a cowgirl on horseback next to a saguaro cactus
chair lifts at Killington, Vermont
the Concord Waterfalls, Grenada, West Indies
a jungle cave in the toledo district of Belize
a whale swimming under an iceberg near Newfoundland, Canada
an Atlantic puffin flying over the northern tip of Grimsey, the northernmost point in Iceland
houses clinging to the side of a cliff in Cuenca, Spain
a boat crossing the world's strongest tidal current at Saltstraumen, Norway
fishing boats on the South China Sea
A snowboarder on Mont Blanc
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Tucson, ArizonaThis list was first published in the book World's Best Travel Experiences.

A seeming paradise that claims to have 350 sunny days a year, Tucson boasts geological beauty and hiking so fantastic that visitors can be lull...

Photograph by Greg McCown, National Geographic

Top 10 Extreme Environments

Be inspired anew at the world’s most intense places—and at your own strength in discovering them.

December 15, 2014
  • National Geographic Expeditions
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