There are a lot of really beautiful places in the world, but I think it’s fair to say that not all beautiful places are created equal. In fact, some of the most beautiful places it in the world are lesser known and lesser talked about. Here, we’ve put together a list of 19 incredibly gorgeous spots in the world, most of which are off the beaten path. Which one of these would you like to get lost in during your next vacation?Invaders from England, France, or wherever else aren’t going to get past this fairytale bastion – Rapunzel not included.
Don’t let the postcard view fool you. In the Netherlands, growing and exporting flowers is a huge business that pulls in billions a year.
Reports of hobbits have not been verified, but this tree in Costa Rica looks like it could house a solid dozen.
The Colorado River is hundreds of miles long, but in Arizona it takes a leisurely detour to carve out this spectacular formation.
Nobody is entirely sure why the ancient Incas decided to build a huge temple complex at the top of nearly vertical mountain peaks, but they must have been incredibly confident people with strong calves.
Brazil and Argentina both get to boast views of these spectacular waterfalls, but the border region is home to an amazing amount of shady business between the two countries.
Area residents are so used to trolls, centaurs, and other mythical creatures strolling out of their forest that they walk out of Hollywood fantasy movies saying “what’s the big deal?”
Clear waters? Check. Spectacular jungle? Check. Friendly, funny locals? Check. I already booked a ticket.
Located at the eastern end of Siberia, Kamchatka is where this region of spectacular landscapes just started getting loose and having fun. “Okay, yeah – let’s put a turquoise lake on top of a volcano. Why the hell not?”
Monsanto, a town built among boulders in Mt. Monsanto, Portugal, has stood the test of time since the Early Stone Age.
The grizzled canola farmers of this mountainous Chinese region don’t actually care that their workaday crop just so happens to look spectacular for a few short days of every year.
This patient artist bends and braids trees into spooky sculptures.
This tiny and often overlooked Mediterranean country keeps a chill attitude and doesn’t show off. “Yeah, we have a natural stone bridge jutting boldly into a tranquil sea, no bigs.”
These limestone pinnacles dazzle visitors and are just as difficult to navigate and razor-sharp as they look. Bring Neosporin.
Growing numbers of international tourists are learning about these sandstone formations, smoothed by millions of years of wind and water, and have taught locals how to say “whoa, that looks cool” in thirty languages.
A coastal stretch of lagoons and dunes form arresting compositions of white sand and blue waters, looking like the cover of your dad’s favorite 70’s soft-rock record from his junior year of college, the one that has a fifteen-minute song about wizards on side 2.
Iceland is largely made up of grim gray stone cliffs and soft green moss. But even Icelanders are impressed by this scary face.
South America is clearly home to a whole clutch of spectacular waterfalls, but it’s rare to be able to stroll among not one, not two, not three, but four clustered together.
This mostly Muslim country built a new capital city from scratch, complete with a manmade lake to serve as a natural cooling system, and crowned by this elaborate and contemplative place to pray.
