We’ve all had that moment: when you find yourself in a stunningly gorgeous place, and you just can’t seem to think about anything else. From rainbow-colored rivers to scenic cliff sides, read on for some of the most picture-perfect places across the globe.
What’s the most breathtaking place you’ve ever been to? Let us know in the comments!
1. Cano Cristales River, Colombia.
Nope, no photoshop involved here! Twice each year, this usually unassuming river turns into a jaw-dropping rainbow of colors. Why? Well, you can thank the macarenia clavigera plant for that. The plant, nestled at the bottom of the river bed, takes on several colors — red, green, orange, yellow — and turns the river into a watercolor painting. Inaccessible for decades because of guerrilla warfare, the rainbow river can now be viewed by tourists from across the globe.
2. Luoping Basin, China.
The best time to take in this breathtaking basin is in early spring, when the canola flowers are in full bloom. It’s then that tourists and photographers flock from across the globe to get a look at this sea of yellow flowers.
3. Namib Desert, Namibia & Angola.
The oldest desert on the planet, the Namib Desert is home to some of the most famed and unique succulent species on the planet. Stone plants, the halfmens cactus, and the welwitschia plant, which can live for at least 2,000 years, are all found only the the desert in its surrounding regions. The desert is home to several iconic African animals, but its the reptiles, dozens of which are found only in the region, that really shine here.
4. Coyote Buttes, Arizona & Utah.
Located inside the Paria Canyon Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness area on the Arizona-Utah border, these remarkable buttes have been the scene of several Western films throughout the past century. You can thank iron oxide in the sandstone for the stunningly colorful patterns on these big rocks. You’ll also find hundreds of dinosaur footprints within the buttes, which date back nearly 200 million years.
5. Santorini, Greece.
Perched above the vibrant blue waters of the Aegean Sea, Santorini is one of Greece’s most famed islands. With white-washed homes resting on the steep cliffs, the black sand beaches below, and one of the world’s most spectacular sunsets, the landscape of Santorini is a sight to be seen.
6. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland.
It’s little surprise that the Cliffs of Moher are one of the most popular destinations in Ireland — just look at ‘em! Towering nearly 400 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, on a clear day you can see the nearby Aran Islands. The cliffs have a big presence in ancient Irish folklore, and have been a tourist attraction for hundreds of years.
7. Tikal, Guatemala.
Tucked in the dense jungle of Guatemala, Tikal is a long-gone ancient Mayan city. The tallest ruin in the park is Temple IV, and, from the top, you can see the tops of the other temples in the vast complex well above the tree canopy. With the sounds of howler monkeys and the sights of tropical birds like parrots and toucans as the backdrop, this is a truly out-of-this-world experience. So out of this world, in fact, that George Lucas used it as the planet Yavin in the original Star Wars film!
No comments:
Post a Comment