12 Beautifully Bizarre Places On Earth
Here are 12 amazing, beautifully bizarre places on earth
The Marble Caves
Formed by over 6,000 years of water washing up the cavern walls, the caves are a reflection of the Lake General Carrera’s azure waters, which change in intensity depending on water levels and the time of year. They are located in the Patagonian Andes and the official name is the Cuevas de Marmol. The remote glacial lake is on the Chile-Argentina border and the marble caves are only accessible by boat.
Eye of the Sahara
The Eye of the Sahara is also known as The Richat Structure is a geological feature that has a diameter of almost 30 miles. It is located in the Sahara desert in Mauritania and can be seen from space, in fact, it has become a landmark for shuttle crews. It is believed to be a highly symmetrical and deeply eroded geologic dome that collapsed.
Spotted Lake Canada
Spotted Lake located near Osoyoos in British Columbia, Canada gets its name because most of the water evaporates over the summer leaving behind all the minerals in ‘spots’. The minerals are extremely high concentrations of salts, titanium, calcium, sulfates among others. The best times to see the spots are between June and September.
Thor’s Well
Thor’s Well is a large sinkhole in Cook’s Chasm in which waves can reach a height of 2o feet. It is a popular spot for pictures, but it can be risky at high tide and in the winter. Beware of sharp rock and a strong surge of water could suck you down into the abyss before you know it.
Great Blue Hole
The Great Bule Hole is a large vertical cave at 984 feet in diameter and 407 feet in depth. It’s also known as the Lighthouse Reef and was made famous by Jacques Cousteau, who declared it one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world and draws divers from all around.
The Seven Giants of the Urals
Manpupunyor or the Seven Strong Men Rock Formations are seven impressive rock structures with heights varying from 100 to 135 feet which can be found deep within the Ural mountains in Russia. They are located in an inhospitable and remote region in the Komi Republic, which is why access to Manpupunyor usually requires helicopters or snowmobiles.
Glowworm Caves
The Glowworm Caves are inhabited by little mosquito-sized bugs called Arachnocampa luminosa, which are a glowworm species found exclusively in Waitomo New Zealand.
Deadvlei or Dead Marsh
Deadvlei (or ‘Dead Marsh’) is a forest of 900-year-old dead but preserved trees. They are blackened, but not decomposed because of the dry conditions. Deadvlei is located in Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia and has been claimed to be surrounded by the highest sand dunes in the world reaching 1000 – 1300 feet.
Caño Cristales or Crystal Spout
Caño Cristales or Crystal Spout is a Colombian river located in the Serrania de la Macarena province of Meta. The river is commonly called the “River of Five Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow”. You can see yellow, green, blue, black and especially red through the river during the months of July through November. This burst of color is caused by an aquatic plant, called ‘Macarenia clavigera,’ and it makes the river the most beautiful river in the world.
Dragon’s Blood Trees
No, this isn’t an alien planet, it’s the island of Socotra located in the northwest Indian Ocean. The archipelago is particularly known as the home to the dragon’s blood trees which have a unique and strange appearance. This evergreen species is named after its dark red resin, which is aptly known as “dragon’s blood”.
Yueyaquan
Yueyaquan is a crescent-shaped lake in an oasis, south of the city of Dunhuang in Gansu Province, China. The lake, a popular tourist spot, has diminished over the years as sand invaded the site but in 2006, the government started to restore it and replenish the water.
The White Desert or Farafra Depression
The Egyptian White Desert is known worldwide for its alien-like, wind-eroded formations called Inselbergs in the Farafra Depression.