{"id":189,"date":"2019-06-13T12:13:09","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T12:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/?p=189"},"modified":"2019-10-10T14:00:02","modified_gmt":"2019-10-10T14:00:02","slug":"60-places-that-look-too-beautiful-to-be-real-but-they-totally-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/60-places-that-look-too-beautiful-to-be-real-but-they-totally-are\/","title":{"rendered":"60 Places That Look Too Beautiful to Be Real (But They Totally Are)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to social media, the world is more at our fingertips than ever before. The magic of technology lets us roam around Mars, plunge into the depths of the ocean, and whisk off to the ends of the earth as we view photos like the ones in this collection, remote landscapes that could be straight from a fairytale. Many of us will never get the chance to see these places in real life, but thanks to these images, we can get glimpses of the most beautiful places of our world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ghostly fairy tale images, buildings straight from science fiction stories, and landscapes almost too beautiful to be real will beckon you as we experience places only a few people in the world have ever set eyes on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Broken glass lake \u2014 Lake Michigan<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Photo: Joel Bissell | MLive.com<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the five Great Lakes (remember HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior), Lake Michigan often gets blasted by winter storms. The frigid weather of this past winter left the lake completely frozen over, which is not out of the ordinary for this northern climate. However, this year something incredible happened when the frozen lake began to melt\u2014the movement of the waves below the surface caused it to crack and shatter into thousands of pieces, creating the appearance of broken glass spreading out into the horizon. This dreamlike image could be straight from a certain frozen tale we’re all familiar with, but alas, it’s just Michigan.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ban Gioc-Detian Falls, Border Between Vietnam & China<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Source: Reddit\/Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

Made of two waterfalls that straddle the Vietnam\/China border, this natural phenomenon is fed by the Quay Son River. During the rainy season, the two falls join as one, creating a thunderous sound that can be heard for miles around. In order to visit this area, tourists are required to buy a pass. This, along with its off-the-beaten-path location means these falls aren’t on everyone’s Instagram feeds.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Source: Reddit<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s easy to see how this impressive place got its name. Millions of years ago, volcanic activity pushed massive black basalt columns up through the sea floor, creating this dramatic sight. It’s not hard to imagine actual giants living here, using the columns as stepping stones on their way across the water to Scotland.<\/p>\n

People have been visiting this unique natural attraction for at least 300 years. Nowadays, visitors from around the world come to this UNESCO Heritage Site to learn about geology, history, and maybe to see if there really are giants lurking behind the mountains.<\/p>\n

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Glastenbury Mountain, Vermont<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Source: Reddit<\/span><\/p>\n

It could be a forest from mythology or Medieval Times, but in reality this haunting image came from the top of Glastenbury Mountain in Vermont. A section of the Appalachian Trail makes its way across this mountain’s summit. Known in these parts as the Long Trail, the 272-mile hiking trail runs the length of Vermont.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Spirit Island, Alberta<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Source: Reddit<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most photographed places in Canada is also one of the hardest to get to. This little island is set in Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park, surrounded by peaks and glaciers. The only way to access it is by boat, and visitors can watch the lake water slowly turn more emerald in color the further south they go, a result of rock flour from the glacier.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Stoney Nakoda First National peoples believe the spirits of their ancestors inhabit the mountains around this island, giving it an even more ethereal quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Rhododendron path, Ireland<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Source: Reddit<\/span><\/p>\n

You can easily imagine fairytale creatures flitting down this walkway through the blooming rhododendron, frolicking amongst the floating petals. It’s a beautiful image but with hidden sinister meaning. The rhododendron is actually an invasive species in Ireland, threatening to swallow the country’s ancient woodlands and decimate the animal species that live there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Native to Portugal and Spain, the flowering bush was used by the upper class in Ireland and other parts of the UK to bring some color to their very green gardens. Strangely enough, the rhododendron is actually a protected species in Spain due to its dwindling growth as a result of climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Seven Sisters Waterfall, Norway<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Source: Reddit<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in the Geirangerfjord in Norway, this impressive waterfall is best viewed during the spring as the melting snow makes all seven sisters easily visible. The rest of the year a few of the sisters hide in the shadows of the cliffs, no more than a trickle.<\/span><\/p>\n

The legend of the Seven Sisters Waterfall says that all seven sisters are unmarried, dancing playfully down the mountain, and the waterfall on the opposite side of the fjord is known as the unsuccessful \u201csuitor\u201d of the fair maidens.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

This expansive salt flat\u2014the biggest in the world\u2014would make more sense as an outer space landscape. But it is, in fact, in Bolivia, and is the result of a large prehistoric lake that went dry, leaving behind miles and miles of bright white salt and rock formations.<\/span><\/p>\n

After it rains, a thin layer of water stays pooled on top of the salt flats, creating the world’s largest mirror and a landscape unlike anything else on the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Namib Desert, Namibia<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Namib<\/p>\n

Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the wildest places on the planet, the desert of Namibia could easily pass as an alien landscape. Otherworldly sand dunes and eery rock formations stretch into the distance, creating an almost unbelievable backdrop when paired with the rare animals like rhinos that make their homes there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite being without water most of the year, plant life miraculously grows from the dry earth in the Namib Desert, dotting the barren landscape with trees that look like they should not be there.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Glowworm Caves, New Zealand<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Glowworm<\/p>\n

Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

The Waitomo Caves on the North Island of New Zealand are the only place in the world to see these glow worms, which are actually fly larvae that emit phosphorescence in their poop to lure in prey. The glow worms light up the inside of the caves like the night sky, a spectacular sight to find underground. An underground river flows through the Glowworm Grotto, and visitors can go tubing or on a boat ride to explore this magical place.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Pamukkale, Turkey<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Pamukkale,<\/p>\n

Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

Pamukkale means \u201ccotton castle\u201d in Turkish, and this could very well be the name of the fantasy movie set in this Candy Land-esque place. Travertine terraces set into the hillside overflow with warm spring water that cascades down the shimmering limestone. Visitors have been coming to bathe in these mineral-rich waters for centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n

A local legend says the area’s bright white stalactites are actually made of solidified cotton that giants left out to dry in the sun.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Spiaggia Rosa, Sardinia, Italy<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Sardinia,<\/p>\n

Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

No filters were used on this photo, and no secret Photoshop colorations either. Crushed coral, fossils, and other sea creatures lend a pink hue to this beach on the Italian island of Budelli. It used to be a much brighter pink, but because people ruin everything, some tourists began stealing the pink sand to take home, thereby diluting the pinkness. Now the Italian government does not allow people to set foot on the beach, only to look from afar.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Photo: Todd Gustafson \/\u00a0onebigphoto.com<\/a><\/p>\n

It could be a page directly taken from Dr. Seuss himself, but this avenue of giant baobab trees is a real destination on the African island of Madagascar. This area was once densely packed with various trees, but deforestation in the name of agriculture has nearly the area, leaving only the baobab trees behind. The trees can live to be over 800 years old, and are used by locals for everything from harmlessly tapping the trunks for water to mashing up the fruits for a refreshing beverage.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Japan<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Arashiyam<\/p>\n

Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in western Kyoto near the entrance to the city’s Tenryu-ji Temple, this grove of bamboo is distinctive for its otherworldly quality as you walk down the path that meanders through it. The bamboo stalks tower up to the heavens, creating a whisper-quiet setting amongst the city noise. If you visit the bamboo forest in wintertime, the sparkling snow adds an ethereal, dream-like element to this already magical place.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Gardens by the Bay, Singapore<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

These brightly colored tall structures could be straight out of the next superhero movie, but they are actually part of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. They’re called Supertrees and by day provide shade, while at night they come alive with lights and music. A 72-foot-tall walkway connects the Supertrees while meandering around the gardens, letting visitors view the Gardens by the Bay as well as the city from its heights.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cinque Terre, Italy<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"italy,<\/p>\n

Source: Pinterest<\/span><\/p>\n

The Italian Riviera is home to many beautiful places, but none quite as fairy tale-esque as Cinque Terre, a group of coast-hugging villages. Colorful houses are stacked on top of each other, and fishing boats dot the picturesque harbor. There are vineyards and rocky cliffs and cerulean waves crashing in the background. The five villages\u2014Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore\u2014date back to the 11<\/span>th<\/span> century and are only accessible to one another by walking path, train, or boat.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thanks to social media, the world is more at our fingertips than ever before. The magic of technology lets us roam around Mars, plunge into the depths of the ocean, and whisk off to the ends of the earth as we view photos like the ones in this collection, remote landscapes that could be straight from a fairytale. Many of us will never get the chance to see these places in real life, but thanks to these images, we can get glimpses of the most beautiful places of our world. Ghostly fairy tale images, buildings straight from science fiction stories, and landscapes almost too beautiful to be real will beckon you as we experience places only a few people in the world have ever set eyes on. Broken glass lake \u2014 Lake Michigan Photo: Joel Bissell | MLive.com One of the five Great Lakes (remember HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior), Lake Michigan often gets blasted by winter storms. The frigid weather of this past winter left the lake completely frozen over, which is not out of the ordinary for this northern climate. However, this year something incredible happened when the frozen lake began to melt\u2014the movement of the waves below the surface caused it to crack and shatter into thousands of pieces, creating the appearance of broken glass spreading out into the horizon. This dreamlike image could be straight from a certain frozen tale we’re all familiar with, but alas, it’s just Michigan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":198,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":413,"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions\/413"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/daily\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}