Travel magazines and sites always feature lush tropical destinations on their front covers or home pages. We hear about family and friends packing coats and boots for snowy European destinations in the winter.
We read about the City of Love and how we can drink good wine in Spain at almost any time in the day and listen to the sound of beautiful Flamenco and Salsa music through the streets.
However, despite how amazing these destinations are, we’ve heard about them a million times over. If you’re looking for a new place to try that is full of a little more mystery and majesty, you might want to consider one of the seven destinations below.
What makes them even more interesting is that they all have some form of natural elements to them that makes them breathtaking. Whether its carbon dioxide “champagne” bubbles, waves that glow at night like they are full of stars or hot springs that cascade over cliffs, the beauty of each of these little-known destinations will leave you speechless.
1. Champagne Pool, New Zealand
Sounds like something out of a luxury magazine, doesn’t it? Champagne Pool is a hot spring located on the North Island of New Zealand. The reason it’s called Champagne Pool is because of the carbon dioxide gas that makes the water look like a bubbling glass of champagne.
The beautiful, rainbow-like colors come from minerals and silicate. Though it’s definitely worth seeing, you won’t be doing any swimming here. The water reaches a temperature of 74 degrees Celsius, which is about 163 degrees Fahrenheit!
2. Marble Caves, Chile
Formed by over 6,000 years of ocean waves washing up against calcium carbonate, these majestic natural wonders are only accessible by boat. However, you’ll definitely want to see them because, based on the water level and time of year, the reflection of the beautiful blue waters beneath the caves create patterns that dance in the caves in varying intensity and hue.
3. Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
A destination full of mystery, Giant’s Causeway is one of the world’s most unique rock formations. There are over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, which have formed in such a way due to an ancient volcanic eruption.
Most of the columns are hexagonal, making it look like one big honeycomb pattern. What’s really cool is how the tops of the columns form stepping stones that visitors can walk on and eventually disappear into the sea.
4. Pamukkale, Turkey
Pamukkale is found in the Denzil province of southwestern Turkey, and the name translates to something along the lines of “Cotton Castle”. According to Go Pamukkale, “Pamukkale travertine terraces are formed by the hot water that comes from its foundation that is 320 meters away from the terraces.
After the water leaves the thermal springs, it is carried it by a 320-meter long canal to the Pamukkale terraces and the water falls into terraces and forms the travertines.”
These is actually so much more to see in this area of Turkey that you could spend a whole day here! Aside from the terraces, you can visit the old Roman spa city of Hierapolis, or go for a swim in the Antique Pool, where you can swim for a small fee (and find some of the marble columns from the Roman Temple of Apollo in the water!).
5. Red Beach, China
Located in Panjin, China, this natural beauty gets its name from the red plant Suaeda salsa that grows in the wetland. The plant’s growth cycle begins in April, when it is a light-colored red, and moves to a more mature state in the autumn, when it turns a deep red color.
Each year, hundreds of tourists flock to Panjin Red Beach, which lies on the Shuangtaizi River near Panjin City. The beach is home to more than 260 kinds of birds and about 400 different wildlife species.
6. Bioluminescent Waves, Maldives
Ever think you’d get to see the ocean glow in the dark? Probably not, but there are a handful of spots around the world where you can see ocean waves light up like they are full of twinkling stars. One such place is Vaadhoo Island, located in the Maldives.
The bright blue glow is caused by various marine microbes called phytoplankton, with the most common one being dinoflagellates. According to a recent study, a special channel in the cell membrane of these little guys responds to electrical signals and allows for the algae to create their own little lights.
The Maldives itself is a beautiful place to visit, but it’s even more wonderful when the ocean not only serves as your playground during the day, but as your nightlight when the sun dips into the horizon and the midnight sky becomes a deep indigo.
7. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is the largest national park in Croatia and is home to several lakes that are arranged in cascades. Each year, over one million visitors come to the park to view the clusters of 16 lakes that can be seen from the surface. What makes the lakes beautiful is the different displays of the colors they create in the park, ranging from azure to green, grey and blue.
There are rich colors throughout the area, as well as flora and fauna. The cross between water, air and plant life creates a unique and majestic experience for all visitors.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Just as the saying goes, each person has a different perception of beauty, and it might be very different definition from someone close to you. A friend or family member may suggest you visit London because they found it to be a beautiful destination, but perhaps you are looking for something more unique and “out of the box”. These seven destinations are much more original and full of natural beauty that not even the best photographers can capture.
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