5 Natural Wonders That Should Be On Every Bucket List

What makes a great travel experience? Great food? Fine wine? A luxurious hotel? The opportunity to hug an underpaid actor dressed as a cartoon mouse? There are no right or wrong answers? Yet, while human hands have constructed many incredible sights around the world from the Eiffel Tower to Machu Picchu to Sydney Opera House, let’s not forget that nature remains the best architect in the world. As such, whatever constructed wonders you may have on your bucket list, it’s important to make room for these gems of nature. And be quick about it. In an era of increasingly rapid climate change, some of them might not be around forever…

The Northern Lights

The northern lights have captivated and bewitched us for centuries. Like all of the items on this list, you may think that you’ve seen them because you’ve glimpsed them through your computer, TV or phone screen, but absolutely nothing can prepare you for the awe and majesty that they inspire when you see them in person. The stunning explosions of color occur when solar winds disturb the magnetosphere (the planet’s magnetic field), and look like flourishes of green (or sometimes blue or even red) fire in the sky.

Where is the best place to see the Northern Lights? That depends largely on the time of year. One wonderful thing about the Aurora Borealis is its mysterious nature. While it can usually be found based on scientific principles and historical data there’s always a little hunting involved. They can, however, usually be seen within the “Aurora zone” in Northern Scandinavia. The above link will help you to plan your trip around finding it.

The Volcanic Island of Stromboli

Sicily is a wonderful vacation spot with endlessly long Mediterranean summers, gorgeous greenery, stunning beaches and sumptuous cuisine. It’s also close to the volcanic island of Stromboli, which remains an active volcano and still spews lava, fire and ash. Nonetheless, that hasn’t prevented several hundred fearless inhabitants from calling the island home.  

This is one of the few places in the world where you can see nature’s fireworks by night as the volcano erupts, spitting lava at the surroundings. Boat tours can be arranged from the northern coast of Sicily and allow you to see live lava at a safe distance. For those who want to witness the sheer power of the natural world, there are few sights more bewitching and awe-inspiring.

The Great Barrier Reef

Although nature has provided us with enormous bounty on land, there’s a whole other natural kingdom beneath the sea. An argument could be made that we know more about space (at least the part that we can access) than we do about what’s beneath the sea. And for an aquatic experience that’s truly unique, nothing beats the Great Barrier Reef in Northeastern Australia. One of the most spectacularly bio-diverse areas on the planet, you’ll see more wildlife in this vast expanse of coral than in an entire African Safari.

Home to over 1,500 species of fish, the reef itself is the only living thing on Earth that’s visible from space. Although it is referred to as a singular reef, it is actually composed of 2,900 individual reefs as well as 900 islands within its vast 1,400 mile expanse.   

The Grand Canyon

Okay, I can see you rolling your eyes at this one. But the fact that it’s such a ubiquitous presence on every bucket list on the whole darned internet proves that it really has to be seen to be believed. There are no photos that can properly prepare you for its stupendous scale or its arid beauty. It may not be the world’s deepest canyon (heck, it’s not even the deepest canyon in America), but it’s one of the most jaw-dropping spectacles you’ll ever traverse.

The Eden Project

Okay, so this last one is a bit of a cheat. Why? Because it’s a both a natural wonder and a man made wonder at the same time. The Eden Project in the southern English province of Cornwall is a bio-diverse paradise nestled within a huge crater on England’s south coast.

It’s not only a haven of jaw-dropping natural beauty (albeit within a man-made structure) it’s also a fantastic resource for all travelers who are interested in living a more sustainable life and improving their relationship with nature. There’s a horticultural therapy program available to visitors as well as guided tours, walking groups and the project will soon have its very own on-site hotel.

The world’s a big place, but while you’re here be sure to check out at least one of these stunning natural wonders.

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