Beautiful landscapes? Humans have been obsessed with a good view since the beginning of time. Discover our top 6 picks for the world’s most unique and gorgeous landscape places in the world
beautiful scenery. Humans have been obsessed with a good view since the beginning of time. Okay, we don’t really have any confirmation of it. But if you and I can gaze out the window and smile at what we see, imagine a Neanderthal man looking out of his cave and saying, “Ah, what a lovely view.” The ability to appreciate beautiful landscapes appears to be encoded into our brains and must have originated someplace. And, while Ug the Caveman did not leave any archaeological evidence of view appreciation, other cultures did seek out and admire the world’s most stunning vistas.
From ancient China to the Renaissance, individuals attempted to replicate magnificent landscapes to express their appreciation for them. Whether it’s carving stone or presenting oil paintings in London galleries, refined Victorians who wouldn’t want to get their garments muddy can stand and gaze upon wild, fantastic vistas and think, “Yes, yes, very good.”
Now, we at Much Better Adventures believe that the greatest way to experience a magnificent place is to walk, climb, kayak, or otherwise get away from your computer and see it in person. But, since you and I are both clearly looking at screens right now, we’ll make an exception. What is the contemporary equivalent of a Victorian art gallery? Well, I am afraid it is Instagram.
Here are ten stunning landscapes that you can admire from afar, carry with you wherever you go, and, perhaps, see for yourself one day.
1. SNOWY MOUNTAINS: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
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A pure snow-covered landscape has a certain beauty. It’s like topping an already magnificent mountain with icing. The Aleutian Islands‘ two mountains, Pavlof 1 and Pavlof 2, do not appear to be real. Add a cloud inversion to the mix, and you’re transported to another world.
Fortunately, you can experience the splendor of a snowy mountain almost anywhere in the world. Anywhere cold or high enough (or both!) for snow, and you’re set.
2. CRATERS AND LAGOONS: ICELAND
Iceland, the country of ice and fire and impossibly long words that no visitor can pronounce, is giving Wales a run for its money! Iceland has a volcanic history (there aren’t many places with black sand beaches), which has resulted in a distinct and stunning scenery. But we’re here to discuss the craters and lagoons. We had to share the photograph above, which has amazingly vibrant colours and a panoramic perspective of the mountains.
Similar glacial-formed highland lakes can be found far beyond Iceland. Glacial valleys can be seen from the Lake District to the Alps, as well as throughout the world’s hilly regions. At least, anywhere where ice existed millions of years ago.
3. ICE CAVES: ICELAND
On the subject of ice, let us offer it a gorgeous landscape point of its own. Iceland is not the only place with large stretches of ice and glaciers. However, we do know that you can wander inside Iceland’s glaciers. As if the ice wasn’t stunning enough, you can walk beneath a translucent blue ceiling.
4. BEACHES AND COASTLINE: USA
When people think of lovely beaches, they typically see long expanses of white sand meeting turquoise blue oceans. Perhaps a turtle or two. But the granite formations along the coast are as stunning, carved by thousands of years of waves. Sand consists primarily of tiny granules of rock. Let us not discuss about parrotfish excrement (google it up).
We particularly like this dramatic photo of a seaside cave in a mysterious place off the coast of California. But every island has a coast, if you can identify its edges. Many coastlines are stunning in their own right, from Cornwall’s storm-shaped cliffs to the clean beaches of Flores Island in Indonesia.
5. Volcanic Landscapes: Ethiopia
We seem to be obsessed with volcanoes… But they do make for some stunning landscapes. Beautiful in an extreme way. We love how nature creates these insanely vibrant colours. Eat your heart out, artificial food colouring! However, you should avoid eating or drinking anything created organically in the Danakil Depression, Ethiopia. Almost everything is harmful.
6. WATER, NORWAY
There is water everywhere where there is no land. Duh. Water covers around 70% of the Earth’s surface (and 60% of the human body, which is intriguing). So we believe that water is underappreciated when it comes to gorgeous landscapes. Particularly large bodies of water, not simply lakes, lagoons, or rivers. They’re cool, too, but there’s something special about water all the way to the horizon. It certainly gives you some perspective.
Of course, we’d rather be doing it than looking at it, such as kayaking down the Greek coast or island hopping in Sweden. We particularly enjoy the Norwegian fjords, which have large quantities of mirror-still water surrounded by jagged mountains.
Explore More Beautiful Landscapes
Beautiful landscapes are everywhere. we can’t add every landscape list here. however, you explore famous more landscapes in the world.
Jungle: Colombia
Wimba-way, wimba-way, a…. just kidding. However, regardless of whether a sleeping lion is present, the vast jungle contains many lovely sceneries. In fact, there is unlikely to be a sleeping lion because lions do not live in jungles, which raises a slew of problems for our childhood selves to solve.
While we figure it out, you can explore the real jungle for yourself. As an example, consider a 100-kilometer jungle expedition in Colombia. The Samana Watershed is a biodiverse rainforest wonderland that is rarely visited by visitors. No lions. Promise.
Desert: Morocco.
The lions failed us, but the camels will not. The Sahara Desert was once covered in water. There is now sand as far as the eye can view, rather than water. Imagine being shrunk to the size of an ant and left in a sand hole, but without the threat of enormous children.
Perhaps even more astounding than the vast desert are the villages and human settlements that emerge inside it, such as the above-mentioned Ait Benhaddou, an old city in Morocco.
Morocco, Jordan, and Oman provide stunning sand landscapes to explore. Or, to be honest, any country with a desert.
Rock Formations: Scotland
The unique rock formations of the Old Man of Storr on Scotland’s Isle of Skye produce an otherworldly environment. Perhaps it reminds us of mystical towers or Mordor’s gates. We’re not sure, but pillars of rock undoubtedly have a fantasy element. Perhaps site scouts for fantasy films are simply creating a self-propagating circle. Skye is a wild and dismal mountainous island ripe for exploration.
FOREST OF SLOVENIA
Okay, we could have chosen any number of forests. There’s something lovely about deciduous trees changing colours with the seasons. It’s like watching fall unfold in front of you. Slovenia’s woodlands are stunning in the autumn, as we discovered during a team trip to Slovenia. Even if your adventure doesn’t go exactly as planned, you can still enjoy being in nature.