23 of the Strangest Places on Earth That Look Almost Unreal

The world is filled with places that seem to defy what most travelers expect to see. Some are shaped by unusual geology, extreme weather, rare natural conditions, or centuries of human history, while others stand out because their colors, landscapes, or structures look unlike almost anywhere else on Earth. From surreal salt flats and glowing caves to remote deserts, strange rock formations, and towns built in unexpected places, these destinations show just how varied the planet can be.

For this Tempo feature, we’re looking at 23 of the strangest places on Earth and what makes each one so unusual. Some are natural wonders created over millions of years, while others reflect the surprising ways people have adapted to harsh, isolated, or visually striking environments. Together, they offer a look at real places that challenge familiar ideas of what the world is supposed to look like.

• Niaca’s Crystal Cave is also known as the Giant Crystal Cave and Cave of the Crystals.
• As the name suggests, this a cave that’s managed to grow crazy large due to perfect conditions, including 90 to 99 percent humidity and temperatures up to 136 degrees Fahrenheit.

• The Giant’s Causeway is in Northern Ireland. In the native language, it’s known as Clochan an Aifir.
• The Giant’s Causeway doesn’t look natural, but it comes from volcanic eruptions.

• The Danakil Depression came about from a shifting of tectonic plates. It sits between three different tectonic plates: the Arabian, Somali, and Nubian plates.
• The tectonic plates moving ended up causing a surge of volcanic acid.

• Cataumbo River is where storm clouds and lightning storms occur for somewhere between 140 and 160 nights every year. The storms last about 9 hours a day.
• It’s common to see over 40 lightning flashes per minute here.

• Dead Vlei is not only home to the highest dunes in the world, but there are skeletal trees around the area from a dried-up oasis.
• Walking through this area feels like walking through a different land.

• You might not think that there are any rainforests in North America, especially not in the United States, but you’d be wrong. Big Thicket is one such place.
• Big Thicket is supposedly home to a Bigfoot.

• The hills are known as Chocolate Hills because, in the dry months, they turn brown like chocolate.
• There are somewhere between 1,260 and 1,776 hills in the area.

• Many plants and animals on this island are endemic, making the area look like an alien planet.
• Up to 37 percent of the plants on Socotra are only found on the island.

• This is a man-made structure. Still, it’s strange to find a statue of Christ underneath the waters when diving off the coast of Florida.
• The statue serves as a memorial for those who lost their lives at sea.

• Evaporated water leaves behind colorful pools of salt water in the summer. For the rest of the year, though, Spotted Lake looks rather normal.
• The little pools left behind can all be different colors.

• Giant needles of limestone make up Tsingy de Bemaraha.
• This is a difficult place to hike, and no one wants to walk without shoes on.

• This hill will make you feel like you’re going up, when you’re actually going down, due to the optical illusions in the area.
• An obstructed horizon and leaning trees create the illusion.

• Once a muddy tidal flat, erosion created the goblins made from stone found throughout the park.
• Goblin Valley State Park is also one of the best places to stargaze, with the nearest light source over 10 miles away.

• When you hear about 383 thousand acres of white sand, you naturally think about a desert. But these dunes are actually home to pools of water.
• Regular rain and impenetrable rock under the sand hold the water in place.

• Though it might not look like much, the Great Rann used to be part of the Arabian Sea. Now, it’s a salt marsh that takes up over 7,000 square miles.
• The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary is part of the Great Rann of Kutch.

• North Sentinel Island is inhabited by a group of people who have had next to no contact with modern society.
• Due to their hostility, there’s next to nothing known about the islanders.

• This is another man-made place on the planet that’s incredibly strange. The Catacombs are underground and are incredibly hard to navigate.
• The Catacombs underneath Paris have more than six million bodies.

• These seven stone pillars are also known as the Seven Strong Men Rock Formations or the Poles of the Komi Republic.
• The Manupupuner rock formations look like seven giants standing in the open space.

• The Zhangye Danxia is considered one of the six most beautiful landforms in China. There are boardwalks all around to help visitors explore all the different colors.
• These beautiful hills in China are full of color.

• Many people don’t visit Madre de Dios. Though it’s a beautiful place, the harsh winds and rain make it a difficult place to visit.
• This island looks beautiful, but looks can be deceiving.

• Part of the reason that the jars are still unknown is that the area is still full of unexploded bombs that pose a danger to anyone visiting the area.
• There is a lot of mystery behind these jars, though it’s thought that they are somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 years old.

• Jervis Bay is one of the few places where there are bioluminescent plankton that glow in the dark. They are most common during the warm months.
• The white sandy beaches in Jervis Bay are spectacular, but it’s what you see at night that makes this beach so strange.

• Though people made this arch, it’s so delicate and impressive that it’s often called the Devil’s Bridge as it’s thought that only Satan could have had a hand in it.
• The bridge in the background isn’t fake. It’s a real bridge in Germany.