Some of the world’s most interesting scenery are in the most barren and dry places. From beautiful sand dune fields and huge areas of salt that reflect the sun to huge rock shapes. Deserts make up almost a third of the Earth’s land area, so this list only shows a small number of the world’s Top 10 Desert Landscapes.
Top 10 Desert Landscapes
1. McMurdo Dry Valleys
Antarctica is thought to be the biggest desert on Earth because it only rains 200 mm (8 inches) a year along the coast and even less in the middle. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the most deserted place in Antarctica. Even though the Valleys are in the middle of an ice-covered continent, they haven’t had any ice in them for a very long time.
The hard katabatic winds blow through the desert at up to 320 km/h (200 miles/h), which is fast enough to dry up all the water. So, the McMurdo Dry Valleys are thought to be the closest thing we have on earth to the surface of Mars.
2. The Pinnacles Desert
The Nambung National Park in Western Australia is home to the Pinnacles Desert. It looks strange and mysterious because it has strange limestone rocks that look like fingers and are surrounded by huge sand dunes. The way the sun moves across the sky makes these shapes cast strange shadows across the desert. From August to October, plants add to the beauty of the desert.
3. Death Valley
Death Valley is a large, varied area that covers parts of Nevada and California. It is known as the place in North America that is the lowest, driest, and hottest. Temperatures have been as high as 130 degrees in Death Valley.
Death Valley is a desert like no other in the United States. It has snow-capped mountains and colorful sand mounds. The scenic area of Zabriskie Point and the strange moving stones of Racetrack Playa are two interesting places.
4. Valle de la Luna
The Atacama Desert in Chile is where Valle de la Luna is. This beautiful desert scenery is made up of sand and rocks that have been shaped by winds and floods for hundreds of years. The area is called “Valley of the Moon” because the big sand dunes and rock formations look like the surface of the moon.
The bright blue, green, yellow, and red colors of the Valle de la Luna come from the way the salt rocks reflect the sun.
5. Erg Chebbi
The Erg Chebbi dunes are one of the best places to visit in Morocco. They are in the Sahara Desert. The amazing dunes are as high as 150 meters, and when you stand in their shade, you feel very small. The town of Merzouga, which is on the edge of the erg, is where most trips to the dunes begin. Even though it’s not the most comfy way to travel, camel trekking is the most popular choice.
6. Sinai Desert
The Sinai Desert is a popular tourist spot because of its religious past and beautiful scenery. It is right on the border between Egypt and Israel. Visitors can see amazing views of the desert from the rough mountains, golden sand, and blue skies. The Sinai Desert spreads out to meet the beaches of the Red Sea, which are known all over the world for their great swimming.
7. Nazca Desert
The Nazca Desert is a narrow area on a high, dry desert that runs along the northern Pacific coast. Between the towns of Nazca and Palpa are the well-known Nazca Lines. The figures were made between 200 BC and 700 AD. They range from simple lines to detailed spiders, monkeys, fish, llamas, lizards, and human figures.
The lines were made on such a big scale that they weren’t seen as figures until Peruvian airlines started flying from Lima to Arequipa in the 1920s. The lines are still visible today because the Nazca Desert is dry, doesn’t get much wind, and has a stable temperature.
8. Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei is a huge clay pan in the Namib Desert surrounded by huge red sand dunes. It is one of the most famous places to visit in Namibia. The Tsauchab River runs through the desert, and when it floods, it gives water to the clay-based plants that live there.
At sunrise and sunset, the colors of the sand dunes change all the time, giving artists a chance to take pictures. The form and texture of the dunes are always changing because of how strong the winds are in the desert.
9. Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni is the biggest salt flat in the world. It is in Bolivia, in the Andes Mountains. During the dry season, the wide area of salt forms a never-ending white landscape. However, the area is most beautiful when it is covered in water during the rainy season. The blue sky’s reflection makes the scenery even more strange, but some people insist on seeing the salt.
10. Wadi Rum
The wildlife and rock sculptures in the Wadi Rum valley are amazing. The valley is a beautiful place for tourists to visit in the country of Jordan. Guests can ride camels or horses through the beautiful desert and camp out under a clear night sky full of stars. Rock climbers can practice their skills on the large rock formations, such as Jabal Rum, which is the second-highest hill in Jordan.
