The best nature destinations
219 places we'd send a nature-first traveler, from household names to under-the-radar picks.
Acadia National Park, USAGranite coast and blazing maples in crisp Atlantic autumn
Aitutaki, Cook IslandsOne of the Pacific's bluest lagoons, best in dry-season winter
Almaty, KazakhstanBig-mountain backdrop, Silk Road bazaars, cheap alpine skiing
Alofi, NiueSnorkel with whales over coral chasms on the tiny rock island
AlUla, Saudi ArabiaNabataean tombs at Hegra, cool desert nights October to March
Amalfi Coast, ItalyCliffside lemon villages over blue sea, dreamiest in early summer
Andasibe, MadagascarIndri calls at dawn in eastern rainforest, spring lemur season
Andermatt, SwitzerlandUncrowded alpine skiing in winter, high-pass hiking in summer
Annecy, FranceAlpine lake town of turquoise canals, swimmable by warm June
Apostle Islands, USASea-cave kayaking off Lake Superior cliffs in warm summer
Appenzell, SwitzerlandStorybook Swiss hills of painted houses, cowbells and alpine cheese
Arusha, TanzaniaSafari gateway: dry-season game drives, calving season in the south
Asheville, USABlue Ridge foliage and mountain breweries in golden fall
Aspen, USAChampagne powder in winter, wildflower peaks come August
Asturias, SpainGreen cliffs, cider houses, Spain's cool-summer coast
Aswan, EgyptNubian villages and felucca sails on the calm upper Nile
Atauro Island, Timor-LesteOne of Earth's richest reefs off a sleepy island, dry-season diving
Bacalar, MexicoSeven-shade freshwater lagoon at its clearest in winter dry season
Bandar Seri Begawan, BruneiGold-domed mosques and the world's largest stilt village, dry months
Bandhavgarh, IndiaDense Bengal-tiger jungle, prime dry-season big-cat sightings
Bandipur, NepalCar-free Newari hilltop town with Himalaya views, autumn clear
Banff, CanadaTurquoise glacial lakes and peak trails in short alpine summer
Banos, EcuadorWaterfall gorge and canyon swings under drier autumn skies
Barichara, ColombiaColombia's prettiest stone village, golden in the December dry
Bariloche, ArgentinaAndean lakes town for winter skiing and summer trail days
Barreal, ArgentinaAndes foothills with some of Earth's clearest stargazing skies
Batanes, PhilippinesIvatan stone villages on green cliffs, clearest before the storms
Bergen, NorwayFjord gateway of wooden wharves, best in long dry summer light
Big Bend National Park, USAStar-filled desert canyons and Rio Grande hikes, winter-cool
Big Sur, USACliff-hugging Highway 1 and redwood coves, clear golden autumn
Bocas del Toro, PanamaCaribbean archipelago of stilt bungalows, driest in February
Bonaire, Caribbean NetherlandsShore diving on pristine reefs, below the hurricane belt
Boquete, PanamaCloud-forest coffee highlands and quetzals in the dry-season hills
Bora Bora, French PolynesiaOverwater lagoon blues in the cooler, dry June-to-October window
Bornholm, DenmarkBaltic sun island of smokehouses and cliffs, quiet before peak summer
Bozjyra, KazakhstanChalk spires above the Ustyurt desert, spring and autumn 4x4 country
Brașov, RomaniaSaxon square below Carpathian peaks, Dracula's castle nearby
Breuil-Cervinia, ItalyLong Matterhorn runs into Switzerland, reliable deep-winter snow
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, UgandaMountain-gorilla treks through misted equatorial rainforest
Cafayate, ArgentinaHigh-desert Torrontes wine country, harvest February to April
Cairns, AustraliaDry-season reef trips with clear water and no summer stingers
Cameron Highlands, MalaysiaCool tea terraces and strawberry farms above the tropical heat
Camiguin, PhilippinesVolcano isle of waterfalls and hot springs, calm dry-season dives
Cape Town, South AfricaTable Mountain hikes and Cape beaches in dry southern summer
Castro, ChileChiloe's stilt houses and wooden churches, warmest in austral summer
Catalina Island, USAArt Deco Casino above a yacht harbor, sunny SoCal summer swims
Chengdu, ChinaPanda nurseries and numbing hotpot, teahouse afternoons in mild seasons
Chiang Rai, ThailandWhite Temple and misty hill tribes in cool, dry northern winter
Chobe, BotswanaDry-season elephant herds massing along the Chobe riverfront
Churchill, CanadaTundra polar bears at the ice edge in crisp late-autumn
Cinque Terre, ItalyFive cliff villages linked by sea trails, best in calm September
Colchagua Valley, ChileCarmenere wine country at harvest during the March vendimia
Con Dao, VietnamEmpty islands of turtle nesting and reefs, calm seas in dry months
Cortina d'Ampezzo, ItalyDolomite peaks, ski culture in winter, via ferrata in summer
Cumberland Island, USAWild horses on empty dune beaches, mild and bug-free spring
Dades Valley, MoroccoSwitchback gorge road and rose valley, spring-green oases
Damaraland, NamibiaDesert-adapted elephants and ancient rock art in stark red hills
Deer Valley, USAGroomed Wasatch bowls and ski-in luxury, deep January powder
Dingle, IrelandWild Atlantic peninsula: fishing pubs, trad music, empty headlands
DominicaRainforest waterfalls and boiling lakes on the nature island
Douro Valley, PortugalTerraced wine country cruised by river, golden at September harvest
El Chalten, ArgentinaArgentina's trekking capital under Fitz Roy, austral summer
El Nido, PhilippinesBacuit Bay's limestone lagoons by boat, dry and calm in high season
Ella, Sri LankaHill-country tea trails and the Nine Arches Bridge in clear season
Espiritu Santo, VanuatuBlue holes, WWII wrecks and Champagne Beach in the dry season
Exmouth, AustraliaSwim beside whale sharks off the reef in autumn's clear water
Freiburg, GermanySunny university town at the Black Forest's edge, trails and cuckoo clocks
Freycinet, AustraliaWineglass Bay hikes and oyster farms in warm, dry Tasmanian summer
Fuvahmulah, MaldivesA one-island atoll where tiger sharks patrol the dry-season blue
Galapagos, EcuadorSnorkel with sea lions in the warm-water season, January to June
Göreme, TurkeyFairy-chimney valleys and dawn balloon flights over Cappadocia
GrenadaSpice markets and rainforest falls on the calm southern coast
Gros Morne National Park, CanadaFjord boat rides and tablelands geology in long summer light
Guatape, ColombiaClimb the monolith over a maze of lakes, sunniest in dry January
Ha Giang, VietnamMotorbike loop past limestone passes, golden rice in October
Haida Gwaii, CanadaTotem-pole rainforest and remote First Nations coast, summer
Hakone, JapanHot-spring ryokan and Mount Fuji views over Lake Ashi, clear autumn days
High Tatras, SlovakiaAlpine lakes and granite ridges, hiking summer or skiing winter
Hirosaki, JapanCastle moat buried in cherry petals, late-April bloom in the far north
Hood River, USAGorge windsurfing and orchard cider in bright river-valley summer
Hualien, TaiwanMarble cliffs of Taroko Gorge above a jade river, cooler autumn hikes
Ikara-Flinders Ranges, AustraliaAncient Wilpena amphitheatre and outback silence, mild-winter walks
Île de Ré, FranceAtlantic bike island of whitewashed villages, oysters and salt marshes
Inhotim, BrazilOpen-air art pavilions in tropical gardens, warm dry-winter strolls
Isle of Harris, ScotlandHebridean white-sand beaches and turquoise water, empty even in July
Isle of Skye, ScotlandCuillin ridges and sea cliffs under long Hebridean summer light
Jebel Akhdar, OmanTerraced rose farms and canyon rims, damask bloom in April
Jeju Island, South KoreaVolcanic craters and lava-tube coast, green tea fields and spring hikes
Kakadu, AustraliaAncient rock art and teeming wetlands, dry-season waterfall pools
Karakol, KyrgyzstanTrekking base by Issyk-Kul under snow peaks, alpine lakes in high summer
Kaş, TurkeyLycian coast diving and harbor tavernas on the turquoise sea
Kauai, USANa Pali cliffs and quiet beaches in dry shoulder-season sun
Kazbegi, GeorgiaHilltop Gergeti church under a glacier peak, green in summer
Khongoryn Els, MongoliaMongolia's singing sand dunes rising from the Gobi, camel treks in summer
Khorog, TajikistanPamir Highway town below the Roof of the World, brief summer overland
Koh Kood, ThailandThailand's last quiet island: jungle waterfalls, dry-season clarity
Koh Lanta, ThailandLong, laid-back Andaman sands, dry and swimmable in high season
Koh Rong Samloem, CambodiaWhite-sand Saracen Bay and bioluminescent nights, dry-season calm
Kotor, MontenegroFjord-like bay and ramparts up the mountain, warm in early autumn
Koyasan, JapanMountaintop monastery lodgings and lantern-lit Okunoin, autumn best
Kuching, MalaysiaBorneo's easy city: riverfront laksa and proboscis monkeys nearby
Labuan Bajo, IndonesiaGateway to Komodo dragons and Padar's ridgelines, dry-season seas
Laikipia, KenyaPrivate conservancies with rhino and wild dog, low-crowd safari
Lake Atitlan, GuatemalaVolcano-rimmed highland lake, clearest under winter dry skies
Lake Bled, SloveniaIsland church on a glacial lake below the Julian Alps, mirror-calm autumn
Lake Khovsgol, MongoliaDeep blue alpine lake ringed by taiga and reindeer herders, brief summer
Lapland, FinlandAurora season under glass igloos, deep-winter Arctic silence
Lauterbrunnen, SwitzerlandValley of 72 waterfalls under sheer Jungfrau cliffs, greenest in June
Leh, IndiaLadakh's high passes and Pangong blue, reachable only in summer
Lijiang, ChinaNaxi canal town under snow peaks, cobbled lanes and spring meadows
Lofoten Islands, NorwaySea-cliff fishing villages under midnight sun and summer hiking
Lord Howe Island, AustraliaCapped-visitor island: empty beaches and lagoon snorkeling in summer
Luang Namtha, LaosJungle treks to hill-tribe villages, cool and dry in the north
Lucerne, SwitzerlandLakeside old town of painted facades below snow-dusted peaks
Maasai Mara, KenyaWildebeest herds and big cats on golden Mara grassland
Mackinac Island, USACar-free Victorian island and fudge shops in bright summer
Majuli, IndiaThe Brahmaputra's river island of monasteries, dry-season calm
Marfa, USAMinimalist art in the desert and eerie night lights, cool fall
Margaret River, AustraliaSurf breaks and cellar-door wineries, sunny southern-autumn harvest
MauritiusLagoon reefs and volcanic peaks, dry cool-season snorkeling
Mendocino, USAFoggy headlands and redwood coast in warm Indian-summer light
Mendoza, ArgentinaMalbec vineyards under the Andes, grape harvest March to April
Menorca, SpainMallorca's calm sister: hidden calas of turquoise water, quiet in July
Merzouga, MoroccoErg Chebbi dune camps, cool nights under Saharan stars
Messinia, GreeceVoidokilia's crescent bay and Pylos ruins, golden Peloponnese summer
Miches, Dominican RepublicQuiet palm coastline and eco-lodges, dry sunny Caribbean winter
Milford Sound, New ZealandCliff-face waterfalls thundering after summer rain in the fjord
Møn, DenmarkChalk cliffs and dark-sky beaches, long light Baltic summer
Moorea, French PolynesiaJagged green peaks and stingray shallows in dry-season calm
Munnar, IndiaRolling tea hills of the Western Ghats, misty post-monsoon green
Musandam, OmanDhow cruises through Arabia's fjords, dolphin-run winter waters
Nevis, St. Kitts and NevisPlantation inns and a rainforest volcano in quiet winter calm
Ngorongoro Crater, TanzaniaA collapsed-caldera floor packed with big game, dry-season clarity
Nida, LithuaniaSand-dune spit between lagoon and sea, still and warm in summer
Ninh Binh, VietnamKarst towers over rice-boat rivers, green and gold by late spring
Nong Khiaw, LaosRiver town under karst cliffs, dry-season viewpoints at dawn
Nyungwe Forest, RwandaCanopy walks and chimp treks in montane rainforest, dry trails
Ohrid, North MacedoniaAncient lakeside churches and clear swims, mellow before peak
Okavango Delta, BotswanaFlood-season waterways and dry-season wildlife, safari at its peak
Olympic National Park, USARainforest, glaciers, and wild coast in dry high summer
Ometepe, NicaraguaTwin-volcano island rising from a lake, hikeable in the dry season
Osa Peninsula, Costa RicaCorcovado rainforest and empty beaches, wildlife-rich dry season
Oulu, FinlandNorthern lights over the Arctic coast without Lapland prices
Paro, BhutanTiger's Nest clings to a cliff, best in clear spring and autumn
Perhentian Islands, MalaysiaTurtle snorkeling off clear sands, open only outside the monsoon
Pokhara, NepalAnnapurna reflected in Phewa Lake, clearest after the monsoon
Portland, USAFood-cart rows and forest parks, rose-bloom early-summer days
Prince Edward County, CanadaSandbanks dunes and family wineries, warm Ontario harvest autumn
Prince Edward Island, CanadaRed-cliff coast and lobster suppers in soft island summer
Queenstown, New ZealandSouthern Alps powder and lakeside apres in deep winter
Raja Ampat, IndonesiaEarth's richest reefs and karst lagoons, calmest October to April
Rarotonga, Cook IslandsLagoon-ringed island on scooter time in the dry winter months
RéunionVolcano hikes and forested cirques, clear cool dry-season trails
Rock Islands, PalauKayak jade islets and jellyfish lakes in dry-season clarity
Ronda, SpainWhite town split by a gorge, bridge over a 100m Andalusian drop
Rügen, GermanyWhite chalk cliffs and Baltic resort piers in bright summer
Saba, Caribbean NetherlandsCloud-forest volcano and world-class wall dives, winter-dry
Sabi Sands, South AfricaLeopard-dense private reserve by Kruger, dry-season game drives
Salalah, OmanMonsoon-green hills and waterfalls during the July khareef
Salar de Uyuni, BoliviaRainy-season floods turn the salt flat into a vast sky mirror
Salento, ColombiaWax-palm cloud forest and coffee fincas, greenest in dry January
San Cristobal de las Casas, MexicoHighland Maya markets and cool pine air in the dry winter months
San Pedro de Atacama, ChileDriest desert on earth, geysers and clear stargazing skies
Sancerre, FranceHilltop Loire vineyards, harvest season tastings
Sanibel Island, USAShell-strewn Gulf beaches and refuge trails, calm sunny winter
São Miguel, AzoresMid-Atlantic volcano island: crater lakes, hot springs and whales
Sao Tome, Sao Tome and PrincipeCocoa plantations and empty jungle beaches on the equator
Sardinia, ItalyTurquoise coves and nuraghe ruins, warm swimmable early-autumn sea
Sedona, USARed-rock canyon hikes and vortex trails in spring-cool air
Serengeti, TanzaniaGreat-migration river crossings across the northern plains
Siquijor, PhilippinesFolklore island of waterfalls and white sand, driest in spring
Siwa Oasis, EgyptSalt lakes and palm springs in a remote Berber oasis
Snowdonia, WalesWales's rugged peaks: rack railway to the summit, valleys of slate
Soča Valley, SloveniaElectric-blue river rafting and alpine trails in high summer
Sokcho, South KoreaGranite peaks of Seoraksan ablaze with foliage, seafood port below
Song-Kol, KyrgyzstanHigh nomad pastures and yurt stays around a silent alpine lake, July only
Sossusvlei, NamibiaRust-red dunes and cracked white pans, cool clear-sky mornings
South Luangwa, ZambiaWalking safaris and leopard sightings in the dry-season bush
Spiti Valley, IndiaHigh-desert Himalaya and cliff monasteries, open only in summer
St Davids, WalesBritain's tiniest city on a wild coast path of cliffs and seals
St. John, U.S. Virgin IslandsTwo-thirds parkland, snorkel coves and hills in winter dry
Suchitoto, El SalvadorCobblestoned indigo town above a birding lake, best in dry winter
Tana Toraja, IndonesiaCliff graves and boat-roof houses, funeral season in the dry months
Telluride, USABox-canyon powder in winter, alpine wildflowers come July
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, USAPainted badlands and wild bison, cool golden autumn drives
Tipperary, IrelandRock of Cashel above green valleys, soft-lit spring hikes
Tofino, CanadaSurf breaks and old-growth rainforest on the wild Pacific edge
Torres del Paine, ChileGranite towers and glaciers on the classic W trek, austral summer
Tozeur, TunisiaDate-palm oasis and film-set dunes on the Sahara's edge
Træna, NorwayArctic-circle fishing isles and sea caves, midnight-sun summer
Trincomalee, Sri LankaEast-coast whale runs and Nilaveli sand at their calm summer best
Tromsø, NorwayAurora nights and dog-sled Arctic silence deep in polar winter
Ubud, IndonesiaBali's temple-and-terrace heart, greenest in the April-to-October dry
Uluru, AustraliaRed-centre sunrises and cool desert hikes in winter dry season
Umbria, ItalyTuscany's quieter neighbor: hill towns, truffles, no crowds
Upolu, SamoaSwim the To Sua ocean trench and waterfalls in dry-season sun
Ushuaia, ArgentinaThe end of the world, Beagle Channel cruises in austral summer
Val Gardena, ItalyDolomite valley of jagged peaks, meadows in summer, powder in winter
Varkala, IndiaRed laterite cliffs over Kerala's Arabian Sea, dry-season sunsets
Vava'u, TongaSwim alongside humpback whales in the July-to-October season
Victoria Falls, ZambiaFull-thunder falls after the rains, spray visible for miles
Vieques, Puerto RicoGlowing bioluminescent bay and wild horses, dry-season nights
Volcanoes National Park, RwandaGorilla families on green Virunga slopes, drier trekking months
Wachau Valley, AustriaDanube wine valley of terraced vineyards and abbeys, gold at harvest
Wadi Rum, JordanMars-red desert camps, canyon hikes in shoulder-season cool
Waiheke Island, New ZealandFerry-close vineyards and quiet beaches in peak summer
Wairarapa, New ZealandMartinborough pinot cellars and dark-sky nights, golden-vine autumn
Wanaka, New ZealandThat lone lake tree and Roys Peak trails in long summer light
White Desert, EgyptWind-carved chalk formations glowing under desert stars
Yakushima, JapanMoss-draped rainforest and thousand-year cedars, misty spring hikes
Yangshuo, ChinaKarst peaks along the Li River, misty bamboo rafts in spring and autumn
Yasawa Islands, FijiBarefoot island-hopping and cave swims in Fiji's dry season
Yellowstone National Park, USAGeysers and bison herds across wide-open summer highlands
Yosemite National Park, USAThundering spring waterfalls under granite domes, before crowds
Zagori, GreeceStone-arch bridges and Vikos Gorge hikes in wildflower autumn
Zakopane, PolandTatra ski slopes and highlander cheese huts, snow-sure in winter
Zhangjiajie, ChinaSandstone spires wreathed in cloud, glass walkways above misty gorges
Zhangye, ChinaRainbow-striped Danxia hills glowing at sunset, dry summer light best
Ziro, IndiaApatani rice terraces and a September indie-music festival