The remnants of long-gone prehistoric lakes have given way to what is now the largest salt flat on Earth.
3. Despite being on Earth, the Danakil Depression looks more alien than most images we've seen from other planets.
Known as the “gateway to Hell,” this Ethiopian geological marvel features vibrant acidic springs, salt lakes, lava lakes, and volcanoes.
4. Waterfall of the Bride, Peru
Legend tells of a couple torn by family rivalry. On their wedding day, the bride's father murdered the groom. Devastated, the bride begged Mother Nature to turn her into a waterfall, a symbol of her eternal love.
5. Lake MacDonnell, Australia
This picture hasn't been photoshopped. The vibrant color on the right side is due to a type of salt-loving algae called Dunaliella salina, which produces carotenoid pigments that turn the water bright pink.
6. Elephant rock, Iceland
7. Sorvagsvatn, the lake suspended above the ocean
8. Praia da Marinha, Portugal
9. Rainbow Mountains, Peru
Also known as Vinicunca, this stunning mountain in the Andes owes its vibrant colors to the interplay of minerals and sediments over millions of years. Layers of red clays and other deposits combine to create this natural masterpiece.
10. Stuðlagil Canyon, Iceland
These massive basalt columns are thought to be over 2 million years old, dating back to the ice age.
11. Namibia, where the desert meets the ocean
12. Marble Caves, Chile
The marble caves were shaped over 6000 years by water eroding calcium carbonate, creating smooth marble walls that reflect a spectrum of vivid colors from deep blue to turquoise and light blue.
13. Tunnel of light in Petra, Jordan
14. Nara Park, Japan
15. The rainbow mountains of Utah
16. Socotra Island is home to 825 plant species, 307 of which are not found anywhere else in the world.
17. The eye of the Earth, Croatia
It is one of the main sources of the Cetina River, with a depth of over 150 meters.
18. The Wave, Arizona
The Wave started forming 190 million years ago as desert dunes compressed and solidified into the striped sandstone we see today.
19. Corvo Island, Portugal
20. Holtsós, a unique spot in Iceland where green fields, a yellow river, a black beach and the ocean come together.
21. Heavens Gate in Tianmen Mountain, one of the largest natural arches in the world.
22. Lake Bled, Slovenia
23. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
These surreal quartz-sandstone pillars inspired Avatar's floating Hallelujah Mountains.
24. The Giant Groundsel is a large prehistoric plant, renowned for its otherworldly appearance and extraordinary adaptability.
It emerged around a million years ago, evolving from a common groundsel that was present on Mount Kilimanjaro.
25. Switzerland looks like heaven on earth
26. Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
Linking Klevan and Orzhiv, this railway has turned into a 4-kilometer green corridor with a tree archway.
27. Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
The rainy season causes freshwater lagoons to form in the valleys between dunes, with the impermeable rock below stopping them from draining.
28. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan
About 7km west of downtown Kyoto you’ll find this unreal bamboo grove, a stunning forest of tall bamboo with a paved walkway through it known as "Bamboo Alley."
29. Salto del Agrio Waterfall, Argentina
The colors here are strikingly vibrant and unique thanks to the various minerals associated with volcanic activity.
30. Chocolate Hills, Philippines
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2. Sunflowers consist of hundreds of tiny flowers arranged in nearly perfect symmetry
3. The mandarin duck
This stunning bird was described in 1727 by the German explorer Engelbert Kaempfer: "It is so great, that being shew'd its picture in colours, I could hardly believe my own eyes."