Our planet and its natural beauty is simply jaw-dropping. From hot springs and salt pans to mountains and ice caves, our world is filled with awe-inspiring natural wonders bursting with color. In a time when we all need a little pick-me-up, here are some of the best sights on Earth – click on ‘full screen’ to see these photos at their best.
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Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA
The kaleidoscopic Fly Geyser in Black Rock Desert is a totally unique sight as it was actually formed due to human error. In the 1960s, a geothermal energy company drilled on the site in the hope of striking a usable power source. The water the workmen hit wasn’t warm enough but they failed to properly seal the opening they made. Today, the geyser still spews water and steam, and the brilliant colors are formed by the algae it’s covered in.
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Landmannalaugar, Iceland
The Highlands of Iceland are renowned for thermal springs and mirror-like fjords but Landmannalaugar is unlike anywhere else in the world. Inside Fjallabak Nature Reserve on the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, this unique and unusual landscape was formed during a volcanic eruption around 1477. Famed for its geothermal springs and azure rivers, this rugged region also benefits from candy-colored hills that appear to be painted by hand.
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Mendenhall Ice Caves, Alaska, USA
Equal parts eerie and enchanting, these ice caves can be found less than 12 miles (19km) away from the city of Juneau in Alaska. Deep inside the Mendenhall Glacier, the tunnels were carved out by melting ice and the flow of water around the side of the glacier itself. As light penetrates the clear ice, it gives the caves a strikingly dark and deep blue color. Take a look at more of America’s most stunning natural wonders.
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Yuanyang rice terraces, Yunnan, China
These vibrant rice terraces in China’s Yuanyang County have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013 and no wonder. Built on red-soil mountains over 2,500 years ago and reaching up to 6,561 feet (1,999m) above sea level, the rice terraces fill with cascading spring water from the forests above, creating a unique scenery in shades of green and brown.
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Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Lake Louise is the most famous of Banff National Park’s turquoise lakes that include Moraine Lake and Peyto Lake. The lakes get their distinctive blue color from reflective glacial silt that makes its way into the water. The ice-cold glacial water also makes them too cold for swimming, even in summer. Discover stunning images of Canada’s jaw-dropping natural wonders.
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Caño Cristales, Colombia
Within the Sierra de La Macarena National Natural Park in Colombia, this exquisite river is aptly nicknamed the River of Five Colors. Caño Cristales is considered one of the most beautiful waterways in the world and for several months each year, it dazzles with interchanging hues of pink, green, yellow, blue and black. This natural display occurs thanks to an endemic aquatic plant that changes color when exposed to sunlight.
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Palouse, Washington, USA
Despite being one of America’s most attractive regions, the Palouse often slips under the radar. This major agricultural area, which also encompasses parts of Idaho, is known for picture-perfect pastoral fields that shimmer in shades of purple and green. These idyllic hills were formed over tens of thousands of years, from wind-blown dust and silt from dryer climes.
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Batad and Banaue rice terraces, the Philippines
Hand-carved into the mountains 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces in the Philippines’ Ifugao province are staggeringly spectacular. There are five vast, UNESCO-listed terraces stretching hundreds of feet into the air. Local law has it that if you joined all the paddies end to end, they’d reach halfway round the Earth. The terraces are at their most beautiful in late spring when the young rice give the terraces a lush green color.
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Lake Hillier, Western Australia, Australia
Australia’s natural wonders come in a kaleidoscope of colors, including bright pink. The pretty-hued Lake Hillier can be found on Middle Island in Western Australia’s Recherche Archipelago, around 70 miles (113km) from Esperance. Framed by green forest and blue water, it’s an extraordinary sight. It’s not certain exactly why the water is pink but it’s thought to be related to its high salt levels. Here are 40 of Australia’s most stunning natural wonders.
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Provence in summer, France
The lavender fields of France’s Provence region explode in a fragrant haze of purple from around mid-June up until August (though they’re at their peak in early July). The most concentration of lavender fields is on the high plateau around Sault, at the foot of the Mont Ventoux and around Apt and Gordes. Lavender is an important part of life in Provence as it has countless uses, from beauty products and soaps to aromatherapy, as a natural remedy and even in cooking. These are the most wonderful views on Earth.
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Seven Coloured Earths, Mauritius
The island’s most famous natural wonder, the Seven Coloured Earths are colorful sand dunes surrounded by a dense tropical forest. The dunes were created as basaltic lava gradually transformed into clay minerals, and due to various cooling temperatures of the rock, resulted in seven different colors. True to the name, the dunes are red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow.
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Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
You’ll have a hard time believing that these color-splashed mountains are real. With distinct lines of red, yellow, orange and black, these hills show how the climate and the geology has changed over time. Part of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the hills are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon. Discover 99 beautiful things we love about America.
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Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef is famously so vast it can be viewed from space. It’s the world’s largest reef system, made up of nearly 3,000 reefs and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. It’s also home to whales, dolphins, sea turtles and thousands of species of fish. Even without all that, the dazzling, dappled expanse of blue is pretty lovely to look at.
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Laguna Colorada, Bolivia
Located high up in a natural reserve close to the Chilean border, this shallow, red salt lake is considered to be one of Bolivia’s most beautiful natural landmarks thanks to its striking appearance and large flocks of flamingos that hang out here. The water gets its unique color due to red sediments in the water and pigmentation of some algae.
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Five Flower Lake, Sichuan, China
China’s Jiuzhaigou Valley is on the UNESCO World Heritage list for very good reason and Five Flower Lake is perhaps its most dazzling feature. This serene lake is considered holy by many locals, thanks to its interchanging colors and the fact it doesn’t freeze, even in winter. Yet the mystery behind this unique wonder can be easily explained – home to hot springs, the pool also has aquatic plants which change color when exposed to sunlight.
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Nā Pali Coast, Hawaii, USA
The gorgeous forest-covered cliffs of the Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kauai Island are an exquisite sight to see. Like something straight out of Jurassic Park, some of the rugged red and green rocks of the coast look more suited to a different planet than Earth. Nā Pali means high cliffs in Hawaiian – a very fitting name when the tallest mountains here soar to 4,000 feet (1,219m).
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Marble Caves, Chile
Waves crashing into solid calcium carbonate for 6,000 years is what created Chile’s incredible marble caves locally known as Capillas de Mármol. Their swirling blue pattern changes color and intensity throughout the year. Located in the middle of Lake General Carrera, the caves are one of the most isolated treasures of the natural world.
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Rio Tinto, Spain
Flowing through southwestern Spain, from Sierra Morena mountains in Andalucía to the Gulf of Cádiz, this strikingly colored river resembles wine more than water. Its unique red and orange pigmentation is caused by an intricate chemical makeup of very high levels of iron and heavy metals. However, it’s not clear how much of the high level of acidity in the river has come from natural processes and how much from ore mining in the area. Take a look at stunning images of the world’s most beautiful rivers.
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Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall, Thailand
This breathtaking natural wonder is considered one of Thailand’s finest waterfalls. Found inside Srinakarin Dam National Park in western Thailand, the tiered fall drops for seven levels and stretches around 1.2 miles (2km). Surrounded by a stunning jungle landscape, this scenic chain of waterfalls is especially picturesque in fall when the bright green water is surrounded by the vivid leaves changing color. These are the world’s most beautiful waterfalls.
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Morning Glory Pool, Wyoming, USA
Located in Yellowstone National Park’s Upper Geyser Basin, Morning Glory Pool and its unique color might be striking, but all is not what it seems. The pool was originally a bright blue color, caused by bacteria that thrives in the hot water. However, after years of visitors throwing various objects into the pool, some of the thermal vents have been blocked, which has reduced the temperature of the water and the number of bacteria in it. Instead, invasive yellow-tinted bacteria continuous to grow, creating a beautiful but sad rainbow appearance.
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Skazka Canyon, Kyrgyzstan
Located in remote Kyrgyzstan, the name means Fairy Tale Canyon and, with its bright red rock formations and winding sandy passageways, it’s easy to see why. It’s thought to be one of the most striking sights in this remote Central Asian country. Discover more stunning images of the world’s most incredible canyons here.
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Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Okavango Delta in Botswana is described as ‘Africa’s last Eden’ – not too bold a claim given the unspoiled nature and diverse wildlife of this sprawling lush green wetland area. The fluctuating delta is created as the Okavango River floods the Kalahari Desert, and is at its largest from March through to June. Some 160 species of mammal can be found within the delta area from the African bush elephant to big cats like lions and cheetah. These fantastic travel photos will make you feel better about the world.
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Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, Australia
The Ningaloo Marine Park off the shores of Exmouth hugs more than 160 miles (257km) of Western Australia’s coastline, and is home to more than 500 species of fish and 200 types of coral. From this eagle viewpoint, you can see how the cyan waters meet the pale shores of Cape Range National Park, known for its sandy beaches, rugged gorges and orange rockscapes. Here are the world’s most colorful destinations.
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Colonia de Sant Jordi, Mallorca, Spain
While it may look like a giant paint palette, this pink landscape is actually made up of salt flats and is situated in the seaside resort of Colonia de Sant Jordi in Mallorca’s Ses Salines district. Salt is a major export here and a great source of local pride – a symbol of a salt mound even appears on the area’s coat of arms. The colors – earthy pink, deep tan and rich nude – pop when captured from up high.
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Danakil Depression, Ethiopia
A result of the divergence of three tectonic plates, Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression is a sight like no other. Here, steam spits out from openings in the Earth’s crust and chemicals released by the hot springs color the rocky mineral deposits yellow, orange and green. This eerie lunar-like landscape of sulfur springs is also one of the hottest places on Earth.
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Rainbow eucalyptus, Hawaii, USA
While these multicolored trunks may look like something out of a film, you can actually find them in Hawaii. Also known as the rainbow gum tree, the technicolor lines on these trees’ trunks are down to different parts of the bark shedding at different times. On top of looking the part, these trees smell lovely too. See more stunning photos of the world’s most beautiful trees.
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Geyzernoye Lake, Siberia, Russia
Geyzernoye Lake, also known as Blue Lake, is located in the remote Altai Republic in Siberia. This spectacular thermal spring offers vibrant teal waters and a picture-perfect surrounding landscape. Every now and then, visible concentric circles appear underneath the surface of the water, throwing out clay and sand in geyser-like eruptions. Discover jaw-dropping places you’ll only ever see in photos.
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Deadvlei, Namibia
This white salt pan, tucked within the Namib-Naukluft Park, is an otherworldly sight. Dotted with petrified trees and surrounded by rust-red dunes, the dry mineral pan of Deadvlei doesn’t really look like anywhere else on Earth. The contrasting colors of this landscape are simply breathtaking. Here are more mysterious places on Earth.
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Maple trees in fall, Québec, Canada
Fall is a colorful season everywhere in Canada, but no more so than in the province of Québec, which is rife with maple trees. The leaves turn bright orange or brilliant red in fall, covering the rolling hills of rural Québec in a blanket of color for several weeks in October. The trees also have a sweet season in the early spring, when their sap is tapped and turned into delicious maple syrup. Take a look at beautiful forests of the world.
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The Wave, Arizona, USA
One of the most mind-blowing rock formations in the States, the Wave is situated in the Coyote Buttes, pressed up against the Utah border. The dramatic sandstone landmark looks almost as if painted by hand, its face colored with rippling bands of white, salmon and orange. It was formed millions of years ago, as sandwiched rocks were gradually eroded.
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Xwejni Salt Pans, Gozo, Malta
The pretty Maltese island of Gozo is famous for its Neolithic sites and rugged stretches of coastline, but it’s also notable for its salt production and in the north you’ll find large clusters of salt pans. They’re at their most picturesque when seen from above: the pans appear like a mosaic with hues of earth brown, white and sand punctured by emerald-green water.
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Munnar, Kerala, India
High in the Western Ghats, this hill station and former resort for the upper echelons of the British Raj looks out over lush plantations and mist-covered hilltops. Dotted by tea estates, which were originally established by the Scottish, the green landscape here is simply breathtaking. The region is also famous for the elusive neelakurinji flowers, which only bloom every 12 years. The next event is due to happen in 2030.
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Pink Beach, Komodo Island, Indonesia
There are thought to be just a handful of pink beaches in the world and one of the most famous (and most spectacular) can be found on Komodo Island in Indonesia. The beach’s pastel hue is created when the red shells of tiny creatures called foraminifera combine with white sand. Sandwiched between crystalline waters and a rugged green landscape, this pink sand strip is almost too pretty to be real.
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Northern Lights
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, might not be found on the ground, however, the natural light display occurring between late September and late March deserves a mention thanks to its striking appearance. Although these majestic purple and green bands of light cover a wide geographical area, some of the most spectacular shows happen above Iceland, as seen in this image.
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Southern Lights
Most people have heard of the Northern Lights, but the dazzling show offered in the Southern Hemisphere is equally as captivating. The aurora australis, or the Southern Lights, is a dancing curtain of light that glows in every shade from pink to green. The result of energetic electrons colliding with atoms and molecules, this otherworldly multicolored show can be seen in Antarctica, New Zealand, southern Australia, Chile and South Africa.
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Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Covering almost 115 square miles (298sq km), Plitvice Lakes National Park is found near the Bosnia and Herzegovina border, two hours south by car from Zagreb in Croatia. The park, founded in 1949, is famous for its collection of 16 crystal clear, color-changing lakes – they morph between shades of green and blue due to their high mineral content – plus over 90 waterfalls. It’s a truly magical landscape. Here are stunning images of Europe’s best national parks.
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Lake Natron, Tanzania
This lake in northern Tanzania might look gorgeous but it’s actually deadly – the pH balance of the water is enough to burn anything that’s submerged in it. Funnily enough, it’s the same toxicity level that gives it the lake’s signature striking red, cracked appearance. Take a look at more beautiful images of the world taken from the sky.
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Havasu Falls, Arizona, USA
The colors of Havasu Falls look otherworldly but this eye-popping combination of orange-pink rock and a pool of cerulean blue, fed by a silken cascade, is definitely real. One of five waterfalls on the Havasupai Reservation, within the Grand Canyon, the water owes its vibrant hue to calcium carbonate in the water. Take a look at some of the most unspoiled places on Earth.
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Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming, USA
Yellowstone’s most famous hot spring, the Grand Prismatic’s vivid blue center is surrounded by bands of rusty orange, yellow and green, making it look otherworldly. The largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world, Grand Prismatic’s water reaches a temperature of around 160°F (70°C). Multi-layered sheets of microorganisms called microbial mats give the bands their distinctive colors, that tend to change slightly with the seasons.
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Rainbow Mountain, Peru
This multicolored mountain in the Peruvian Andes is not man-made despite what its perfectly symmetrical layers might make you think. The colorful bands, ranging from pink and red to yellow and green, are the result of sedimentary layers forming from mineral deposits over the years.
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Pamukkale, Turkey
One of Turkey’s most beautiful sights, the surreal travertine terraces of Pamukkale (meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish) are a geological phenomenon. The striking pools are a result of the mineral-rich hot springs that bubble away beneath the ground. Now take a look at the world’s most beautiful natural wonders.
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Zhangye National Geopark, Gansu, China
The rainbow-hued mountains in Zhangye National Geopark look just like an artist’s brush strokes. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this stunning formation was created by natural erosion, when layers of sand, silt, iron and minerals blended together to create a kaleidoscope of colors. The incredible park appears to have been decorated by Mother Nature herself.
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