Places From the Backwoods Wants to Go

This tumultuous Icelandic lava field looks so alien European researchers want to use it as a stand-in for Mars.

A sulfuric martian landscape that looks far better than it smells.

Strange rock formations tower above the river that snakes through this enchanting Icelandic canyon.

Three columns of volcanic rock shoot out of the ocean.

If a glacial river suddenly diving into a sheer chasm via a dramatic, multi-stage waterfall isn't peak Iceland, it's certainly close.

These ominous lava formations were said to be an entrance to the netherworld so of course they inspired a famous metal band.

This valley of hot springs and boiling mud pots is home to the record-holding "Geysir," which originated the English word.

This elegant arc of a waterfall marks a religious turning point.

This eye-popping Icelandic crater lake is surrounded by red volcanic rock.

Walk in the footsteps of the gods and straddle two tectonic plates.

One of the tallest buildings in Iceland, and perhaps, the most visually impressive.

This fantastical waterfall is hidden in a cave located in a cracked cliff.

Rising from the sea like a stone monster.

Medicinal spa created from the mineral-rich runoff of a geothermal power plant

An imposing Omani fortress surrounded by date palm trees.

This mysterious abandoned fort looks like something pulled right from Arabian legend.

A town church once nearly submerged by the damming of a river is now hauntingly visible as the water recedes.

Rome's ancient Etruscan rival, now a park full of ruins.

Groups of prehistoric tombs that dot the mountains of northern Oman.

This iconic fortress was once the crown jewel of Haiti's national defense.

This crumbling medieval basilica once attracted pilgrims by the thousands to collect a miraculous dust that formed above the saint's tomb.

The original resting place of Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony's only daughter.

A sprawling ancient Jewish cemetery with over 30 rock-hewn burial caves.

Preserved Inca city and site of the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish conquistadors.