***Copyright: Please visit the photographer links for licensing conditions for each photo. Some are available through a Creative Commons license, but many are copyrighted against unauthorized use. We were granted special permission to feature them in this Matador photo essay. ***

Read this article en español

1

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The largest salt flat in the world reflects the sky during the wet season... Photo: Luca Galuzzi

2

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

...and in the dry winter months, it becomes a mosaic of salt tiles. Photo: Sergio Pessolano

3

Antarctica

Icebergs drift in dark Antarctic waters. Photo: winkyintheuk

Intermission

Culture

The 9 most dazzling Christmas trees around the world

Dec 3, 2020 Skye Sherman
News

Yosemite’s surreal ‘firefall’ is back for two weeks. Here’s how to see it.

Jan 19, 2021 Eben Diskin
Galleries

The most incredible summer skiing and fishing trip to Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains

Jul 25, 2019 Adam Clark
4

The Richat Structure, near Ouadane, Mauritania

A circular feature, 50km across, in the middle of the otherwise featureless Mauritanian Sahara. Picture courtesy of NASA. Photographer: trodel_wiki

5

Alvord Playa, southeastern Oregon, USA

You might not expect to find a desert in the Pacific Northwest, but this dry lake bed averages only 180mm of rain a year. Photo: rasone

6

Cappadocia, Turkey

Fairy chimneys dominate the landscape between Cavusin and Zelve. Photo: Timothy Neesam

7

Socotra Island, Yemen

Socotra's isolation in the Indian Ocean has given rise to plant life you won't see anywhere else. This is the dragon's blood tree. Photo: Sotti

Intermission

Sponsored

4 seasons of Vermont: A year-round travel guide to the Green Mountain State

Dec 3, 2020 Charu Suri
Galleries

The most incredible summer skiing and fishing trip to Alaska’s Tordrillo Mountains

Jul 25, 2019 Adam Clark
Sponsored

13 iconic landmarks to see in 13 US cities

Mar 2, 2020 Ailsa Ross
8

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

Best known as the staging grounds for Burning Man, the Black Rock Desert is also home to alien features such as the Fly Geyser. Photo: Stephen Oachs

9

Black Desert, Egypt

Egypt's deserts come in many colors, including Black... Photo: Gekko82

10

White Desert, Egypt

...and White. Photo: tronics

11

Kauai, Hawaii

Seaside lava ledges make for otherworldly experiences on this often-overlooked Hawaiian island. Photo: PatrickSmithPhotography

Intermission

Food + Drink

The 10 most vegan-friendly cities in the world

Jan 14, 2021 Lucy Bryson
Sponsored

13 iconic landmarks to see in 13 US cities

Mar 2, 2020 Ailsa Ross
Culture

21 amazing images of the new Seven Wonders of the World

May 16, 2019 Kate Siobhan Mulligan
12

Namib Desert, Namibia

Sand rarely gets as red as it does in the deserts of Namibia. Photo: Brian Preen

13

Torres del Paine, Chile

The most alien of the 8 Natural Wonders of Chile, Torres del Paine's mountain spires cut into the blue sky. Photo: winkyintheuk

14

Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan

Lowest point on Earth, deepest salt lake in the world, saltier than the ocean...the list of the Dead Sea's bizarreness is a long one. Photo: Pennina Neumann

15

Strokkur Geyser, southwestern Iceland

Visitors to the Strokkur Geyser are rewarded with this display every five minutes or so. Photo: exfordy

16

Lake Turkana, Kenya

Lake Turkana lies in Africa's Great Rift Valley. Its salty waters comprise the world's largest desert lake. Photo: Yannick Garcin

17

Four Corners region, USA

The Colorado Plateau gets funky at the Arizona-Utah border. That's where you'll find Vermilion Cliffs National Monument... Photo: gregmote

18

Four Corners region, USA

...and Monument Valley. Photo: Wolfgang Staudt

19

Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines

Over 1,700 naturally formed mounds (covered with chocolate brown grass in the dry season) dot the center of the island of Bohol. Photo: Lemuel Montejo

20

The Sahara

The world's largest hot desert is as big as the entire U.S. Get stranded out here and you'll wish you really were on an alien world. Photo: Jay Brezinsky

21

The Sahara

"Tunisian Sahara: Desert Stop!" Photo: andzer