Thirsty for colors. Top 11 Most Unusual Deserts on the Planet

Endless sands, a debilitating heat, occasionally running through lizards, branches of trees carried by the wind, and dry plants are typical for these places. What interesting things you can see in a desert? Indeed, many tourists associate it with a complete absence of life. However, some desert areas of the planet are able to surprise even the most experienced travelers. Sand dunes hide real natural treasures, including fabulous lakes and lagoons, wonderful oasis with exotic plants and stone sculptures. Nature has been working for thousands of years to create that. In some deserts of the planet, snow falls regularly, while others blossom in the literal sense and entice with their marvelous landscapes.

One of the most unusual deserts in the world is Lencois Maranhenses located in Brazil. This desert is located in the state of Maranhao. This place differs with an abundance of picturesque lagoons and ponds with crystal clear water. Rain falls here quite frequently. Water accumulates in cracks and bowls and forms a landscape of incredible beauty. Against the backdrop of snow-white sand dunes, lagoons and lakes of sky-blue color look just amazing. Many travelers come to these amazing places just to swim in the lake and sunbathe, lying on the soft white sand.

The best time to visit Lencois Maranhenses is spring. After the rainy season, the maximum number of reservoirs can be seen on its territory. The deepest lagoons and lakes are inhabited by fish, turtles, and mollusks. Small reservoirs dry up completely during the summer period. Amazing Lencois Maranhenses desert gave the name to the national park, which was founded in 1981. It occupies an area of ​​1 550 square km.

In addition to the fabulous lagoon, the desert is famous for its chic white sand dunes, which reach heights of 40 meters. It is surprising that at a fairly large amount of precipitation that falls over the year, Lencois Maranhenses Desert is almost completely devoid of the vegetation. Tourists are offered to take part in great tours along the desert; rides are typically off-road. During the tour, travelers certainly have an opportunity to see the endless desert, admire the pond with fish, and swim in the beautiful lagoon. Next - Black Desert

Black Desert, Egypt

In Egypt, travelers will have an opportunity to visit one of the most unusual sandy regions in the world, the Black Desert. It was forming through thousands of years by volcanic activity that took place in the area. Now, the desert is strewn with black stones of hardened lava. In some places, you can see majestic hills covered with black stones. Other parts are large plains with lands of orange to brown color. Complete article

Painted Desert, USA

A desert, which is able to impress with its unique appearance, can be found in the United States. The Painted Desert is located in Arizona. It owes its name to a special type of soil that forms an unusual landscape in this area. Over millions of years, the erosion has been actively proceeding in soil. That’s a reason why the ground acquired a variety of shades, from pale yellow to deep red. Complete article

Taklimakan Desert, China

One of the largest sandy deserts of the world is in China. Taklimakan occupies an area of ​​about 270 000 square km. The length of this desert is 1 000 km and a width is 400 km. However, this desert is attractive not only for its impressive scale, but also because of the incredible snowy landscape. Despite the arid climate, it sometimes snows in the desert. Golden dunes covered with dazzling white snow look just amazing. Complete article

Carcross Desert, Canada

The Carcross Desert, which is officially the smallest in the world, is situated in Canada, Yukon. Its area is only 2.6 square km. You can walk around the whole area of ​​the real desert in a couple of hours. Despite its modest scale, the Carcross Desert has all the features typical for larger deserts. Over millions of years, spectacular sand dunes formed under the influence of the dry climate and winds. The sparse vegetation conforms to generally accepted notions of the wilderness. Complete article

Desert Turrets, Australia

Australia is also famous for its variety of desert landscapes. One of the most unusual deserts of the continent is in the Nambung National Park. Here, in addition to traditional sand dunes you can see incredibly beautiful natural limestone sculptures that are heading in the sky for several meters. Desert Turrets attract tourists with these unusual formations. Researchers have found that the age of these limestone formations is more than 25 000 years. Complete article

White Sands National Monument, USA

In the United States, in the state of New Mexico, there is a wonderful desert with the romantic name, White Sands. This desert consists of gypsum that explains the incredibly beautiful white dunes. White Sands is the largest gypsum desert in the world, covering an area of ​​712 square km. Unlike many other places alike, the sand here is not hot, as it almost completely reflects the sun's light and heat. This desert owes its existence to the sea that once has been there about one hundred million years ago. Complete article

Simpson Desert, Australia

Sand dunes of red color can be seen in Australia, in the Simpson Desert. Still, it has lots of other amazing features. This Australian desert can boast the longest parallel sand dunes in the world. Among them, the Big Red is considered the most famous; its height is 40 meters. The Simpson Desert may seem absolutely lifeless only at a first glance. On its territory, you can see unique plants and rare species of animals. There are more than 180 bird species alone. Different kinds of lizards and marsupials also live in the wilderness. Complete article

Badain Jaran Dunes, China

Lots of interesting secrets are hidden in the Badain Jaran Desert in China. Only in this desert you can see the sand dunes, which reach a height of 500 meters. The place is characterized by constant and fairly strong winds, which create unique landscapes. Under the influence of the wind dunes emit a loud noise. Researchers informally call this the whistling sands. Complete article

Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan

Jordan can boast with the amazing desert of Wadi Rum that has gained international fame thanks to its unique Martian landscape. The area of ​​this stony desert is more than 740 square km. Famous contemporary films like Red Planet, Martian, Transformers, The Last Days on Mars, and others were shot there. While traveling through the desert, you can see a lot of incredible landscapes, including beautiful canyons and mountains. The highest among them is Jabal Umm Ad Dami. Complete article

Anza-Borrego Desert, USA

Anza-Borrego, which is also considered a landmark of world importance, is in the south of California. It gained its name in honor of the famous Spanish traveler and explorer, Juan Bautista de Anza. In 1933, the entire territory of the desert has been declared a national reserve. Its area is about 2 400 square km. Many travelers know the Anza-Borrego desert by its unofficial name, The Flowering Desert. Complete article