Top 20 most beautiful places in the world. Part 2

The Iguazu Falls Cascade is officially recognized as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world; the hyped Niagara and Victoria certainly pale in front of it. The most spectacular views are from the Brazilian side, although most of the cascade is from the Argentine side.

Sometimes photos with beautiful places and their names win you over from the moment you first get to know them. A striking example of this is the bewitching natural landmark of Norway - the rock of Troll Tongue. The dream of almost every traveler here is to take a photo from the top of that very rock, namely from its ledge, from where breathtaking views of mountain landscapes and the azure of the still waters of the Hardanger Fjord open up.

One of the "star" attractions of Thailand, the island of Tapu, gained fame thanks to the famous film back in 1974. Since then, the small island has become the starting point for the active development of tourism in Phuket. This area surprises with its beauty: against the backdrop of emerald sea waters, a limestone rock, covered with greenery, rises. Boat excursions are regularly organized from Phuket to Tapu Island.

This unusual waterfall is located in the US state of California. McWay Falls is considered an ever-living waterfall, as it never dries up, and its waters fall from a cliff right into a picturesque bay. And the very vegetation surrounding the waterfall always remains green - the secret is that the trees in this area are fed by the waters of the underground river.

The largest coral reef is located in the Pacific waters on the Australian coast. The structure of the reef is made up of billions of tiny microorganisms that have created the world's largest coral ecosystem. This place stands out for its brightness, eccentricity and amazing beauty.

In the Bavarian Alps, on a hill, right above a deep mysterious gorge, rises an unusually light structure, as if floating in the air. It resembles a fairy-tale castle, as if descended from the pages of a romantic fairy tale about princesses, knights and brave deeds. The extraordinarily beautiful Neuschwanstein Castle is surrounded by equally beautiful surrounding landscapes - impregnable mountain peaks and crystal lakes.

Residents of the northern province of Vietnam have actually accomplished the impossible by setting up rice terraces right on the steep slopes of numerous hills. The "rapids" created by the inhabitants, on which rice is planted, create a horizontal plane, while at the same time trapping the water coming down from the peaks down the slopes. The formed curves of the terraces do not disturb the harmony of natural landscapes and even serve as their original decoration.

In the Italian region of Liguria, there is one place with amazing views of the sea and mountain landscapes. This is the Cinque Terre Park - a green area that stretches along the rocky coast and includes five coastal settlements that appeared on this territory back in the era of the Roman Empire. Among the architectural monuments of the region are medieval palaces, sanctuaries and old mansions.

One of the most expressive natural creations is located near the popular Portuguese beach of Praia de Benagil. The amazingly shaped cave was formed as a result of natural processes - the impact of water and wind on the stony rock. Cruises on boats, boats or rowing mini-boats - kayaks are regularly organized along the azure sea waters to the cave.

Having wondered what is the most beautiful place on earth, many travelers make a choice in favor of one of China's natural parks - Zhangjiajie. On its territory there are "soaring" mountains. It was these landscapes that became the prototype of the landscapes in the world-famous Avatar painting. The mountain peaks shrouded in mist against the backdrop of a green abyss make a truly amazing impression.

Not far from Tokyo, there is an extraordinary fairy-tale garden, immersed in millions of colors of all shades of the rainbow. These are flowers common in Japan - wisteria, which hang like vines-garlands from specially constructed frames. Stunning "waterfalls" of flowers flow from above, forming a multi-colored tunnel. In addition to wisteria, in the garden you can find a lot of other, bright, but more familiar flowers.

The Calanques National Natural Park is a unique landscape for the Mediterranean coast. There are narrow bays, deeply cut into the coast and surrounded by rocks. They are scattered along the entire coastline, starting from Marseille, but the most beautiful are located closer to the village of Cassis.

The largest reserve in New Zealand, which was formed by an ancient glacier, occupies the southwestern part of the South Island. Starting to melt, the glacier literally crushed winding fjords and riverbeds with its weight. Thanks to them, Fiordland has become the most beautiful of the 14 national parks in New Zealand. Here you can see amazing landscapes and unimaginable combinations of greenery of wild forests against the backdrop of dark blue ice. The reserve is inhabited by a wide variety of wildlife. Only on its territory you can see the rarest birds that have become symbols of the islands - takahe, kakapo, almost tame and very playful kea.

The Greek island of Santorini is the pearl of the Mediterranean and one of the most famous resorts in the country. In its small area there are many stunningly beautiful places. These are the snow-white houses of the island, and tiny villages, picturesquely located on the mountain slopes, and wonderful beaches. But the most important thing is the unique sunsets that have become the hallmark of Greece.

Carved into the stone slopes, Petra was once the capital of Idumea, and later of the Nabatean kingdom. This amazing city is lost in the rocks of Jordan - in the narrow canyon of the Siq, at an altitude of more than 900 meters above sea level. It makes a huge impression on tourists - it is impossible to believe that this miracle was created by people more than two thousand years ago. And with the first rays of the sun and at sunset, Petra shimmers with scarlet and soft pink tones, for which it received the nickname Pink City.

The famous cave of the Inner Hebrides was created by nature from prismatic basalt, 113 meters long. A wide entrance to a huge cavity framed by stone columns. The atmosphere of the gorge deepening to 70 m is contrasted by a stunning acoustic effect, which transmits the distorted sound of the surf.

The picturesque valley is located in the central part of the oldest nature reserve in the United States - Yosemite National Park. This is a stunningly beautiful place, surrounded by sheer cliffs and overgrown with evergreen trees, including giant sequoias. The main attraction of the valley is the Yosemite cascade of waterfalls. The total height of the streams is 2427 feet, making it one of the highest in the world.

This huge reserve is the main attraction of Kenya and one of the best national parks in Africa. Migrations of innumerable herds of zebras, antelopes, exotic birds and predators - all this can be seen while traveling through the savannah, or flying over it in a hot air balloon. In addition, black lions and an endemic species of giraffe live on the territory of the reserve - they are not found anywhere else in the world.

Pamukkale, located in the western part of Turkey, is called the "city of minerals". In its vicinity there are many mineral springs enriched with calcium. Since ancient times, white tufas filled with crystal clear warm water have been used as natural spas. The blue color of the sky is reflected in 17 stone pools located along the hill. Water, filling the pools, runs down the slope, almost 200 meters high. Her journey has created an incredible landscape where the petrified waterfalls are like magic frozen in time.

The island of stars, as this place is often called, is part of the Raa Atoll of the Maldives archipelago. The resort was glorified not by nature and beaches, but by the presence of bioluminescent phytoplankton. At night, myriads of tiny organisms shine in the water with a gentle neon light, creating the illusion of an iridescent starry sky. The glow occurs only in October and November. The rest of the time, the island is no different from its neighbors - the same beaches with white sand, turquoise, crystal clear water and coral reefs near the coast, creating suitable conditions for snorkeling and diving.