Mathias Van de Velde's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Mathias Van de Velde's activity rankings
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Places visited in Palenque, Mexico
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Places edited in Cancún, Mexico
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Places visited in Beveren, Belgium
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Places visited in Villahermosa, Mexico
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Places edited in Valladolid, Mexico
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Places edited in Baker, California
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Places visited in Valladolid, Mexico
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Places edited in Leuven, Belgium
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Places visited in Mérida, Mexico
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Yemen

Socotra Island

The most alien-looking place on Earth.
Uvita, Costa Rica

Punta Uvita Tombolo

Along a coast that sees the annual migration of humpback whales, a geological formation that takes the shape of a whale’s tail.
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

Yicel Shipwreck

An intentionally grounded cargo ship remains half-buried in the sand.
Monteverde, Costa Rica

Reserva Curi Cancha

This wildlife refuge is home to more than 200 species of birds, as well as monkeys, lizards, and other wildlife.
La Fortuna, Costa Rica

La Fortuna Hot Springs

The same water that fills a luxury resort’s pools feeds these free hot springs in the rainforest.
Grecia, Costa Rica

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

This Costa Rican chapel is the most metal church in the world, literally.
Monteverde, Costa Rica

Ficus La Raiz

In Costa Rica's cloud forest, the roots of a woody ficus create a botanical bridge.
Montezuma, Costa Rica

The Rock Garden at Piedra Colorada

Balanced rock sculptures pay tribute to a murdered conservationist and his pioneer wife.
Quepos, Costa Rica

El Avion Restaurant and Bar

The sister plane of the C-123 shot down during the Iran-Contra Affair has found a new purpose in retirement.
Jaco, Costa Rica

El Miro Ruins

Once the foundation for a mansion, these ruins now offer amazing panoramic coastal views.
Alajuela, Costa Rica

Territorio de Zaguates (Land of Strays)

Where dogs like the rare "Fire-Tailed Border Cocker" run free on the mountainside.
Zarcero, Costa Rica

Parque Francisco Alvarado

This Costa Rican topiary park is a surreal garden of unearthly delights.
Cahuita, Costa Rica

Aviarios del Caribe: Sloth Sanctuary

Sloth rehabilitation center in the jungle of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica

Río Celeste

This neon blue river gets its color from a unique mix of bacteria and volcano minerals.
Sopotnica, Serbia

Sopotnički Vodopadi

This natural monument has an origin story steeped in legend.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Türkmenbaşy Ruhy Mosque

The controversial final resting place of the equally controversial first president of Turkmenistan.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Independence Monument of Turkmenistan

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.
Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

Saparmurat Hajji Mosque

A memorial to the thousands of Turkmen soldiers and civilians who died in a bloody 1881 battle.
Balkanabat, Turkmenistan

Yangykala Canyon

Few people have ever heard of, let alone visited, one of Turkmenistan’s most impressive natural attractions.
Turkmenistan

The Gates of Hell

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Wedding Palace

If you want to get married in the White Marble City of Ashgabat, you should do it in this surreal disco ball building.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Turkmenbashi's Land of Fairy Tales

An eccentric dictator's take on a Turkmen version of Disneyland.
Gokdepe, Turkmenistan

Köw Ata Underground Lake

This cavernous swimming spot doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia.
Nokhur, Turkmenistan

Nokhur Cemetery

A cemetery with goat-horn bedecked gravestones.