Nabataeans, who turned it into an important junction for the silk and spice routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Greece and Rome. The most elaborate building in Petra is Al Khazneh "The Treasury", carved out of a sandstone rock face, it’s massive facade dwarfing everything around it.
Stonehenge - Europe - Great Britain
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 miles) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.
Teotihuacan - North America - Mexico
In the 2nd century BC a new civilization arose in the valley of Mexico. This civilization built the flourishing metropolis of Teotihuacan and it’s huge step pyramids. The Pyramid of the Sun was built around 100 AD and is 246 ft high making it the largest building in Teotihuacán and one of the largest in Mesoamerica. The construction of the smaller pyramid of the Moon started a century later and was finished in 450 AD. Seven centuries after the demise of the Teotihuacan empire the pyramids were honored and utilized by the Aztecs.
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