World's strangest landscapes

Defining a strange place or landscapes is not an easy task. Strange means only out of normal, beyond the common sense, or something more ? For most of the terrestrials, Antarctica or the Everest are strange places, aren’t they ? Thinking deeper, Mount Everest is maybe not so strange, considering other very high mountains, whether close to it or on other continents. O.K., than strange means unique! The strangest places on Earth seem to be not situated on Earth, they tend to be lunatic, or even alien looking. If you agree this definition, O.K. , and if not the same. If you feel this definition to need fine tuning, be free to deepen and refine it, letting me now about it.

The following destinations are in my opinion world’s strangest destinations:

1. Socotra Island, in the Indian Ocean. It is very isolated and far away from other pieces of land, hosting many interesting species of plants and animals. Many of these species are even endemic (they grow only here, are unique in the all world!)

Socotra Island from the Indian Ocean is very isolated and hosts endemic species of plants and animals.

2. Vale da Lua (Moon Valley) in Brazil, offers an amazing landscape, very different from an usual terrestrial one. Definitely a place to see, if you wanna have an alien feeling.

Vale da Lua is very strange and bery different comparing to other usual terestrial landscapes.

Vale da Lua is very strange and very different comparing to other usual terrestrial landscapes.

3. Richat Structure from the Mauritanian Sahara Desert is a landmark for astronauts. Very long time scientist thought it to be the result of alien works, but not anymore today. Fact is, that Richat Structure is visible from the space and has an unbelievable perfect round form with a diameter of 30 km.

The Richat Structure is visible from the space and is perfectly rounded, resulting from long and intensive erosion.

4. Rio Tinto in Spain is the most colored river on the Earth, due to to the many iron salts coming into it. Very interesting for astrobiologists, as they think the life conditions are very similar to Mars or Europe, a Jupiter satellite. The high pH leads to a strong development of bacteria.

Rio Tinto is strongly coloured. You are not supposed to drink these waters!

Rio Tinto is strongly colored. You are not supposed to drink these waters!

5. Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is really strange, with an unreal aspect. If you go to Salar de Uyuni and show your friends photos of it, many of them will surely believe that you visited other planet. It is a salt lake and a huge salt deposit, 25 times bigger than the american Bonneville Salt Flats.