From the top of the world’s tallest building in Dubai to a brilliant sea of color around a Polish lake, explore these amazing locations in 2013’s top travel shots. Pomerania, Poland. Fall colors blaze out in concentric rings from a lake in eastern Pomerania, Poland. The region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea is largely covered with farmland—and vast swaths of forest.
Photograph by Kacper Kowalski, Panos Pictures
Blue Lagoon, Iceland.
Drinks blend with the landscape during a summer solstice midnight party in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. Marking the beginning of the season, the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, falling on June 20 or 21.
Photograph by Agnieszka Rayss, Anzenberger/Redux Metropol Parasol, Seville. The Metropol Parasol at the Plaza de la Encarnacíon in Seville, Spain, is the largest wooden structure in the world. Completed in 2011, the multifunctional landmark—home to a museum, restaurants and bars, and a farmers market—offers shade below and panoramic views from up top.
Photograph by Dorothea Schmid, laif/Redux
Lofoten Islands, Norway. The northern lights glow over the Lofoten Islands in this picture taken by Your Shot community member Kevin Gorton for our Travelogue assignment. “I shot this image of the aurora on my first trip to Arctic Norway in March 2013; a truly stunning place and the chance to see the aurora makes it irresistible,” he says. “Witnessing the aurora is so special and surreal.”
Photograph by Kevin Gorton, National Geographic Your Shot
Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Framed by the branches of baobab trees, safari jeeps stir up dust at sunset in northern Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park. Dry season in the thousand-square-mile park brings an array of wildlife—including dense elephant herds—drawn to the perennial Tarangire River.
Photograph by Ian Cumming, Corbis
Arctic Fox, Canada. Before dawn, a brilliant full moon illuminates the snowy landscape of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, home to an arctic fox. The fox’s coat changes color with the seasons; as the snow melts it begins to turn grayish brown.
Photograph by Norbert Rosing, National Geographic
Dead Sea, Israel. Swimmers float effortlessly in the salt-laden waters of the Dead Sea near Ein Bokek, Israel. Ten times saltier than seawater, the lake is extremely buoyant and a popular destination for holidaymakers. It’s also Earth’s lowest point on land.
Photograph by George Steinmetz, National Geographic
Colosseum, Rome. A rare snow shower falls on Rome’s Colosseum, built 2,000 years ago to host gladiator duels, battle reenactments, and other public spectacles. Today the 50,000-seat amphitheater serves Rome in another capacity: as a major tourist attraction.
Photograph by Gabriele Forzano, Reuters Niagara Falls, Canada. Water rushes over Horseshoe Falls, one of the three falls that make up world-famous Niagara Falls. The waterfalls straddle the border between Canada and the United States; Horseshoe is on the Canadian side, in the province of Ontario. Every 60 seconds, six million cubic feet of water rushes over the falls—enough water to fill a million bathtubs each minute.
Photograph by Chris Rainier, National Geographic
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona. The Wave is the most famous landform in Arizona’s Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, a little-known 300,000 acres of rugged terrain. Flash floods carved this passage through petrified sand dunes, exposing the iron-rich bands.
Photograph by Richard Barnes, National Geographic
Rio Celeste Waterfall, Tenorio Volcano National Park. A Celeste River waterfall plunges into a blue pool in Tenorio Volcano National Park, a verdant oasis in northern Costa Rica. The river’s blue hue comes from volcanic sulfur and calcium carbonate.
Photograph by Tobias Hauser, laif/Redux
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland.
The craggy Cliffs of Moher wrap around the western coast of County Clare, providing a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean. The rocky cliffs reach 702 feet at their highest point and stretch nearly five miles across.
Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul.
A vast suspension bridge crosses the Bosporus strait, connecting Asia and Europe in Istanbul, the cosmopolitan heart of Turkey—and the only city to span two continents. Aglow in the evening, a mosque in the Orkatoy neighborhood appears to anchor the European section of the city.
Photograph by Frank Heuer, laif/Redux Lake Mckenzie, Australia.
Sugar white sand and windowpane water attract sunbathers to Lake McKenzie, one of dozens of lakes on Fraser Island in Queensland. The island is a big sandbar, more than 75 miles long, with dunes that can top 800 feet.
Photograph by Peter Harrison, Getty Images Vancouver Island, Canada.
The coastal rain forests of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, cast a spell on a visitor. “In the winter, everything is so misty and ethereal it feels like you’re in a different world,” photographer Bronwyn Proven says. “The island is like fairy country. It lulls you with its beauty, and once you’ve spent a few winters, it’s almost impossible to leave.”
Photograph by Bronwyn Proven, Your Shot Lake Mývatn, Iceland.
“Pseudo craters” mark the land surrounding Lake Mývatn in Iceland. The southern part of the lake rests on a lava flow that was emitted 2,000 years ago. The pseudo craters are continually formed as water trapped beneath the Earth’s surface turns to steam and explodes through the layer above.
Photograph by Jonas Bendiksen, National Geographic Lake Turkana, Kenya. Men still fish with traditional handwoven nets along the shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya’s northwest corner. The largest desert lake in the world, Turkana is an important stopping ground for migratory birds, and a breeding spot for hippos and Nile crocodiles, among other animals.
Photograph by John Warburton-Lee Photography, Aurora
Chefchaouen, Morocco. A girl runs through the lanes of Chefchaouen, a city in northwestern Morocco that’s noted for its blue-washed buildings and homes. Situated at the tip of Morroco, Chefchaouen is a popular tourist destination, especially for Spaniards—who are just nine miles away.
Photograph by Sabino Parente, National Geographic Your Shot
Old Montreal
Photograph by Mathieu Dupuis, Your Shot
Snow quiets Rue St. Paul in Vieux Montreal, the oldest section of the Quebec city. Shops and restaurants line the road, much of which is still cobblestone. Teahupoo, Tahiti. “Anywhere far away from my job!” That was Pablo Cardemil’s response when we asked our Facebook fans to share their favorite summer destinations. So our editors chose a place that’s likely to be a good distance from your job—no matter where you work.
Photograph by Zak Noyle, ZUMA/Alamy
Lake Portage, Alaska. Skiers and their canine companion traverse Portage Lake in Chugach National Forest, Alaska. The lake abuts Portage Glacier and is a popular winter spot for skiing, hiking, and other icy activities.
Photograph by Doug Demarest, National Geographic
Deer Creek Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park. Most of the nearly five million people who visit Grand Canyon National Park each year simply take in the stunning views from the rim. The more adventurous descend the canyon and get up close to rock that dates back 1.8 billion years. Here, hikers traverse Deer Creek Trail, an overnight trip that’s one of the most popular routes in the park.
Photograph by Corey Rich, Aurora
Watatsumi Temple, Japan. A red torii welcomes the faithful to a Shinto shrine in Otsuchi, Iwate, Japan. The town was devastated by the March 2011 tsunami; most of its fishing fleet was wiped out. The shrine, dedicated to the town’s fishermen, was rebuilt after the deadly event.
Photograph by Xu Xiaolin, laif/Redux
Crater Lake, Oregon.
A hiker in Crater Lake National Park looks out over the park’s deep blue namesake. Thanks to some of the cleanest air in the U.S., visitors can see more than a hundred miles from points along many of the park’s 90 miles of trails. The lake itself is 21 square miles of water so intensely blue it looks like ink.
Photograph by Justin Bailie, Aurora
