Places Edited by Gemma Tarlach

On the side of Highway 50 East, between Carson City and Dayton, Nevada, sits a giant metal spider made from a vintage Volkswagen Beetle.

A monument to placate the spirits of an ancient forest.

A colony of Mexican free-tailed bats live under the bridge and take flight at sundown all summer long.

The United States' only educational center specializing in disease vectors and mosquitoes.

A small sculpture that pays homage to the famous bronze ear of Ca de l'Oreggia—or does it?

Hundreds of fiberglass structures line the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

A peninsula on a peninsula that becomes an island at high tide.

One of the oldest Rolls-Royce automobiles in existence, this vehicle was once driven by Henry Royce himself.

A ghostly mansion in the middle of downtown Tunis.

Legend holds that a tortoise turned itself into this island to save two shipwrecked sailors.

According to Greek mythology, this natural spring is the home of a freshwater nymph.

The ruins in this village were caused by something more sinister than neglect.

This impressive Gothic church dates back to 1244 and stands on the site of one of the first churches in Scotland.

This work of art is considered the world's longest mosaic.

Saint Borromeo often prayed in this austere crypt during the 16th century.

Homesick Syrian refugees head to this restaurant for a taste of Damascus.

Come for the whole sides of slow-roasted lamb, stay for the regional Kurdish specialties.

Step aboard the first ship to circumnavigate North America.

Wash down heaping platters of meze with raki at one of the city's best taverns.

A monumental toilet that is also host to rare plants.

The best collection of Mudéjar building replicas gathered in a theme park in Olmedo.

Said to be the largest synagogue built in India.

Depending on how it is measured, this lighthouse can claim to be the tallest in Europe and the tallest conventional lighthouse in the world.

Beneath an ancient wishing tree lies an underground chapel with 12th-century frescoes and catacombs dedicated to a lady saint.