The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa, offer far more than just sunshine and beaches. Made up of eight main islands, each with its own personality, the Canaries are a place where lunar landscapes, cloud forests, volcanic peaks, and historic towns coexist within short travel distances. On Tenerife, Mount Teide looms over a landscape of solidified lava and craters that look like a science fiction set.
Angola is one of Africa’s most surprising travel destinations, where modern cities meet ancient traditions and landscapes range from dramatic waterfalls to endless Atlantic beaches. In the capital of Luanda the waterfront promenade known as the Marginal buzzes with music, food stalls, and sunset views. A short drive away, the Fortress of São Miguel panoramic views of the bay.
Douz is a town in southern Tunisia on the edge of the Sahara, where date-palm oases meet the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental. The town is often regarded as a gateway to the sandy desert, with dunes beginning close to the built-up area and extending toward the wider Sahara. Palm groves provide a strong contrast to the surrounding dry landscape, while nearby Chott el-Jerid forms a vast salt depression with bright mineral surfaces and mirages.
Uyuni, in southwestern Bolivia, is best known as the gateway to the world’s largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni. Once a humble railway town, Uyuni has grown into a base for travelers drawn to this surreal landscape, where an ancient dried-up lake has left behind a vast expanse of glistening salt crust.
Ooty, officially known as Udhagamandalam, is a hill town in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri Hills, surrounded by tea estates, eucalyptus-covered slopes, shola vegetation, and rolling mountain scenery. Sitting at more than 2,000 metres above sea level, it has a notably cooler climate than the plains of southern India. The town developed as an important hill settlement and remains the main urban centre of the Nilgiris.
Photo Credit: Photo by Carter Obasohan on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Mircea Muntean on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by martin bennie on Unsplash
Guanacos
Photo Credit: Photo by Alex Wolowiecki on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Torres del Paine Arcoíris on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Baptiste Azais on Unsplash
Guanaco
Photo Credit: Photo by Chris Stenger on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Chris Stenger on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Carter Obasohan on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Akshay Nanavati on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Milan Malfait on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Simone Dinoia on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by Karla Robinson on Unsplash
This is a wild and beautiful area unlike anywhere else in the world. Torres del Paine lies between the central spine of the Andes, nearly buried under a massive ice cap and the steppes of Southern Patagonia. The mountains that comprise Paine Massif are not high for the Andes, but they are precipitous. What makes individual mountains so dramatic is that from most places in the park entire peaks can be seen-from base to summit-and they appear to leap into the clouds from the floor of the valley. With its 450,000 acres, Torres del Paine truly is a world-class park because of its completeness, having every feature one could hope for in a temperate zone park. It has, like all truly great parks, that indefinable element in its character to which visitors respond.
Other Popular Destinations in Argentina
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, the vibrant political and cultural capital of Argentina, has become an enticing destination for many travelers and a must-see destination in South America. Founded in the sixteenth century by Spanish explorers, Buenos Aires has since developed its own unique flair.
Iguazu
Situated in the Parque Nacional Iguazú near Puerto Iguazú, these spectacular falls lie just east of the confluence of the Iguazu and Paraná rivers. At least 5000 cubic m of water per second plunge the 70m into the abyss below.