Natural Wonders of the World

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

In a country that is liberally dotted with volcanoes, Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano is one of the most impressive. Arenal is a stratovolcano, meaning that it adheres to the typical symmetrical cone shape that one associates with a volcano, and at 5,437 feet it towers very impressively over the surrounding landscape.

After a long dormant period, Arenal erupted violently in 1968, covering a vast area of over 15km in lava, rocks, and ash.

For several years after this dramatic eruption, Arenal regularly lit up the sky with smaller eruptions and has become a popular tourist attraction.

The impressive volcano is surrounded by Arenal Volcano National Park, where you can go hiking in the rainforest, enjoy canopy tours and repelling adventures, or relax in a natural geothermal hot spring.

Bay of Fundy, Canada

Considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of North America, the Bay of Fundy is located approximately halfway between the equator and the North Pole on the remarkably picturesque east coast of Canada.

What makes this particular bay so special is that it is subject to the highest tides on Earth (a difference of over 50 feet between high tide and low tide), which have been responsible for carving dramatic rocky outcrops, sea caves, and towering cliffs. The Bay of Fundy is also renowned for its Triassic-age dinosaur fossils as well as unusual minerals and gemstones.

The Bay of Fundy attracts large numbers of rare whales (whale watching tours in the Aquarium Zone are very popular from May to October) as well as a huge number of migratory seabirds. Kayak tours are an ideal way to explore this natural wonder. Bay of Fundy Map

Great Belize Blue Hole, Belize

Located approximately 60 miles off the mainland of Belize, the Great Belize Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole near the center of Lighthouse Reef. The Blue Hole measures about 900 feet in diameter, making it the largest formation of its kind in the world. The Great Belize Blue Hole (which forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Barrier Reef Reserve System) is more than 400 feet deep and is arguably one of the best scuba diving destinations in the region.

Divers can expect to see some really unique underwater landscapes and a huge variety of marine life, including many species of shark, giant groupers, and much more.

Day trips usually include one dive in the Blue Hole and two other reef dives.

The Galapagos Islands

The world-renowned Galapagos archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador. The remote Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s premier wildlife viewing destinations and feature on many an adventurer’s bucket list.

Because the islands are home to such an exceptional diversity of wildlife, much of which is found nowhere else on earth, tourism is very carefully controlled to protect the fragile environment.

The waters around The Galapagos Islands are home to a vast collection of marine life, which makes scuba diving in the area one of the highlights of any visit.

You can either explore the islands on a live-aboard boat or choose to island-hop from one inhabited island to another and do day-trips to the more remote uninhabited islands.

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

Located in County Antrim on the scenic north coast of Northern Island, the Giant’s Causeway is an area of over 40,000 adjacent basalt columns that were created by a series of ancient volcanic eruptions.

What makes these remarkably “stepping stones” so special is that each and every one of them is symmetrical and interlocking, as though they were carefully set in place by a giant hand.

You can learn more about the 60-million-year formation of the Giant’s Causeway at the visitor’s center, where you can view an interactive audiovisual presentation before setting off to explore the site.

Thousands of years of natural erosion have polished many of the stones to a smooth finish and you are advised to wear sturdy walking shoes.

Glencoe, Scotland

Beautiful Glencoe is a very scenic valley in Argyllshire, Scotland, and is named for the River Coe which runs through it.

Back in 1692 the valley was the site of a devastating massacre of the MacDonald clan by the Campbells and the English, but today’s visitors can expect to find a very peaceful, beautiful, and historic valley surrounded by superb mountains that are part of the Western Highlands.

It is an idyllic region for mountaineering and hiking and visitors can also enjoy a wide selection of watersports on the River Etive.

If you’re not up to hiking, you can visit the Glencoe Mountain Ski Resort and take a chair lift up to one of the viewpoints. Other enjoyable activities include guided walks, Segway and Land Rover tours, and a great deal more.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

As one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef occupies a prominent position on many people’s must-see wish lists.

Just imagine – the world’s largest reef, made up of over 3,000 individual reef systems, hundreds of perfect tropical islands, and some of the best beaches in the world, all nestled in crystal-clear azure waters.

The reef system is home to an exceptional diversity of marine life and attracts millions of visitors, who come to enjoy an unbeatable marine experience.

Apart from scuba diving and snorkeling you can also observe the marine bounty from a glass-bottomed boat or semi-submersible or go whale watching, swimming with dolphins, sailing, and island-hopping. Most popular coastal departure points to get to The Great Barrier Reef include Cairns, Port Douglas, Rockhampton, and Townsville.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Beautiful Ha Long Bay (Bay of Descending Dragons) is located in northern Vietnam, approximately 100 miles east of the city of Hanoi.

Nothing quite prepares you for the dramatic scenery encountered in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is often included as one of the natural wonders of the world.

The enormous Ha Long Bay is liberally dotted (there are nearly 2,000) with unique limestone karsts, which rise majestically from the sea, many of them covered in dense forestation and hiding extensive sea caves.

The best way to see as much of this magical bay as possible is to take a bay cruise (day trip or overnight) on a traditional “junk” boat. It is also possible to island-hop between the inhabited islands and to visit some of the remarkable caves.

Iguazu Falls, Brazil-Argentina

Iguazu Falls are without doubt one of the world’s most impressive natural wonders, located on the border between Brazil and Argentina.

The impressive waterfalls span an awesome 1.7-mile width, broken up by several islands, which causes the mighty curtain of water to separate into hundreds of individual waterfalls and cataracts, which vary in height between 170 and 260 feet.

The waterfalls are shared between Iguazu National Park (Argentina) and Iguacu National Park in Brazil, both of which are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

On the Argentinean side, you can access Iguazu Falls using the Rainforest Ecological Train, while on the Brazilian side there is a canyon walkway and scenic helicopter flights are available for a bird’s-eye view.

Jeju Island, Korea

Jeju Island is a volcanic island located off the coast of the Korean Peninsula that has received UNESCO World Heritage Status for its outstanding natural assets, which include the finest lava tube system on the planet.

In addition to the remarkable Manjanggul Lava Tube Cave, which has multi-colored carbonate roofs, floors, and lava walls, the island is home to Mount Hallasan, the tallest mountain in Korea, which boasts waterfalls, forests, and a lake-filled crater.

You can learn all about the remarkable geology of Jeju Island on a guided day tour from Seoul, or spend a little longer on the island and visit Mount Halla National Park, where you can hike along a very scenic 9-mile shaded forest trail.