Strangest Monuments Around The World

Often a result of sculptors being too creative, these strange monuments still carry a message with them or are linked to particular events.

Around the world, monuments are built to pay tribute to an extraordinary life or to commemorate a special event. While many of these monuments are straightforward and easy to understand, some of them are rather strange.

Love Land
Jeju island, South Korea

Jeju Island is a popular honeymoon destination for the newlyweds in Korea and nearby countries. In the Island there’s a special theme park, the “Love Land”, which, coming from a county where public display of affection are frowned upon makes it even stranger for someone to come up with such concept. In this park everything is sex oriented, with emphasis on the statues scattered around it. From giant vaginas and penises, to every kind of sexual position and kinkiness only found in the naughtiest pages of the Kama sutra this is certainly a unique theme park. Just don’t go visit it with your parents.

The Child Eater of Bern
Bern, Switzerland

Bern Switzerland is the home of the Kindlifresser, although there is nothing kind about it. The Child Eater has stood ominously since 1546 and there is no record of why it was built. There are a few theories of what this monolith represents as it stuffs a half eaten baby into its mouth to the terror of the three crying babies slung over its shoulder, waiting to sate the monster’s appetite.

The first and most probable theory is that the older brother of Duke Berchtold went mad with jealousy over his little brother’s rule, which should have been his. He rounded up the children of Bern and ate them. (Not recorded in Bern history achieves) Another theory is that it was intended as a warning to the Jewish community.

The monster wears a hat that closely resembles the Judenhut the Jews were forced to wear upon their heads then to set them apart. Finally, the idol may be that of Kronos, the Greek God that ate his male offspring to prevent them from taking his Throne. Either way, this scary monument has been scaring the children and adults for almost 500 years.

Floralis Generica
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Designed, paid for, and given to the people of Buenos Aries by Argentine Architect Eduardo Catalano, this huge flower actually opens every morning to an incredibly enormous 105 feet (34 meters) wide. When it closes at sunset every evening, it is 175 feet (58 meters) tall.

It stands in a pool of water just a few feet away from the Natural Museum of Fine Arts and operates by four pistons that open and close the giant and beautiful flower every day. The motion of the flower mimics the actual motion of a real flower and is incredible to see. The statue weighs an amazing 18 tons. The petals are made of reflective aluminum and you can see the surrounding city in them.

The flower opens and closes every day except for May 25, September 21, December 24, and December 31, on which nights it stays open to grace the night with its beauty.

Carhenge
Alliance, Nebraska, USA

Everyone has heard of Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument of mystery in Wiltshire County, England. Well now, there is also a Carhenge. This monument, built in 1987 by experimental artist Jim Reinders and 30 family members in Alliance, Nebraska, is an exact replica except for the fact they he used old cars, a pickup truck, a 62′ caddy, and an ambulance. The structure is accurately proportionate to the real Stonehenge.

The American’s answer to the English Monument, he came up with the idea after his beloved Father’s death in 1962 and is a way to pay tribute to him. The township of Alliance was at first opposed to the idea but are now grateful as they enjoy the tourist dollars.

Saint on a Dead Horse
Prague, Czech Republic

I am relatively sure that when Saint Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen he did not see a dead horse. So why is the Bohemian Saint riding one at the Lucerna Palace in Prague? Your guess is as good as anyone’s is but sculptor David Cerny certainly captured the Czech Republic’s imagination. They loved it so much they made it a permanent fixture. The monument stands just a few yards from the original statue.

Hand of the Desert
Atacam Desert, Chile

In the Atacam Desert in Chile, just 75 km from the town of Antofagasta, the desert landscape stretches for miles in every direction seemingly unchanged except for a human hand that seems to rise out of the sand as you approach. The closer you get, the higher this giant hand seems to reach until you get close enough to realize that a giant human is not breaking through from the earth’s core. The statue aptly named Hand of the Deset, way out in the middle of nowhere is the work of Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal. Infatuated with the form of the human hand as it breaks through the ground, he also has another statue rising from the water in Punta del Este at Brava Beach called Monument to the Drowned.

The Traffic Light Tree
London, UK

If you are not sure exactly when you need to go, do not depend on this traffic light to tell you. If you are passing through the Heron Quays Roundabout located in Canary Wharf, London, this monumental traffic light tree is sure to catch your attention. The lights flash in random sequence and if you are not prepared, you are heading for trouble.

Peter Vivantin erected this tribute to the never-ending rhythm of the domestic, financial, and commercial activities but most folks think it is just plain confusing. Still, it is something to see. Just don’t let it drive you crazy!

Totem
Leuven, Belgium

Have you ever seen a bug collection with flies and beetles skewered with pins? You have never seen one like this. It, the pin, rises 23 meters above the courtyard of the Historic University Library in Leuven in Belgium. The work of Belgium artist Jan Fabre, of Royal Palace ceiling fame, (also bugs) is supposed to represent the exact beauty and perfect working mechanism that a insect’s body and a timepiece have in common. It this case, a green beetle is skewered on the giant pin.

Victoria’s Way Park
Wicklow, Ireland

The Ferryman of Victoria’s Way has always been a fascinating subject. This character of Greek mythology ferries the souls from the living to Hades in a boat that crosses from life to death is as ominous as he is necessary. The park has many such weird and vivid sculptors from India that now populate Victoria’s Way Park in County Wicklow, Ireland. The half-sunken statue represents to many the disconnected human as he struggles to gain consciousness.

They say that the ferryman will never reach the other side while others believe that the statue is actually just rising from the murky depths on his way to ferry more souls. There is even a version that says you must have a coin to give the ferryman or you are destined to walk between worlds forever. Either way, the Ferryman is just one of the many strange statues that inhabit the Victoria’s Way Park, the starving Buddha is also a major head turner.

Amazing Places That Are From Another Planet

If you visited these places, you would definitely be convinced that they belong to another planet. But what we fail to notice is that there are numerous places on Earth that defy our notion of the typical Earthly landscape.

Lena’s Stone Pillars
Siberia

This completely alien-like place of beauty may as well be on another planet. There is only one way to get to it and that involves a first leg flight from Moscow that is so long you could actually fly the same distance in the opposite direction to reach New York. Then you have to take a boat. The entire trip takes three to four days to complete but if you are into seeing things that the majority of the world’s population will never lay eyes on outside of a photograph, then it is well worth it. With no competing airlines, you can imagine the price they charge to get you there.

From the air, Lena’s Stone Pillars, also called Lena’s stone forest, is so breathtaking as to leave you speechless. It literally looks like the rocks decided that they wanted to be trees and stood up next to the forest by the river. It is a truly amazing sight. The stone forest lines part of the bank of the River Lena, the largest river in Northern Siberia. It is considered to be a vital area for fossils and evidence of early man.

Wave Rock
Arizona, USA

The wave can only be described as a hallucination set in stone. If this is not the exact replica of some alien landscape, I will eat my hat. The lines and curves formed from 190 million of years of wind blown sand and rushing water over sandstone turned to rock will make you dizzy and you have to make a real effort not to fall flat on your face.

You actually have to play the lottery to get a ticket to see it and only twenty people are allowed to walk on its delicate surface per day. Even the photographs, which will never do the place justice, will make you dizzy if you stare at them. Being in the Wave Rocks of Arizona is like walking in a dizzy dream.

The funny part is that most Americans do not know about them or do not care. The majority of the visitors are European.

Fly Ranch Geyser
Nevada, USA

What do you get when accidentally dig a well on top of a geothermal water pocket? Fly Ranch Geyser looks like a colorful mini-mountain from a space movie because it sits in the middle of a Nevada Ranch. The ranch is dreary and colorless as you drive down route 447 until suddenly, one third of a mile off the road this weird, eerily formed rock juts from the landscape spewing water in tree directions for dozens of feet. The amazing colors from the water minerals are what get your attention because you have been driving in Nevada, which is not a very colorful trip.

The owner of the ranch is not interested in tourism and keeps a fence with a locked gate there to keep visitors from gathering. No Trespassing signs are posted but people are just as likely to jump the fence for a closer look, as not. The well was dug 1916 for irrigation purposes but sometime in the 60′s, the natural geothermal reservoir found a weak spot and 200 degree water carrying Sulphureus minerals began spewing forth, making the well a man made geyser. Now a little over five feet high and twelve feet across, it appear to be something from another planet.

The water created a marshy area with plant life and looks so out of place that you just cannot miss it from the road.

Socotra Island
Yemen

Socotra is located in Muhafazat Hadramawt, Yemen, which actually sounds alien-like, is a very weird and alien looking island. Part of an archipelago or chain of islands, this one makes every effort to impress. The trees on the island look like big ugly umbrella stands or as if gravity has forgotten how to work correctly. One of the reasons it looks so alien is that a full third of its plant life cannot be found anywhere else on the entire planet.

Socotra Island Yemen 1 10 Amazing Alien Like Places on Our World That Are From Another Planet

Two oddities make this island standout. First, it is considered the most isolated landform that is not of volcanic origin on earth. The second is that it is an island surrounded by water with a climate that is classified as a desert. It is part of a three island group but the two sister islands are uninhabitable by man. Seagulls thrive on the sisters. It is almost as if three pieces of an alien planet fell from space and landed there off the horn of Africa.

To make the point more poignant, the umbrella looking trees seep blood red sap and are called, you guessed it, the dragon’s blood tree.

The Devil Postpile
California, USA

Mammoth Mountain in Madera County California is the home of Devil Postpile National Monument. Like an alien landscape, this columnar basalt cliff appears out of place from the rest of what used to be part of the Yosemite National Park lands.

This strange formation was made by a lava flow that pooled to 400 feet and slowly seeped out. Then, amazingly, a glacier slowly moved through and polished the columns. The strange, alien-like structure was almost destroyed twice. Once during blasting for gold in the 1800s and then when a hydroelectric plant was scheduled to be built there. Walter L. Huber persuaded President Taft to declare the Devil’s Postpile a National Monument in 1911 and saved it for us.

If you cannot make the trip to California, several of the Devil’s Postpile stones grace the entrance of the US Geological Survey Headquarters in Reston, Virginia.

Pamukkale Water Terraces
Denizli, Turkey

Hierapolis, Turkey is a renewed ancient city that was built from the ground up to accommodate Romans seeking the healing waters of the Cotton Castle, the name given to this weird and wonderful rock formation and ancient ruins. Looking at it, you would think you were deep in the Antarctic. So blindingly white are the rocks.

The Romans used the city and spa as a healing place. The world almost lost this rare wonder to neglect but fortunately, the cascading pools of white were restored to health by the locals. The water cascades down and forms bright white formations and pools that are only found in a couple of places on our planet, one of which has been destroyed by earthquake. Hot springs rich in calcium form and continue to feed the oyster shaped pools. It truly looks like something from another planet.

Blood Falls
McMurdo, Antarctica

McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica is one of the most isolated and harshest places in the world. Nothing can survive in this place of subzero temperatures and icy winds, or so we thought. Then we noticed the blood red liquid draining from Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney. It is almost as if some giant wounded the glacier with a spear and it is bleeding from the wound. Upon closer examination, scientific explorers made one of the most startling discoveries of our time.

In a lifeless and alien-like place that is so harsh, nothing can survive we found primordial life. That “blood” that seeps from the wounded glacier is the stuff that life is made of. Somewhere else on our planet, millions of years ago, the very first life form crawled out of this same kind of primordial pool.

So how does the basic, building block foundation of life survive for so long in conditions so contrary to it? How could it survive in conditions so bad that we would never think to look for it? We still do not have a definite answer. What we do have is a new question. If a basic form of life can form and survive in this hostile place, could it also be present on another planet? I do not know, but i know an interesting and beautiful place when i see one.

What scientists found is startling in that there is a living microbial ecosystem in a place where there is no oxygen. These microbes have devised a way to survive through manipulation of iron and sulfur compounds. While this should be impossible, scientist are considering the possibility of the first known form of life that can “carbonize” iron. These tiny microbes are “Fixing” the carbon dioxide that iron produces. The term “Fixing” means that they can convert carbon dioxide to organic molecules to be consumed, making them the most efficient CO2 fixers on the planet. The possibilities that arise from studying this process are as far reaching as anything ever discovered before. This is especially true if we could find a way to duplicate it.

Mud Volcanoes of Azerbaijan
Bozdagh, Azerbaijan

From the air, the mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan look like a giant witch’s cauldron, bubbling away on some cursed alien landscape. These mini-volcanoes, some as high as 650 feet above the ground, turn the coast of the Caspian Sea into a very dangerous place. A full 300 of the earth’s 700 mud volcanoes can be found here, ejecting millions of cubic meters of hydrocarbon gases into the atmosphere. They also throw mud hundreds of feet through the air. If the planet earth could fart, this is the place it would happen.

In 2001, witnesses saw flames eject more than 50 feet and the mud volcano was still belching fire three days later. Despite the danger, people of the region claim that the mud has healing properties prompting health seekers around the world to make the trek to this alien-like place to bath in the mud.

To make the off planet experience even more vivid, there is a natural rock formation right in the midst of these volcanic mud monsters that makes music. When you strike the rock, it makes sounds like a tambourine. Music and a mud bath… sounds like a spa! They should hire a masseuse and charge money!

Canõ Cristales
Colombia

Deep in the jungles of Colombia runs an ordinary river with no distinguishable characteristics to call its own. In fact, you could cross this river several hundred times a year and never know it from any of the other rivers in the vast jungles near Macarena. However, if you did not know better and were to stumble upon this river during the brief period between the rainy and dry seasons, you would literally stop, your mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Your first thought would be that you were dreaming and you would pinch yourself. Realizing consciousness, your next thought would be to your sanity. If you were old enough, you would briefly worry about all the drugs you experimented with in the 60′s. Then you would look about frantically for tall blue people riding monster bird-like creatures with the absolute certainty that you stumbled upon the real Avatar tribe.

The explosion of color from the flowering moss that covers the rocks in this one place on earth is so amazing that it has earned this river names like, The Rainbow River, The River that Ran Away from Paradise, The Most Beautiful River in the World, and The River of Five Colors, which is weird because the literally hundreds of shades of each of these five colors is astonishing.

This natural phenomenon of algae does not occur anywhere else in the world in this combination and the conditions are only right for that very brief period of time when the water level is just right and the moss gets the perfect amount of sunlight. This unique, alien like place is only obtainable via horse or donkey and has only recently become a tourist attraction.

This river, including waterfalls is truly a one of a kind experience that everyone should be lucky enough to see at least once in their lifetime.

Jellyfish Lake
Eil Malk Island, Republic of Palau

Diving into the waters in Jellyfish Lake is like drifting through space with strange alien beings. The Jellyfish explosion that this lake experiences is alien-like and dangerous, not because of the stingers that these killer fish have; they are too small to be felt by humans, it is dangerous because of a layer of poisonous hydrogen sulfide 15 feet below the surface.

Off the coast of Koror in Palau, Jellyfish Lake is one of 70 saltwater lakes that were once connected with the Pacific Ocean. The lake is 12,000 years old and contains a species of Jellyfish named the Golden Jellyfish. For reasons we may not fully understand, the jellyfish migrate across the lake once every single day. There is no scuba diving allowed but snorkelers report that the beauty of this migration is unbelievable.

There is a mystery, however, attached to the jellyfish as they died completely off in the lake in 1998 with a zero population. In 2000, the mysteriously reappeared and science has no explanation.

The World Richest Countries

It doesn't matter if the following nations have a constitution or a king, they all have construction or manufacturing as a large part of their industry base. Of course, some nice, big oil deposits don't hurt either.

Qatar

Qatar has been ranked as the world's richest country per capita in a new list compiled by US-based Forbes magazine. Blessed with the third-largest natural gas reserves in the world, the Arab Gulf emirate of 1.7 million people is benefitting from a rebound in oil prices. Adjusted for purchasing power (PPP), Qatar has an estimated gross domestic product per capita of $88,222.

Luxembourg

In second place on the list is Luxembourg, with a per capita GDP on a purchasing-power parity (PPP) basis of $81,466.

Singapore

Technology, manufacturing and finance hub Singapore is ranked third on the list. The country’s GDP (PPP) per capita is $56,694 (estimated from 2009).

Norway

To rank the world’s wealthiest countries, Forbes looked at GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power for 182 nations. At No.4, with a GDP (PPP) per capita of $51,959 (estimated from 2009) is Norway.

Brunei

Oil-rich Brunei (ranked at No.5) has a GDP (PPP) per capita of $48,333. Forbes used International Monetary Fund data from 2010, the most recent available, while GDP figures for some countries were projections.

UAE

UAE oil reserves are ranked as the world's sixth-largest[ and it possesses one of the most developed economies in West Asia. The country’s GDP (PPP) per capita is $47,439 (estimated from 2009).

US

With a GDP (PPP) per capita of $46,860, US is ranked at No.7 on the Forbes list. According to Forbes, the PPP-adjusted GDP—preferred by economists when making international comparisons—takes into account the relative cost of living and inflation rates, rather than just exchange rates, which may distort real differences in worth.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the eighth most traded currency in the world. Hong Kong has a GDP (PPP) per capita of $45,944.

Switzerland

Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world by per capita gross domestic product [GDP (PPP) per capita: $41,950]. It also has one of the world's largest account balances as a percentage of GDP.

Netherlands

The Netherlands was one of the world’s first countries to have an elected parliament. And the benefits of democracy seem to be reaching its citizens. Its GDP (PPP) per capita is $40,973.

Australia

A highly developed country, Australia is one of the world's largest economies. Australia ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. [GDP (PPP) per capita: $39,764].

Austria

Also known for its high standard of living, Austria is ranked at No 12 with GDP (PPP) per capita of $39,761.

Ireland

Ireland: GDP (PPP) per capita: $39,492

Canada

Canada has a diversified economy that is reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade. The country’s GDP (PPP) per capita is $39,171.

Kuwait

Kuwait (No.15) has the world's fifth largest oil reserves and its petroleum products now account for around 95% of export revenues, and approximately 80% of government income. Ranked at No.15, the country’s GDP (PPP) per capita is $38,775 (estimated from 2009).

Amazing Places To See at Night

Forget nightclubs—instead, check out these after-dark hot spots delivering firefly spectaculars, midnight snacks, and stellar light shows. Here are destinations around the world that are worth staying up past your bedtime to explore.

Synchronous Fireflies, Near Gatlinburg, Tennessee

If you're looking for the firefly equivalent of sparklers, you may only need to head as far as your backyard. But for a real fireworks spectacular, you'll need to be in Elkmont, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, during the approximately two weeks each year the synchronous fireflies put on their show. Unlike other fireflies, these blinking beetles flash in unison—or sometimes in wave patterns that lucky visitors can see ripple across hillsides. It's a show you don't want to miss, but you'll need to time your visit during the peak mating season, which usually occurs sometime between June 3 and 21. From Gatlinburg, you'll need to catch the trolley ($1 round-trip) to see the show.

More synchronous fireflies: The only other place in the world where you can see synchronous fireflies is in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia, where fireflies cluster around mangrove trees on riverbanks.

Night safari in Singapore

If your travel motto begins "When in Rome…," take note: When in Singapore, head to the Night Safari. This wildly popular after-dark animal park isn't just for tourists; it's a favorite of locals as well. Offerings range from trails through rainforests teeming with animals to trams that escort visitors past the wildlife of eight geographical regions in Asia and Africa. Tribal performances and educational programs round out the things to do. The Night Safari is open nightly from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

More nights among the animals: In California the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and Safari West both offer sleepovers in well-appointed tents. An overnight offers more chances to see animals during their most active times.

Nighttime culture in Paris, France

Culture lights up the night throughout the year in Paris. The summer solstice brings the Fete de la Musique, when musicians and revelers fill the streets and places with song. During July and August at the Parc de la Villette (site in French), evening picnickers watch classic films from around the world on large outdoor screens. And in October the Nuit Blanche (site in French), or White Night, draws huge crowds with all-night access to galleries, museums, and cultural institutions.

More nighttime culture: St. Petersburg, Russia, hosts one of the most famous White Nights festivals, with six weeks of opera, singers, ballet, and music during the summer months, when the sky never grows completely dark. And San Antonio's annual Luminaria lights up a March night with free dance, art, music, theater, and street performances.

Desert after dark, near Scottsdale, Arizona

The desert comes alive after dark, but you need the right equipment to catch all the action. In the Sonoran Desert near Scottsdale, Arizona, Stellar Adventures leads three- to four-hour night-vision tours. The special goggles transform the dark desert into a veritable stage for nocturnal wildlife. Tours cost $150 and include hotel pick-up, snacks, and beverages.

More dark desert adventures: The Night Lights tour at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale offers visitors the chance to appreciate the desert jewel in a softer light. Tours run on select nights throughout the year and cost $35 per person. And for a nighttime desert adventure on a budget, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center in Ft. Davis, Texas, offers $5 Guided Flashlight Discovery Hikes on select summer Saturdays.

Bioluminescence in Vieques, Puerto Rico

For an unforgettable night out in Puerto Rico, head to the island of Vieques' Puerto Mosquito at dusk to witness the glowing waters. The bioluminescent bay is one of the few places in the world where a large concentration of microscopic organisms actually light up the water as you pass through it. To protect the fragile ecosystem, swimming isn't allowed, but kayak and boat tours provide the perfect way to experience the rare natural wonder.

More glowing bays: Puerto Rico also has two other bioluminescent bays: La Parguera in the southwest and Laguna Grande in Fajardo.

Stargazing on Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Wishing upon a single star is nice, but a nighttime trip to an observatory—where, on clear nights, you'll have thousands of stars to choose from—offers much better odds. The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station on Hawaii's Big Island is open to stargazers every night of the year from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The evening program includes a documentary screening, star tours of the brightest constellations, and plenty of chances for visitors to look through the telescopes.

More stargazing: Travelers who don't want to make the trip up the mountain on their own can join a tour such as Hawaii Forest & Trail's Mauna Kea Summit & Stars Adventure. The eight-hour tour includes transportation, a picnic dinner, all the cold-weather gear you'll need (temperatures on the mountain reach freezing at night), a telescope, and a knowledgeable guide for $192 per person.

WaterFire in Providence, Rhode Island

When fire meets water on warm nights in Providence, magic happens. Crowds begin gathering along the banks of Providence's three rivers before dusk to secure front-row seats to WaterFire, a spectacle of firetenders (torch bearers) slipping slowly downstream in boats, lighting each of more than 80 floating bonfires. Each performance has its own soundtrack that is selected by Barnaby Evans, the artist responsible for the event. WaterFire events usually occur on Saturday evenings between late May and early October.

More fire on water: Since 2007, Kansas City has held WaterFire on Brush Creek. And WaterFire Columbus brings music, fire, and food to downtown Columbus from June through October.

Night markets in Taiwan

Night markets may have gotten their start in small villages—where farmers would gather when traveling salesmen came to town—but these days the phenomenon has an authentically urban vibe. Taiwan has some of the world's most vibrant night markets—after-dark minicities where locals and tourists flock to eat and shop. Shihlin is one of the country's most famous and popular markets, and is the place to go for signature dishes like oyster omelets, stinky tofu, and pearl milk tea.

More night markets: Night markets in North America tend to be seasonal, running throughout summer and into fall. Find thriving night markets in Philadelphia (locations change), in Richmond (near Vancouver), and in Chinatown in San Francisco.

Moonlight Tour in Yosemite Valley, CA

The rise of the full moon signals the start of the Yosemite Valley Moonlight Tour, which is offered on five nights around the full moon during late spring, summer, and early fall each year. The two-hour tram tour reveals the softly lit side of Yosemite's most beloved landmarks, including Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. Plus, it's a great way to outsmart the crowds that clog valley roads during the day.

More nights out in national parks: San Francisco's Alcatraz is a very different sort of national park, but it also offers night tours, which take place Thursday through Monday throughout the year. The evening includes a ferry ride, a guided tour, and special presentations exclusive to night visits.

Famous Latin American Vacations

If you can’t visit Europe, it doesn’t mean you have to stay local for your holidays!

For those of you enjoying summer vacations, and for those us making plans for our vacation when winter ends, here is a great list of places to visit in Latin America.

Machu Picchu, Peru

The Empire of the Inca once ruled supreme across the inhospitable mountains of Peru. Remarkably, they constructed entire stone cities without the need for cement, and built sprawling networks of roads along the spine of the Andes which are still passable today. The most famous is the Camino del Inca, or the Inca Trail. Hire a guide to take you on the four-day journey from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, once a great mountain stronghold of the Inca. If the altitude gets to you, chew on some coca leaves (yes, it’s legal – no, it’s not cocaine) while you take in some of the most breathtaking vistas the Western Hemisphere has to offer. Passing through the Sun Gate as the morning fog slowly fades over the spectral city, long before the tour buses arrive from Cuzco, you might feel as though Machu Picchu has been waiting hundreds of years just for you.

Jau National Park, Brazil

Amazonia. Vast beyond comprehension, remote, and tragically delicate. Spanning Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana, the Amazon is one of the last frontiers, and it’s disappearing at a staggering rate. There are many points of entry to the region, and one of the best is located near Manaus in Brazil’s Amazonas state. Follow a straight-line road 200 km to Jau National Park, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tropical, constantly wet (it IS a rain forest) and home to myriad species of dolphins, fish, birds, crocodiles, turtles, monkeys, jaguars, tapirs and insects, the park can be explored by boat for the adventurous or by foot for the suicidal. Fall asleep in a hammock to the calls of the wild, and be grateful to have glimpsed the splendor of this ecological treasure before it’s gone forever.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The Galapagos archipelago was claimed by the newly-independent Republic of Ecuador in 1832. Three years later, some egghead named Darwin visited the islands and came up with some universally popular scientific theories. Come to the Galapagos and it’s easy to see why he chose this spot. Giant tortoises, sea lions, penguins, albatrosses and countless other species rarely seen anywhere else can all be witness in this relatively small 19-island chain. Arrange your trip early, as restrictions to the delicate biosphere are understandably tight. And make sure you spend a few days there to help the local economy.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tango, Madonna and escaped Nazis. That’s the extent of most people’s knowledge of this sprawling Argentine metropolis. Nevermind the quintessentially European feel of the place, it’s affordability, its world-class restaurants, its nightlife, its wine, its art. Nevermind the flourishing rock/hip-hop music scene, the internationally-renowned fashion industry or the cultural diversity born from being the capital of a nation of immigrants. Nevermind that you can fly there directly from the U.S., Europe and Australia for a reasonable price. Madonna? Who’s that?

Torres del Paine, Chile

At the southern tip of the New World lies Torres del Paine National Park, in Patagonian Chile. Visiting here might leave you with the impression that you have reached the end of the earth, and that you’d be crazy to go one step further for fear of falling into some infinite abyss. In other words, it be way down there. The park is home to lakes, vast glaciers and mountains massive and sheer. It’s certainly a must-do for the outdoorsman, but it offers something else, not easily explained in a travel brochure. Somewhere between the deafening silence in the air, the mighty rocks crowned with mist and snow, and the eternal and inexorable march of the glacial ice, you will feel as though you have borne witness to the dawn of creation itself, and it’s extraordinary.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Founded in the 16th Century as a fortification against French pirates stalking the Portuguese trade routes, Rio has become one of those places whose very name conjures images of steamy tropical nights, sensual Latin rhythms and beautiful, scantily-clad women. And that’s pretty accurate. Take in the Carnival atmosphere of the “cidade maravilhosa” along Impanema or Copacabana beach, or a panoramic flight around Sugarloaf Mountain in a helicopter (well worth it). Sadly, Rio does have a reputation for crime, and you should take certain precautions while visiting, but don’t let it keep you away.

Jalisco state, Mexico

If there is such thing as a perfect climate, you’ll likely find it in Jalisco. Most come to Jalisco for the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, and it is undoubtedly a beautiful place. But if that’s not your thing, stay in the historic center of Guadalajara for some great food, music and museums – Old Mexico at its finest. Or tour the Jose Cuervo distillery for some free samples. You can also find less-crowded beaches like Barra de Navidad, La Manzanilla or San Patricio. Jalisco has much to offer, and you could easily spend weeks wandering around without even leaving the state

Bocas del Toro, Panama

If you’re like me and passionately detest the hordes of tourists one associates with Costa Rica or other destinations, Panama might be a great alternative for you. Bocas del Toro is a small archipelago on the country’s western coast. Remote and difficult to access even today, the region’s indigenous and West African cultures have flourished over the centuries, and one usually hears more English or Creole than Spanish here. Check out nearby Red Frog beach for a quiet getaway, or take in some great snorkling in the reefs. Stay too long, and you’re likely to stay for good.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The world’s largest salt flat is located in Bolivia, and it offers one of the most unique landscapes on the planet. The Salar de Uyuni covers over 12,000 sq km, and the salt is over 10 meters thick in the center, creating in effect a salt tundra. In summer, the salt planes are a completely flat and bone-dry expanse, but in the wet season, it is covered with a thin sheet of water that is still drivable. Rent a land rover for a camping trip, or stay in a hotel that’s completely made of salt! Definitely for the more seasoned trekker, but a truly unforgettable experience. You’ll probably never walk on the moon, but in Uyuni, you’ll come pretty close.

Peten Region, Guatemala

Take one of the direct international flights into Flores to explore this wondrous region. From the cobblestone streets of colonial Flores to the imposing Mayan ruins of Tikal, Peten offers an affordable and safe alternative for visitors to Guatemala. On a steamy summer day, you can dip into the cool waters of Lake Peten Itza or tour the caves of Ak’tun Kan. And make sure you take away some of the great local habanero chile salsa, unless you’re just too afraid of it.