14 real places that look like alien planets on Earth
Which places on Earth look like alien planets? Explore 15 real landscapes where Earth feels like another world - from pink lakes to burning craters and more.
1. Danakil Depression, Ethiopia - “Earth’s Hottest Place”
Located below sea level, with lakes of acid, boiling hot springs, and salt plains, the Danakil Depression reaches temperatures over 45°C. It’s one of the most Mars-like terrains on Earth.
2. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia - “Mirror of the Sky”
Spreading over 10,000 square kilometres, this massive salt flat turns into a mirror when it rains, perfectly reflecting the sky. NASA uses it to calibrate satellites.
3. Wadi Rum, Jordan — “Mars on Earth”
Known for its red dunes and sandstone cliffs, Wadi Rum has been used as a film location for The Martian. The terrain resembles Mars more closely than any other desert.
4. Socotra Island, Yemen - “The Alien Island”
Home to Dragon’s Blood Trees with red sap and unique umbrella shapes, over one-third of its plant life is found nowhere else on Earth.
5. Lake Hillier, Australia - “The Pink Lake”
The bubblegum-pink colour of this salt lake comes from harmless microalgae. Surrounded by forest and sea, it looks entirely otherworldly.
6. Pamukkale, Turkey - “The Cotton Castle”
White terraces formed by mineral-rich hot springs cover the hillside, filled with turquoise blue water. It looks like a frozen fantasy world.
7. Zhangjiajie National Forest, China - “Floating Mountains of Avatar”
This forest is famous for its towering sandstone pillars, some over 1,000 metres tall. These peaks inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in the movie Avatar.
8. The Wave, Arizona, USA - “Nature’s Sandstone Art”
Found in the Arizona desert, the Wave features smooth, rippling rocks with orange and red stripes shaped by centuries of wind erosion. Only 20 visitors are allowed daily to protect it.
9. Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar - “The Stone Forest”
Sharp limestone spires rise hundreds of feet, forming a maze-like stone forest that looks like a jagged alien city. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.
10. Mount Roraima, Venezuela - “The Lost World Mountain”
This flat-topped mountain appears to rise directly from the clouds, surrounded by waterfalls and rare ecosystems. It inspired The Lost World novel.
11. The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan - “The Eternal Fire Crater”
A 70-metre-wide crater has burned constantly since 1971 when gas drilling ignited it. Its glowing pit of fire is visible for miles.
12. Bryce Canyon, USA - “Rock Spires Like Sculpture”
Bryce Canyon in Utah is filled with orange-red columns called hoodoos created by frost and erosion, resembling an alien city.
13. Dallol, Ethiopia - “Neon Planet of Colours”
One of the world’s most colourful geothermal areas, with neon yellows, acid pools, and salt chimneys. It’s one of Earth’s strangest active volcanic fields.
14. Vatnajökull Glacier Caves, Iceland - “The Blue Ice World”
Beneath Iceland’s largest glacier lie glowing blue ice caves that look like frozen alien tunnels. The light filters through compact ice, giving it an ethereal glow.
)
)
)
)
)