50 of the most beautiful natural wonders around the world

Sarah Schmalbruch,Zoë Miller,Matthew WilsonApr 23, 2024, 00:14 IST

The Dead Sea.Olesya Baron/Shutterstock

This Earth Day, we identified some of the world's most beautiful natural features.
Photographs show the vibrant colors of canyons, forests, and rocky shorelines around the world.

Earth Day is a time to reflect on our world's beauty and fragility — and to commit to preserving its future.

The 2024 theme is "Planet vs. Plastics," with the goal of spreading awareness about the dangers of plastics to our health and to the wellbeing of all creatures, while calling for an end to single-use plastics. This year's event is also urging the end of fast fashion — as Business Insider previously reported, fashion production is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions, while around 100 million tons of clothing ends up in landfills each year.

Photos of breathtaking sights around the globe remind us just how much we have to lose. From Hawaii's Na Pali Coast to Iceland's Skógafoss Waterfall, these images show some of the world's most beautiful natural features.

Caño Cristales River in Colombia is also known as "the river of five colors" or "liquid rainbow."

Caño Cristales River, Colombia.VarnaK/Shutterstock

Antelope Canyon in Arizona is known for its wave-like patterns and tall sandstone walls.

Inside Antelope Canyon.Richard Cabala/Shutterstock

While its distinct hexagonal columns look man-made, the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland was formed naturally by volcanic activity millions of years ago.

The Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland.slawomir.gawryluk/Shutterstock

Located in the Indian Ocean, the island of Socotra has plant life that's found nowhere else on the planet.

Socotra Island, Yemen.Oleg Znamenskiy/Shutterstock

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island in the Philippines are known for their odd cone shapes.

Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island in the Philippines.Rasto SK/Shutterstock

The terraces at Badab-e Surt in Iran were created after two mineral hot springs eroded away rock over thousands of years, leaving behind deposits that give the site its unique shape.

Badab-e-Surt, Iran.khosrow jalili/Shutterstock

The terraces at Badab-e Surt in Iran were created after two mineral hot springs eroded away rock over thousands of years, leaving behind deposits that give the site its unique shape.

At Skógafoss in Skógar, Iceland, the heavy amount of spray that the waterfall produces makes a sunny-day rainbow sighting very likely.

Skógafoss.Maridav/Shutterstock

The Tianzi mountains in China are made up of towers of eroded and exposed rocks.

The Tianzi mountains, China.lzf/Shutterstock

Human error and geothermic activity collided to create the Fly Geyser in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

Fly Geyser.Ropelato Photography/EarthScapes/Getty Images

Thor's Well in Oregon appears to be a bottomless sinkhole.

Thor's Well.WEBB SHOW/Shutterstock

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand are home to thousands of twinkling glowworms.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand.criskorah/Shutterstock

The bubble-gum pink Lake Hillier in Australia is a mystery.

Lake Hillier, Australia.matteo_it/Shutterstock

Spotted Lake in British Columbia, Canada, is known for its strange, almost alien pattern of spots.

Spotted Lake.Roshan_NG/Shutterstock

Red Beach in Panjin, China, gets its distinct crimson color from an abundance of "red weed" called Chenopodium that thrives in alkaline soil.

Red Beach, Panjin, China.Paul J Martin/Shutterstock

In Pamukkale, Turkey, terraces hold warm water pooled from natural hot springs.

Pamukkale, Turkey.Jakob Fischer/Shutterstock

Kjeragbolten is a 177-cubic-foot boulder nestled in a mountain crevice in Norway.

Kjeragbolten.Beas777/Shutterstock

The redwoods in Redwood National Park, California, are some of the tallest trees in the world.

Redwood National Park.Roman Khomlyak/Shutterstock

Mount Fuji in Honshu, Japan, is an active volcano, last erupting in 1707.

Mount Fuji, Honshu, Japan.warasit phothisuk/Shutterstock

Masazir Lake in Azerbaijan has a pink color that's strongest in the summer.

Masazir Lake.Ramin Hasanalizade/Shutterstock

The sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Maranhao, Brazil, are a mesmerizing sight.

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhao, Brazil.Pakawat Thongcharoen/shutterstock

The stunning colors of the Marble Caves in Chile vary as water levels fluctuate throughout the year.

The Marble Caves.Shutterstock/Wata51

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is home to colorful, striped mountains in Gansu, China.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park.Alexandre Seixas/Shutterstock

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, is a vast oasis of salt.

Salar de Uyuni.Olga Kot Photo/Shutterstock

In the warmer months, lush greenery is offset by deep blue waters in Geiranger Fjord in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway.

Geiranger Fjord.Andrey Armyagov/Shutterstock

Ha Long Bay in Vietnam is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.Jimmy Tran/Shutterstock

The Dead Sea, in Israel and Jordan, is the perfect spot for floating.

The Dead Sea.Olesya Baron/Shutterstock

Tegalalang Rice Terrace in Indonesia offers a vibrant green landscape with towering palm trees.

Tegalalang Rice Terrace.daphnusia/Shutterstock

China's Stone Forest is 270 million years old.

The Stone Forest, China.NIPATHORN/Shutterstock

Lake Nakuru, Kenya, is home to rhinos, hippos, waterbucks, and buffalo.

Lake Nakuru, Kenya.Anna Om/Shutterstock

In Goblin Valley State Park, Utah, the rock formations are also known as goblins.

Goblin Valley State Park.Natali Glado/Shutterstock

Reynisfjara Beach in Vik, Iceland, looks otherworldly thanks to its black sand, basalt stone columns, and the fog that sometimes envelops it.

Reynisfjara Beach.Andrey Bayda / Shutterstock

Verdon Gorge in the south of France is famous for its turquoise waters.

The Verdon Gorge.RossHelen/Shutterstock

The Beach of the Cathedrals is an impressive, rocky beach in Galicia, Spain.

Beach of the Cathedrals.John_Walker/Shutterstock

The Grand Canyon is Arizona's best-known natural beauty, and for good reason: Between its immense size and breathtaking views, this natural phenomenon is a must-see.

The Grand Canyon.Martin M303/Shutterstock

Mt. Erebus in Antarctica dates back 1.3 million years.

Mt. Erebus.Michael Lodge/Shutterstock

Monteverde Cloud Forest in Monte Verde, Costa Rica, feels and looks like a jungle paradise even on damper days.

Monteverde Cloud Forest.Simon Dannhauer/Shutterstock

Iguazu Falls is an awe-inspiring sight in Argentina and Brazil.

Iguazu Falls.sharptoyou/Shutterstock

Jeju Island in South Korea is also known for its spectacular lava tubes: caves formed by cooling lava.

Jeju Island.Noppasin Wongchum/Shutterstock

Between the colorful cliffs and the azure-blue waters below, Hawaii's Na Pali Coast is sure to wow any visitor.

The Na Pali Coast.Alexander Demyanenko/Shutterstock

The largest gypsum deposit in the world, White Sands National Monument is a serene expanse of glittering, white sand that's located in the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico.

White Sands National Monument.sunsinger/Shutterstock

The largest gypsum deposit in the world, White Sands National Monument is a serene expanse of glittering, white sand that's located in the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico.

The Maldives' Bioluminescent Beaches light up the night sky.

A bioluminescent beach in Maldives.PawelG Photo/Shutterstock

Mono Lake in California is known for eye-catching calcium-carbonate structures known as tufa towers.

Mono Lake.Jiri Ambroz/Shutterstock

El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico earns the distinction of being the sole tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System.

El Yunque.Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock

Along the cliff walls of Garni Gorge in Armenia are basalt columns.

Garni Gorge.Marat Zakaryan/Shutterstock

The Fairy Pools are incredibly clear pools on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

The Fairy Pools.orxy/Shutterstock

Milford Sound in New Zealand was created by glaciers during the ice age.

Milford Sound.Harley Alexander/Shutterstock

Tianmen Cave in Zhangjiajie, China, is one of the highest naturally formed arches on the planet.

Tianmen Cave.unge255_photostock/Shutterstock

The rugged Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland, offer unparalleled views of the ocean below.

The Cliffs of Moher.shutterupeire/Shutterstock

Known mostly for its pink sand beaches, Harbour Island in the Bahamas remains largely untouched by humans.

Harbour Islands.BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock

The Blyde River Canyon in South Africa is known for its unique geology, including the Pinnacle, a looming quartzite column.

Blyde River Canyon.Riccardo Zambelloni/Shutterstock

15 incredible photos of natural wonders that look Photoshopped but aren't

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

50 of the most beautiful natural wonders around the world

Caño Cristales River in Colombia is also known as "the river of five colors" or "liquid rainbow."

Antelope Canyon in Arizona is known for its wave-like patterns and tall sandstone walls.

While its distinct hexagonal columns look man-made, the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland was formed naturally by volcanic activity millions of years ago.

Located in the Indian Ocean, the island of Socotra has plant life that's found nowhere else on the planet.

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island in the Philippines are known for their odd cone shapes.

The terraces at Badab-e Surt in Iran were created after two mineral hot springs eroded away rock over thousands of years, leaving behind deposits that give the site its unique shape.

At Skógafoss in Skógar, Iceland, the heavy amount of spray that the waterfall produces makes a sunny-day rainbow sighting very likely.

The Tianzi mountains in China are made up of towers of eroded and exposed rocks.

Human error and geothermic activity collided to create the Fly Geyser in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

Thor's Well in Oregon appears to be a bottomless sinkhole.

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand are home to thousands of twinkling glowworms.

The bubble-gum pink Lake Hillier in Australia is a mystery.

Spotted Lake in British Columbia, Canada, is known for its strange, almost alien pattern of spots.

Red Beach in Panjin, China, gets its distinct crimson color from an abundance of "red weed" called Chenopodium that thrives in alkaline soil.

In Pamukkale, Turkey, terraces hold warm water pooled from natural hot springs.

Kjeragbolten is a 177-cubic-foot boulder nestled in a mountain crevice in Norway.

The redwoods in Redwood National Park, California, are some of the tallest trees in the world.

Mount Fuji in Honshu, Japan, is an active volcano, last erupting in 1707.

Masazir Lake in Azerbaijan has a pink color that's strongest in the summer.

The sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Maranhao, Brazil, are a mesmerizing sight.

The stunning colors of the Marble Caves in Chile vary as water levels fluctuate throughout the year.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is home to colorful, striped mountains in Gansu, China.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, is a vast oasis of salt.

In the warmer months, lush greenery is offset by deep blue waters in Geiranger Fjord in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway.

Ha Long Bay in Vietnam is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Dead Sea, in Israel and Jordan, is the perfect spot for floating.

Tegalalang Rice Terrace in Indonesia offers a vibrant green landscape with towering palm trees.

China's Stone Forest is 270 million years old.

Lake Nakuru, Kenya, is home to rhinos, hippos, waterbucks, and buffalo.

In Goblin Valley State Park, Utah, the rock formations are also known as goblins.

Reynisfjara Beach in Vik, Iceland, looks otherworldly thanks to its black sand, basalt stone columns, and the fog that sometimes envelops it.

Verdon Gorge in the south of France is famous for its turquoise waters.

The Beach of the Cathedrals is an impressive, rocky beach in Galicia, Spain.

The Grand Canyon is Arizona's best-known natural beauty, and for good reason: Between its immense size and breathtaking views, this natural phenomenon is a must-see.

Mt. Erebus in Antarctica dates back 1.3 million years.

Monteverde Cloud Forest in Monte Verde, Costa Rica, feels and looks like a jungle paradise even on damper days.

Iguazu Falls is an awe-inspiring sight in Argentina and Brazil.

Jeju Island in South Korea is also known for its spectacular lava tubes: caves formed by cooling lava.

Between the colorful cliffs and the azure-blue waters below, Hawaii's Na Pali Coast is sure to wow any visitor.

The largest gypsum deposit in the world, White Sands National Monument is a serene expanse of glittering, white sand that's located in the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico.

The Maldives' Bioluminescent Beaches light up the night sky.

Mono Lake in California is known for eye-catching calcium-carbonate structures known as tufa towers.

El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico earns the distinction of being the sole tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System.

Along the cliff walls of Garni Gorge in Armenia are basalt columns.

The Fairy Pools are incredibly clear pools on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Milford Sound in New Zealand was created by glaciers during the ice age.

Tianmen Cave in Zhangjiajie, China, is one of the highest naturally formed arches on the planet.

The rugged Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland, offer unparalleled views of the ocean below.

Known mostly for its pink sand beaches, Harbour Island in the Bahamas remains largely untouched by humans.

The Blyde River Canyon in South Africa is known for its unique geology, including the Pinnacle, a looming quartzite column.