From the bold and vibrant to the sublime and desolate, here are 100 of the most beautiful landscapes on planet Earth. (In no particular order. Photography referenced at the bottom.) Also see the 50 Greatest Festivals in the World and the 100 Most Amazing, Unique, & Beautiful Hotels in the World.
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1. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The world’s largest salt flat, it creates a mirror effect after the rain.
2. Angkor wat, Cambodia
Beautiful ancient temple ruins.
3. Cinque Terre, Rio Maggiore, Italy
The “5 Lands” of colored homes perched on a cliff by the sea.
4. Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Natural thermal hot springs.
5. Maldives
This archipelago is the ultimate tropical island paradise.
6. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Home of the famous “Old Faithful” Geyser.
7. Glass Beach, California, USA
A beach buried in colorful sea glass.
8. Pamukkule, Turkey
Hot springs spilling over rock terraces. A UNESCO world heritage site.
9. Big Island, Hawaii, USA
Where lava meets ocean.
10. St. Lucia
Luxurious tropical island in the Caribbean.
11. Santorini, Greece
Iconic blue and white buildings on a cliff by the sea.
12. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
The gorgeous former castle of the king.
13. Marble Caves, Chile
Caves of marble reflect the blue water.
14. Chittorgarh Fort, India
The largest fort in India looks like a city lost in time.
15. Giethoorn, Holland
Cozy homes in this town are only accessible by waterways.
16. Crystal Cave, Iceland
Majestic ice caves, dangerous in summer but beautiful in winter.
17. Aogashima Volcano, Japan
A small village living in a volcanic island.
18. Longji Rice Terrace, China
Stunningly beautiful terraced rice fields. It is one of my favorite landscapes, and I couldn’t pick just one picture.
19. Amazon Rainforest, Brazil & South America
The amazing rainforest and Amazon River span several countries in South America.
20. Venice, Italy
The city of colorful winding corridors and canals, and good food.
21. Petra, Jordan
An enormous ancient temple carved into the cliffs of Jordan.
22. Machu Picchu, Peru
The city of the Incas, high amongst the clouds.
23. Tuscany, Italy
The land of richly colored rolling hills and old luxury.
24. Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA
An enormous cave system and national park.
25. Shirakawa-go Village, Japan
Cozy homes with thatched roofs, like something straight from an old video game.
26. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Beautiful in themselves, with an amazing assortment of unique wildlife.
27. Himalayas, Nepal
Home of snow-capped mountains, colorful prayer flags, and Mt. Everest.
28. Bali
It was so hard to pick one photo to represent this unique paradise. From the rice terraces to the luxury hotels, everything is beautiful.
29. Serengeti, Tanzania, Africa
A perfect place to adventure among the iconic trees and wild animals.
30. Sahara Desert, Africa
The unforgiving sea of sand.
31. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The city of the future, with some of the most amazing architecture in the world.
32. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Beautiful limestone formations jetting out of the green water. A UNESCO world heritage site.
33. Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand
Strange spherical boulders line the shore.
34. The Great Wall of China, China
It cannot actually be seen from space. Except with a telescope. But then lots of things can be.
35. Antarctica
Harsh but beautiful sea of ice.
36. Lake Retba, Senegal
An extremely salty lake turned pink by algea.
37. Morocco, Africa
An exotic world of its own, from the colorful marketplaces to the luxurious hotels, everything in this place is different and unique from everything else. Morocco is another of my top picks and deserves an entire post of 100 pictures of its own.
38. The Fjords of Norway
The things of fairytales.
39. Socotra, Republic of Yemen
Strange, other worldly landscapes.
40. Alaska, USA
Snow capped mountains in winter and greenery in summer.
41. Victoria, Australia
Limestone stacks of the 12 Apostles, on the sea.
42. Fingal’s Cave, Scotland
Unusual basalt columns formed by lava flow.
43. Giant’s Causeway, Ireland
Also formed by lava flows, a UNESCO world heritage site.
44. Lake Tahoe, California & Nevada, USA
An enormous lake surrounded by evergreens and relaxing scenery.
45. Cappadocia, Turkey
Hundreds of underground buildings and “fairy chimneys” make this land unique.
46. Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
In Grand Canyon National Park is this majestic waterfall.
47. Glow worm cave, New Zealand
The walls glitter with glow worms in the dark, like a night sky. I’ve wanted to go here ever since the Rocket Power movie came out.
48. The Australian Outback
A vast wilderness with unique animals.
49. Tikal, Guatemala
An ancient Mayan city, mysterious and waiting to be explored.
50. Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA
A gorgeous and beautifully colored canyon.
51. Reed Flut Cave, China
A vibrant natural limestone cave.
52. Verdon Gorge, France
Limestone canyon with turquoise waters.
53. Bagan (or Pagan), Myanmar
The mystical Thousand Pagodas Plain.
54. Napa Valley, California
Wine and dine amongst the rolling vinyards.
55. Zion National Park, Utah, USA
A colorful canyon cut by the river.
56. Swiss Alps, Switzerland
The epic and majestic mountain range.
57. Lake Bled, Slovenia
Back to the world of fairytales.
58. Whitehaven Beach, Australia
Cream-colored swirls of sand and surf.
59. Luxor, Egypt
The great Karnak Temple.
60. Meteora, Greece
The famous monastery perched high on the rocks.
61. Bioluminescent Bay, Puerto Rico
Bacteria in the water glow when agitated.
62. Giant Crystal Cave, Mexico
Some of the largest crystals in the world.
63. Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye, Scotland
A peaceful waterscape.
64. Beachy Head, England
White cliffs and a little candy striped lighthouse.
65. Rotorua, New Zealand
Brightly colored hot springs.
66. Lencois Sand Dunes, Brazil
Sometimes flooding creates blue pools of water among the dunes.
67. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The iconic statue overlooking the city.
68. Spotted Lake, Canada
When the water starts to evaporate it forms colorful circles.
69. Iceland
A vast winter and a perfect place to watch the aurora.
70. Hushe Valley, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan
Laila Peak creates one of the most stunning mountainscapes on Earth.
71. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA
The awesome colorful cliffs on every American’s list.
72. Inga Falls, Congo River, Africa
Unique waterfalls and lush greenery on the congo river.
73. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Green waters and ribbons of waterfalls in dense vegetation.
74. Torres del Paine, Chile
Strange cliffs and a magical setting. I had two favorite pictures.
75. Binalong Bay, Bay of Fires, Tasmania
Brightly colored rocks contrast the cool water.
76. Danxia Landforms, China
Hike over vibrantly colored rock formations.
77. Death Valley, California, USA
A vast, dry, cracked, and desolate wilderness.
78. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
A colorful array of underwater wildlife.
79. Blue Grotto Cave, Capri, Italy
Sunlight reflects off the water and shines blue on the walls.
80. Huanglong, China
Terraced limestones basin pools make up this UNESCO world heritage site.
81. Positano, Almalfi Coast, Italy
Storybook town on a cliff by the sea.
82. Dead Sea, Israel & Jordan
High salt content keeps you from sinking in the beautiful waters.
83. Maui, Hawaii
A lush tropical paradise.
84. Sanibel Island, Florida
Thousands of exotic shells line the beach.
85. Nootka Island, Vancouver Island, Canada
One of Canada’s many natural wonders.
86. Fiji, Republic of Fiji
Tropical island paradise.
87. Kyoto, Japan
Richly detailed oriental beauty.
88. Brittany, France
An old celtic region with natural and man made beauty.
89. Everglades National Park, Florida
Where the gators are.
90. Lapland, Finland
A magical winterscape.
91. Flaming Crater, Derweze, Turkmenistan
The “Door to Hell,” set alight in 1971 and still burning today.
92. Cano Crystales (Crystal River or the River of Five Colors), Colombia
Different colors of algae give this river its vibrant hues.
93. Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada
Bright water, green pines, and snow-capped mountains.
94. Seychelles
The archipelago island country.
95. Multnomah, Oregon, USA
Peaceful waterfall surrounded by greenery.
96. Madagascar
Fat ‘ol baobab trees.
97. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Tropical beaches and perfect water.
98. Lake Baikal, Russia
Mostly because I felt bad that Russia didn’t make the list. But it is also pretty.
99. Rocky Mountains, Canada
Alien lake of frozen bubbles.
100. Norway
A sweeping generalization, but the entire country is beautiful.
