The 100 Most Beautiful Places in the World in Pictures

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.

What else deserves to be on the list? 

 

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You might also like:

The 50 Greatest festivals in the world.

 

Photo credit: salar de uyuni/ angkor wat/ cinque terre (source unkown)/ blue lagoon/ maldives/ yellowstone/ glass beach/ Pamukkale/ big island/ st. lucia/ santorini/ neuschwanstein/ marble caves/ chittorgarh fort/ geithorn (source unknown)/ crystal cave/ aogashima volcano/ rice terrace #1 #2/ amazon rainforest/ venice/ petra/ machu picchu/ tuscany/ carlsbad caverns/ shirakawa-go village/ galapagos (source unknown)/ Himalayas/ bali/ Serengeti/ sahara/ dubai/ Ha Long Bay/ moeraki boulders/ great wall of china (source unknown)/ antarctica/ lake retba (source unknown)/ Morocco/ fjords/ socotra/ alaska/ victoria/ fingal's cave/ giant's causeway/ lake tahoe (source unknown)/ cappadocia/ havasu falls/ glow worm cave/ outback/ Tikal/ antelope canyon/ reed flute cave/ verdon gorge/ bagan (source unkown)/ napa valley (source unkown)/ zion/ swiss alps/ lake bled/ whitehaven beach (source unknown)/ karnak temple/ meteora (source unknown)/ bioluminescent bay/ giant crystal cave/ fairy pools/ beachy head/ rotorua/ lencois sand dunes/ rio de janeiro/ spotted lake/ iceland/ hushe valley/ grand canyon/ inga falls/ plitvice falls/ torres del paine 1, 2 (source unknown)/ binalong bay/ danxia landforms/ death valley/ great barrier reef/ blue grotto cave/ huanglong/ positano/ dead sea/ maui/ sanibel/ nootka island/ fiji/ kyoto 1, 2/ brittany/ everglades/ lapland/ flaming crater/ cano crystales/ moraine lake/ seychelles 1, 2/ multnomah falls/ madagascar/ bora bora/ lake baikal/ rocky mountains/ norway