Natural attractions

Volcanoes

Volcanoes come in many shapes and sizes, and their eruptions vary hugely in both frequency and intensity. Many volcanoes are tourist attractions and are worth a visit provided you take due care, in particular keeping a safe distance from eruptions.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights or aurora borealis are a natural phenomenon that can paint the night sky with unearthly, surreal color. The Southern Lights or aurora australis also occur but are not as often observed.

Atmospheric phenomena

This is an article about the atmosphere as a natural attraction. See weather for safety concerns.

Beaches

Being on a beach is an essential part of a vacation for many. Types of beaches and practices vary, as do the activities visitors come there for — mostly for swimming, relaxation, or water sports.

Beech forests of Europe

The Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is a world heritage site. First listed in 2007 and only including forests in Slovakia and Ukraine, it has been expanded in 2011 and 2017 and on both occasions its name was changed to reflect the extent of the site.

Black sand beaches

Black sand beaches are much rarer than their gold and white counterparts. This rarity along with their contrasting and otherworldly aesthetic have made them popular as tourist attractions.

Botanical tourism

Botanical tourism is travel for the purposes of viewing the varied flora of a region, district or in the case of some species even a single plant!

California state parks

California has a number of beautiful state parks in addition to a number of national parks, national monuments, and other national nature reserves. These parks are not as well known as their national counterparts and are somewhat more off the beaten path.

Canyons and gorges

Canyons and gorges are impressive geological wonders characterized by deep, narrow valleys with steep rocky walls that were carved out by the flow of a river or stream and erosion over time. The unique and dramatic landscape offered by each and every canyon and gorge makes them popular natural attractions all over the world.

Caves

Since antiquity, humans have been using, living in, or hiding in caves, and our fascination with them is just as old. They connect us to our distant past because prehistoric remains and artefacts have been preserved in them, that outside would have been lost, especially in the north where Ice Age glaciers scoured everything from the surface.

China Danxia

China Danxia is a natural world heritage site, composed of 9 components in various parts of China.

Cold Winter Deserts of Turan

The Cold Winter Deserts of Turan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of 14 deserts in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Fjords

Fjords or fiords are long narrow inlets of the ocean often with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. The two countries that are most known for their fjords are Norway and Canada, with New Zealand, Chile, Iceland, Scotland (where they are often just known as lochs) and Greenland (Denmark) also having a large number of fjords.

Fjords of Norway

A fjord is a long and deep inlet of the ocean. While fjords can be found in many countries, the fjords of Norway are particularly famous, numerous and easily accessible.

Geographical records

For anyone who has ever spent time reading the Guinness Book of Records, records are often shocking and amazing. However, people often forget about the natural records — natural oddities and occurrences on the planet itself that we live on.

Glaciers

When snow accumulates over many years, it compacts into dense ice. Glaciers form as this ice slowly but steadily slides downhill.

Great Artesian Basin

The Great Artesian Basin is the world's largest basin, taking about one fifth of the land area of Australia.

Hill stations

Hill stations are towns at a higher altitude than the nearby plains or valleys. The term "hill station" generally refers to the towns in South and Southeast Asia developed by Western colonists as refuges from the heat of the nearby lowlands, up where temperatures are cooler.

Hot springs

For destinations named "Hot Springs", see the Hot Springs disambiguation page. Hot springs are natural features resulting when ground water is heated (sometimes far beyond the level of human endurance) by geothermal forces and brought to the surface, typically becoming diluted with cool surface water on the way.

Ice Age

On a geological timescale, Earth's climate has gone through considerable changes. Colder periods, during which glaciers covered more land and sea than today, are called ice ages.

Icelandic hot springs

Icelandic Hot Springs is a travel topic.

Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots

A feature of Japanese culture is ordering items into lists. This is the list of the 100 top cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan.

Midnight sun

Midnight sun is the sun being above horizon throughout the night, while polar night is when the sun stays below it even in the day. They can be experienced in the Arctic and Antarctica.

Mountain ranges

Mountain ranges are regions of the earth with a high concentration of mountains.

National parks

Wikivoyage has information about national parks, both about a host of individual ones, general information on parks in some countries and general advice for hiking and some related topics.

Natural harbours

A harbour is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. Sometimes, these harbours can be natural, and some of these which are of great interest to travellers.

Natural springs in Florida

Florida is known for its natural springs which have been made into state and county parks.

Natural wonders of India

Nature parks in Barcelona province

The network of natural parks in the province of Barcelona comprises sixteen areas of great landscape, ecological and cultural value.

Nature parks in Catalonia

There are many nature parks in Catalonia. Nestled in the northeastern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, Catalonia is a region that boasts a remarkable diversity of landscapes, from rugged mountain ranges to serene Mediterranean shores.

Off the beaten track in Japan

Off the beaten track in Japan is your guide to interesting places in Japan that don't get many visitors (or at least many foreign visitors).

Ohio state parks

Legislators over the years have set aside some of Ohio's more scenic areas for public use. The parks are scattered all over the state to give access to all.

Paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life on Earth, especially through fossils, and is an important tool for studying organisms' evolution. A traveller can find museums and dig sites which tell the story of our planet before recorded history, before mankind, before land animals, even before vertebrates.

Ramsar sites

The Ramsar sites are wetlands designated as of international importance; many are of great interest to birdwatchers. Some are easy to visit while others are destinations for wilderness backpacking.

Reservoirs in California

The state of California has a large number of reservoirs. Many, though not all, of these are publicly accessible in parks and recreation areas, and these lakes contribute significantly to the state's beauty, as many of them are set in the Diablo Range and the Sierra Nevada.

Tides and currents

Tide is the rise and fall of sea levels due to gravitational forces of the sun and the moon. Due to Earth's rotation, high and low tide are usually 6 hours 25 minutes apart.

UNESCO Global Geoparks Network

UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves

As of 2023 the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves is made up of 738 reserves in 134 countries of which 22 are transboundary. Biosphere reserves are large landscapes with significant biodiversity and important ecological systems.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls are some of the most spectacular sights that nature has to offer, and are the frequent goal of many travellers.

Waterways

Waterways are a key focal point for travelers, whether it is just a way to get from A to B or to take in the scenery along a river or around a lake or to enjoy activities such as boating and sailing.

Weather records

Have you ever wanted to visit the hottest or coldest place in the world? Read on to find destinations that have set weather records.

Wildlife

Wildlife includes non-domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms.