Our world is truly amazing, with its enormous glaciers, breathtaking mountains, and plains populated with wild creatures. In fact, it can seem impossible to choose where to travel to next when contemplating the most stunning locations on earth. The Southeast Asian islands? The Middle East’s deserts? What about all the wonderful places to visit right here in the United States?

While listing all of Mother Nature’s masterpieces would take a lifetime, we believe that these 51 incredible locations—from Antarctica to Zimbabwe—need to be at the top of your bucket list. You’re sure to find your new favorite place below, whether you’re looking for beaches, forests, or national parks. 

The Azores, Portugal

This Portuguese archipelago, located some 900 miles off the coast of Lisbon, may pique travel fever with just one image. The Azores are a place worth seeing because of their lush valleys, sheer oceanside cliffs, rows of blue hydrangeas, and scattered waterfalls. Just be sure to go before everyone else you know does.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Because it is an old stratovolcano that is not a part of any mountain group, Africa’s highest peak appears to be more impressive than many other well-known mountains. That makes the 19,000-foot summit a mirage-like blip on Tanzania’s varied topography, dropping down to huge, flat plains on all sides. The peak’s lack of technical mountaineering requirements means that even inexperienced hikers can tick it off their bucket list.

Wulingyuan Scenic Area, China

In this case, “scenic” might be an understatement: Thousands of sandstone pillars make up this 100-square-mile tourist destination in China’s Hunan Province. Some of them even reach heights greater than the midpoint of the Empire State Building.