For many travelers, the most memorable moments of a trip don’t happen inside a museum or beside a famous monument. They happen while watching waterfalls spill through a forest, hiking above a brilliantly colored coastline, or standing beneath a night sky illuminated by the Northern Lights.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini is known for its blue-domed churches and sunset views, but there is far more to the island. The island sits on a volcanic caldera, which means the beaches here are anything but typical golden sand. Expect red sand, black sand, and rock formations that look like Mars.

Swiss Alps

These peaks are so iconic that they have become the blueprint for what mountains should look like—jagged, snow-capped, and surrounded by meadows that seem lifted from a fairytale.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Five colorful villages cling to the cliffsides above the Ligurian Sea, where nature and architecture seem to work together. The hiking trails that connect these villages offer some of the most breathtaking coastal views in Europe, with terraced vineyards, dramatic rock formations, and that perfect Mediterranean blue.

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

Standing at the edge of the Cliffs of Moher is the kind of experience that makes you feel very small in the best possible way. These sea cliffs rise over 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, stretching for 5 miles along Ireland’s rugged west coast.

Krka National Park, Croatia

Krka National Park is home to a series of cascading waterfalls along the Krka River, the centerpiece being Skradinski Buk—a vast natural pool where 17 waterfalls spill through the trees in an area only about 400 meters long.

Northern Lights, Iceland

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are Mother Nature at her most theatrical. Green, purple, and pink lights dance across the Arctic sky—the kind of sight that makes you feel very small and very lucky at once.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Ancient Incan ruins perched on a mountain ridge, surrounded by cloud forest and peaks that touch the sky. Machu Picchu isn’t just an archaeological wonder; it’s a masterclass in how humans can build something that enhances rather than detracts from natural beauty.

Patagonia, Argentina/Chile

This region at the southern tip of South America is all jagged peaks, massive glaciers, turquoise lakes, and wind that leaves no doubt that nature is in charge.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Thousands of limestone islands and islets rise from emerald-green water, covered in rainforest and dotted with hidden caves and grottos. Halong Bay looks like a painting that somehow came to life.

Mount Fuji, Japan

Mount Fuji is so perfectly cone-shaped it almost looks unreal. This active volcano has been inspiring artists, poets, and travelers for centuries, and when you see it in person—especially reflected in one of the surrounding lakes—you’ll get it.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.