14 Breathtaking Places You Probably Didn’t Know Existed
Africa & Middle East

14 Breathtaking Places You Probably Didn’t Know Existed

Are you tired of visiting the same locations as millions of other tourists each year? Have you visited places like the Grand Canyon in the USA, Machu Picchu in Peru, and the Coliseum in Italy, but now feel yourself longing for something less ‘typical’? Our Earth is filled with an excess of far-fetched places, some we have all heard of, and some we haven’t.  While locations like the Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu, and the Coliseum are all spectacular sites to visit, they are overrun by tourists each year, littering the beauty of their location. Maybe it’s time to start discovering destinations that are not on most people’s radar, but equally as stunning- if not more. Traveling somewhere beautiful and undiscovered makes for a special trip. There’s just something charming about going to a place that isn’t as well known. Here are 14 Breathtaking Places You Probably Didn’t Know Existed to add to your travel bucket list.

14. Quiraing

To visit the Isle of Skye in Scotland without experiencing the Quiraing seems entirely unthinkable. Part of the Trotternish Ridge, which was formed by a great series of landslips, the massive landslip in the Quiraing has created tall cliffs, hidden plateaus and peaks of rock.  The Quiraing is the only part of the slip that is still moving and requires repairs each year. Parts of the distinctive landscape have earned particular names, such as the Needle, which is a jagged 120-foot high landmark pinnacle, a remnant of land slipping. Northwest of it is the Table, a flat grassy area from the summit plateau, with views of the marvelous Torridon Hills and the mountains of Wester Ross. Southwest is the Prison, a pyramidal rocky peak that can look like a medieval keep when viewed from a proper angle.

If you are fit enough, walk the narrow path and journey up and down the vertical slopes. Classed as medium in length, and hard in difficulty, it covers a distance of 4.2 miles, with the average time to complete the walk being roughly 2 hours with no stops. You are guaranteed wonder and amazement with some of the most incredible landscapes and beautiful sunsets found in Scotland- so don’t forget to bring your camera!

Quiraing

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13. Hvítserkur

Hvítserkur is a rock that rises 50 feet from the sea, found on the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes Peninsula, in the northwest of Iceland.  Hvítserkur, which means “white shirt” in Icelandic, comes from the color of the sea-bird excrement deposited on the rock from the several species of birds that reside on it. This unusual rock formation was once the plug of a volcano, but over the years the craters surrounding the rock plug gave way to the pounding Atlantic Ocean, leaving only the bizarre outcropping of Hvítserkur behind. To protect the rock’s foundations, the base of the rock has been reinforced with concrete, helping it stay in its place. At low tides it is possible to walk out beyond the protruded rock.

In 1990, the geological oddity was even commemorated on an Icelandic stamp. Since the rock has two holes at its base, some say it looks like a thirsty dragon drinking from the Atlantic Ocean. Icelandic legend says that the rock used to be a troll that forgot to retreat itself from the light and as a consequence was turned to stone during sunrise.

Hvítserkur
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