Spotted Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Spotted Lake has long been revered by the native Okanagan (Syilx) people and it’s easy to see why they think of it as sacred.
In the summer the water of the lake evaporates and small mineral pools are left behind, each one different in colour to the next.
visitors are asked not to trespass on tribal land.
The Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
Sixty million years ago a huge volcanic eruption spewed out a mass of molten basalt, which then solidified and contracted as it cooled, creating the cracks that can be seen today.
A World Heritage Site, there are an estimated 37,000 polygon columns so geometrically perfect that local legend has it they were created by a giant.
Thor’s Well, Oregon, USA
Also known as Spouting Horn, in rough conditions the surf rushes into the gaping sink hole and then shoots upwards with great force.
Pamukkale, Turkey
A remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwest Turkey
a visit to Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) also takes in the ancient ruins of Hierapolis, the once great city that was built around it.
this is beautiful
Lake Hillier, Western Australia
This remarkable lake was discovered in 1802 on the largest of the islands in Western Australia’s Recherche Archipelago.
The lake keeps its deep pink colour year-round, which some scientists say it’s down to high salinity combined with the presence of
a salt-loving algae species known as Dunaliella salina and pink bacteria known as halobacteria.
Badab-e-Surt, Iran
hese beautiful travertine terraces in Northern Iran are an incredible natural phenomenon that developed over thousands of years.
Travertine is a type of limestone formed from the calcium deposit in flowing water
The Tianzi mountains, China
Found in the northwest of the Hunan Province in China, these staggering limestone pinnacles are covered in lush greenery and often shrouded in mist.
unsurprisingly the inspiration for the floating mountains in the blockbuster movie Avatar.
The Nazca Lines, Peru
he animal figures and geometric shapes etched by the ancient Nazca into Peru’s barren Pampa de San José are one of South America’s great mysteries.
Visible only from the air or from a metal viewing tower beside the highway
some of the unexplained shapes are up to 200m in length and each one is executed in a single continuous line.
The Bermuda Triangle, North Atlantic Ocean
Long shrouded in myth and mystery,
the infamous 500,000 square miles also dubbed the Devil’s Triangle is roughly the area between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico
Although the US Coastguard disputes any such area exist
conspiracy theories thrive on stories about unusual magnetic readings and ships, planes and
people who have disappeared here without a trace.
Socotra Island, Yemen
Separated from mainland Africa more than six million years ago, this remote island looks like the set of a sci-fi film.
particularly bizarre are the ancient and twisted dragon’s blood tree and the bulbous bottle tree.
The Hand in the Desert, Chile
Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal is responsible for this very weird work of art rising out of the sand in the middle of Chile’s Atacama desert
Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island, the Philippines
Bohol’s 1700-odd conical hills dot the middle of the island; they range in height but are so regular in shape that they could be mistaken for being man-made.
Red Beach, Panjin, China
Very cool and very weird, this beach is covered in a type of seaweed called Sueda, which turns bright red in autumn.
Plain of Jars, Laos
Shrouded in myth, megalithic stone jars are scattered across Xieng Khouang Province in groups from one to one hundred
though local legend has it that the jars were used to brew rice wine for giants.
Goblin Valley State Park, Utah, USA
No, this is not Mars
but an uninhabited valley 216 miles southeast of Salt Lake City
Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA
Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA
This otherworldly geyser is on private land on the edge of Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
Cat Island, Japan
A short ferry ride from Japan’s east coast, Tashirojima has a population of one hundred humans who are vastly outnumbered by their furry friends.
as a population of one hundred humans who are vastly outnumbered by their furry friends. Originally the cats were encouraged as the island produced silk and mice are a natural predator of silkworms.
