Desert landscape is much more than sun, sand, heat, and stones. Here is a list of some of the planet’s most fascinating desert landscapes that highlight rock formations, towering sand dunes, extra-terrestrial-looking terrain, and ice.
Sahara Desert, Africa
It’s the largest traditional hot desert in the world with an area of 3.6 million square miles. The Sahara Desert is spread across North Africa and has some dunes as high as 590 feet. Sahara predominantly includes stone plateaus and seas of sand that are sand dunes where the wind can blow you away given the enormity of these dunes.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Located in the Andes Mountain range of Bolivia, Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat desert. It is established that a prehistoric Salt Lake dried up a long time ago leaving behind a 4,086-square-mile flat that is covered with blanched white salt and a thin layer of water specifically during the rainy season. This flat area is also known as the world’s largest mirror as the top layer creates a perfect mirror effect.
The Wave, Arizona
Situated in the north section of the Coyote Buttes in Arizona, in between Paria Canyon and Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, the Wave's crisscrossing trenches created a rippling and hypnotic pattern. This spectacular sandstone rock formation is a photographer’s delight and is visited by enthusiasts from around the world throughout the year.
The Mojave Desert, USA
Spread across California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, the Mojave Desert is spread across 25,000 square miles. Considered as the driest desert in North America, the Mojave Desert is known for one of its few plantations, the Joshua tree which is native to the area and doesn’t grow anywhere else. You will see orange and red hues across the desert due to the rock formations. There are salt pans, valleys, and basins across the Mojave.
Namib, Namibia
Considered the oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert is spread across 1200 miles in the coastal area of southern Africa. It has some of the largest dunes on the planet with some soaring over 980 feet and the sand seas have colourful orange and pink dunes. This makes Namib one of the most picturesque deserts in the world.
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
Located in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico, White Sands National Monument is spread across 275 square miles and is an enormous sea of snow-white gypsum sand dunes. White Sands has the world’s largest on the surface gypsum deposits which was probably created when millions of years ago a shallow sea waned.
Deserts are much more than baren landmass, visit to witness the spectacle.
