These 11 Natural Wonders are Among the Most Beautiful in the World

Spread across all continents of this world, nature is full of wonders. A bright pink lake in Australia, a place where the desert meets the sea, and a black sand beach in Iceland are just some examples of spectacular natural phenomena.

We present to you our eleven favorites from the world's 50 greatest natural wonders in detail; some are sure to leave you in awe.

The natural landscape of Badab-e Surt is located in the Mazandaran province of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Arabic term 'Badab' translates to gas-water and, in the case of the Iranian springs, refers to the carbonated mineral water.

For thousands of years, two springs have originated at an altitude of over 1800 meters. From one spring flows very salty water and from the other, water with a high content of iron oxide, which is responsible for the red-orange color of the natural landscape.

The characteristic terrace formation developed over thousands of years, as the flowing water from the warm mineral springs crystallizes after cooling and forms the colorful carbonate rock.

A bright pink lake right next to a deep blue ocean - only a narrow, vegetated dune strip separates the two bodies of water. Lake Hillier, discovered in 1802, is located on the Australian island of Middle Island. Unfortunately, travelers cannot visit Lake Hillier up close. As part of the total of 105 islands of the so-called Recherche Archipelago, it is under strict nature conservation. Tourists can admire the extraordinary lake on a helicopter flight from the nearby Esperance.

Researchers have not yet been able to fully explain the phenomenon of the pink color. However, it is suspected that various bacteria and salt-tolerant algae in the lake are the causes. The nutrient concentration could also be a factor for the pink coloration. In Australia, there are even more pink lakes, such as the Pink Lake.

The Chilean Marble Caves are one of those places on Earth that might leave you awestruck. Located on Lago General Carrera, which covers three times the area of Germany's largest lake, Lake Constance, the caves offer a true spectacle of colors. Over millennia, the movement of the lake's waves has given them their special shape. They have been protected since 1944.

Those wishing to visit the Marble Caves can easily reach them by boat from the nearby town of Puerto Tranquilo. For the particularly adventurous, there is also the option to explore the caves on your own with a transparent kayak.

In the transparent boat, the turquoise color of the water is even more apparent. Besides, the clarity of the lake also makes the caves appear in a more contrasting and beautiful light.

In this cave, the small glowing insects are abundant. Your first thought might be that the New Zealand cave is home to a vast number of fireflies. But you're mistaken: The glowing 'glowworms' are not related to the fireflies we know. They are the larvae of fungus gnats, dangling from the ceiling on sticky threads. The light serves as a lure to trap as many insects as possible on the threads.

The actual name of the New Zealand glowworm cave is Waitomo. A small river meanders through it, illuminated by the mysteriously shimmering blue light of the worms. To discover the landscape below the earth's surface, you can book a guided boat tour.

The Skeleton Coast in Namibia is a place where the desert and the Atlantic Ocean dramatically meet. The area stretches over 30,000 square kilometers. The Namib Sand Sea, which runs as a narrow strip along the coast, forms the boundary between the elements and has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site for humanity.

The region is one of the oldest landscape formations on Earth and is characterized by its spectacular contrasts. The point where the sea meets the desert is often referred to as the gateway to hell or as 'the land God created in anger.' Violent surf, strong currents, and dense fog make this coastal region particularly dangerous for sailors. To this day, about 500 shipwrecks testify to the unpredictable power of the sea.

What looks like a landscape made of cotton candy is actually a terrace made from millennia-old thermal water. Bright white, the natural wonder towers in the Pamukkale district in the southwest of Turkey. Incidentally, the name Pamukkale translates to Cotton Castle.

The limestone terraces are not frozen waterfalls, as they may first appear, but accumulated calcium from the carbonated and calcium-rich thermal water. The healing power of the spring water was recognized more than 2000 years ago by the Romans, and to this day, the warm pools attract visitors with circulation, rheumatism, and heart conditions, as well as skin diseases.

However, bathing in the terraces has been prohibited for many years to protect the Unesco World Heritage Site. You may only walk on the terraces barefoot, as reported by travel agency Tui on the corporate blog.

The Tegalalang Rice Terraces near Ubud are among the most popular travel destinations on Bali. Some terraces are too narrow for farm animals to help with the harvest, so all the work is done by hand. Other fields, however, are large enough to be plowed by tractors.

During your visit, you will surely see some rice farmers carefully planting the seedlings by hand into the flooded rice paddies - neatly in rows. The irrigation system is protected by walls and berms, which also sparkle beautifully in the sun.

Quick fact: Rice can be harvested just three months after planting and must then dry in the sun. Interested? You can visit the rice fields for free!

Reynisfjara Beach is one of the most famous black sand beaches in Iceland: Crashing waves hit the rocks in the surf and create a particularly dramatic atmosphere. While most beaches worldwide are golden, this one is deep black.

How does it come about? We explain it to you: Sand is created as stones are broken down into smaller fragments over the years. Iceland, also called the island of volcanoes, consists mostly of dark lava rock. The unusual black color comes from the fact that cooled lava rock is ground into sand through further erosion.

No, this is not a Photoshop fake, but a true natural wonder. The Sea of Stars sparkles and glistens as if stars have fallen from the sky. The beaches of the islands Mudhdoo, Vaadhoo, and Rangali are the best places in the Maldives to see the phenomenon with your own eyes.

The cause is a small organism called dinoflagellates, a type of phytoplankton. Certain types of plankton react to stress by emitting light. This can be triggered by movement in the water. The light is intended as a type of alarm system. However, swimming at the glowing beaches is now mostly prohibited.

Are you adventurous? There's also the possibility to cultivate the glowing plankton with a starter kit at home.

A desert made of pure white gypsum - this unusual landscape can be admired in southern New Mexico. The White Sands National Park consists of hydrated calcium sulfate. It comes from a nearby lake with a very high mineral content. As the water evaporates, the minerals remain, forming gypsum deposits which are then carried away by the wind.

Consequently, the wavy white sparkling dunes consist of gypsum sand, making the national park a unique natural wonder of this world.

By the way: The dune field is constantly moving, advancing up to nine meters per year to the northeast.

This colorful rock is a geological wonder: Rising like something from a fantasy world in Nevada and shooting three water jets into the sky, surrounded by a green terrace landscape.

The geyser on the edge of the Black Rock Desert was actually created by human hands - albeit unintentionally. On the Fly Ranch area, there are two geysers. The first appeared almost 100 years ago when a part of the desert was meant to be converted into agricultural land. A hole was drilled, from which 200-degree hot thermal water surprisingly gushed out. The water couldn't be used for irrigation because of the heat, and the geyser was left alone.

In 1964, a team drilled again in the area in search of geothermal energy and once again encountered 200-degree hot water. It wasn't hot enough for their purposes. They resealed the borehole, but not thoroughly enough... The new geyser, located a few hundred meters north of the original geyser, reduced the pressure on the older one, whose cone is now dry.

The second geyser, Fly Geyser, has grown significantly over the last 40 years. This is due to the minerals from the thermal water that deposit on the dry surface. It is surrounded by thermophilic algae that grow in a moist and hot environment, contributing to the many green and red hues of the hill and its fantastic appearance.

The Fly Geyser is located on private property, but you have a good view from State Route 34.

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