The spectacular ice caves in the Skaftafell area of Vatnajökull National Park are located on the frozen lagoon of the Svínafellsjökull glacier. Though looking like something from a fairy tale (Frozen, anybody?), they are actually formed by the glacier meeting the Icelandic coast - the weight of the centuries-old ice has compressed out any air bubbles, creating a formation with brilliant colours and otherworldly textures. The unstable ice caves can be seen under certain conditions, but their crystalline blue in the winter is beautiful and otherworldly to behold.
22. Cenote Ik Kil On The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
A few miles away from the awe-inspiring Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, this well-known Yucatan cenote - Mayan for "sacred well" is a stunningly blue, crystal-clear 130-feet pool, 85 feet below the Earth's surface. Revered by the Mayans as a major source of fresh water, these pools were also said to have curative elements and were considered portals to communicate with the gods (communication that also included human sacrifices, incidentally). Cenotes are essentially sinkholes formed from the peninsulas porous limestone; rainfall ate away at the limestone to form caves that filled with water, collapsing to form cenotes. While the Yucatan Peninsula is home to thousands of gorgeous cenotes worth visiting, Ik Kil is one of the most popular for swimming and diving (beware of large crowds), presumably for the waterfalls and lush greenery that adorns the rocky walls of this mystical sacred pool.
Canadian student. Spends probably an unhealthy amount of time enthusing over musicals, unpopular TV shows, and Harry Potter. Main life goal: to become fluent in Elvish.
