Lonely Planet - 50 Natural Wonders To Blow Your Mind

Introduction

Modern life is a rich and varied confluence of information, technology, social interaction, work, travel, family and fun if youre lucky. There are smartphones in the most remote corners of our world and we have advanced in scientific endeavour further than ever before. Our cities are huge bustling metropolises and theyre growing larger every day. More than half of the earths population lives in these urban centres and this percentage is steadily increasing. However, despite this cumulative urbanisation, there is a tacit understanding among the human race that connection to nature is an essential factor in our happiness.

For all our obsession with man-made wonders nothing compares to the creations of Mother Nature. Vast underground cave systems, wild desert landscapes, breathtaking waterfalls, staggering geology and spectacular vestiges of our prehistoric past all remind us of our small place in earths story.

And even with our ever-expanding knowledge of the way the world came to be, some landscapes still leave us utterly perplexed. This is the mystery and the majesty of the natural world. In this book weve attempted to capture just a fraction of what it has to offer, and we hope it inspires you to get out and find your own slice of pleasure in the great outdoors.

DIETER TRACEY 500PX

Beach idyll

Beach of the Cathedrals, Spain

Ribadeo, Lugo, Spain

A religious experience then?

Some might feel a kind of mystical wonder come over them. Others will marvel at the power of nature these ocean-side rock formations have been carved by wind, rain and sea for a few years now. And by a few, we mean millennia

Im feeling a little insignificant again

Understandable: a human life doesnt scale well to geological time, but go with the flow and bask in the glow of these astounding formations. The naves formed into the 30m cliffs are breathtaking and you can spend hours wandering in and around them.

Time and tide?

Good question! So: time go see them while you can. Erosion waits for no woman. Or man. Or rock. Some of these arches will fall into the sea soon enough (geologically speaking). Also yep, low tide at high tide you wont be doing much exploring. Time your run well.

God, that water looks delicious!

Maybe its divine intervention, but yes, youre right, the water here looks more like the clear turquoise stuff of a tropical beach wonderland, yet here it is in little old Spain. Its a marvel.

PABLO CHARLN GETTYIMAGES

Hidden Beach, Marieta Islands, Mexico

Marieta Islands, Mexico

Shhh, dont tell anyone else about this place! we want it to ourselves.

The secluded setting of this gorgeous beach is the stuff of wild and romantic fantasies, which is why it has also earned itself the title of playa del amor or lovers beach. Lovesick dreamers the world over have longed to have these golden sands, gently lapped by crystal blue waters, all to themselves, and due to the beachs remote and concealed location theres a good chance these dreams could come true.

How do we get in there?

This secret swimming hole, visible from above through dense jungle and cavernous limestone, can only be accessed by swimming or kayaking through a long tunnel of water that links the beach to the Pacific Ocean.

How did this natural wonder come to be?

Mother Nature cant take all the credit for this one. It is believed that military bomb tests conducted by the Mexican government in the 1900s created a whole series of craters, caverns and unusual rock formations throughout the Marieta Islands, one of which being the magnificent Hidden Beach.

Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand

Koekohe Beach, South Island, New Zealand
www.moerakiboulders.com

We imagine this is what it would look like if giants had abandoned a game of prehistoric bowls here on the beach.

It does seem implausible, if not impossible, for these strange stone spheres to have been organically crafted, so giants playing beach bowls kinda makes sense. Though, for the less magically-minded, the story goes that the boulders began forming on the ancient seabed in marine mud, created in a spherical shape by calcium diffusion, and were then exposed through erosion over hundreds of thousands of years. Geological studies estimate some of the larger boulders to be over five million years old.

Magic or no magic, this windswept coastline is a crazy playground.

Its bags of fun to clamber over the gigantic stone balls, some of which are a huge two metres in diameter, and some sit in clusters, partially submerged in the water.

Weve never seen anything like it.

The boulders are actually not unique to the South Island; the North Island has its own stone wonders known as the Katiki Boulders, and similar spheres have even been discovered in Barbados and parts of North America.

WILLIAM C. Y. CHU GETTYIMAGES

Palawan Island, The Philippines

www.palawanisland.org

Ahh, now were talking a tropical paradise.

The Palawan Archipelago is one of the only tropical wonderlands left in the world that can truly claim the title unspoilt, and the island of Palawan sits like a giant shining jewel in the centre of this glittering paradise.

Were happy to kick back here on these white sand beaches forever.

If, however, sunbathing in nirvana starts to get old, Palawan has plenty more to offer of a more active nature.

You may as well tell us about it then while we float in the gentle turquoise waters.

Lets see if we cant tempt you into action. Theres scuba diving among the numerous WWII shipwrecks at Coron Bay, or snorkelling in the stunning big and small lagoons ringed with dramatic limestone cliffs at El Nido. And the pice de rsistance? The Puerto Princesa Underground River. The 8.2km-long subterranean river system is believed to be the longest navigable underground river in the world; it flows beneath a mountain range and empties directly into the South China Sea. Dont miss the opportunity to hire a kayak and explore this uniquely stunning natural wonder.

RICHIE CHAN SHUTTERSTOCK

Santorini, Cyclades Islands, Greece

The Greek Islands attract a lot of travellers in peak season

Among the hustle and bustle that takes over Santorini and the other Greek islands during peak season, its easy to forget the astonishing way these places were formed and the rugged gorgeousness beneath the buildings; but look out over the azure ocean and along the steep cliff-faces and youll see that this is one of the most lovely places on earth.

The people of Santorini (or Thira as it is also known) sure know how to make the most of what theyve got.

The traditional Cycladic whitewashing of the buildings that cling to the craggy cliff-faces create such a stark contrast with the sharp blue of the sunken oceanic caldera below that the image has become one synonymous with Greece.