Along the most northwestern point in Africa is an ancient cave surrounded by legends.

Dead weights honor the dead of Portugal's fishing industry.

Considered the birthplace of the Copper Age and Bronze Age, the river is tinted red from 5,000 years of mining.

One of the best places to dig—some say on the planet—for six different types of chalcedony.

Mounds of fine golden sand that can rise nearly 500 feet tall.

A galaxy of glowworms—larvae of a gnat—hides deep in the belly of these caves.

A drowned river valley that was important to the Maori and European settlers.

New Zealand's west coast is one of the best places in the world to view these large seabirds.

Major tourist destination known for its bubbling mud-pools and hot thermal springs.

The real life Hobbiton, this sheep farm has been forever transformed since being built for The Hobbit film series.

Tubing through a cave lit with glowworms is a magical underground experience.

Only 68 people per day are allowed to visit this New Zealand bird-watcher’s paradise.

These phallic stone spires once served as Tolkien's Paths of the Dead.

Inside this faux cave, visitors can learn how some of their favorite fantasy characters were created.

Some of the clearest water anywhere in the world.

Three rooms of bones, curios, and one artist's collection of natural artifacts create this intriguing museum.

Highly spherical boulders on the shores of New Zealand.

The Catlins region has a bounty of breathtaking waterfalls, the best is arguably Koropuku Falls—a majestic waterfall with an enchanting bush walk.

A perfect turquoise lake colored with glacier dust.

A glacier pocked with ice caves and surrounded by rainforests.

A solitary tree has grown up all alone on Lake Wānaka, backdropped by the beautiful Southern Alps.

Dolphins, ancient clams and hundreds of waterfalls make this one of the world's top tourist destinations.

An enchanting monastery in the Spanish countryside appears lifted from a fantasy tale.

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.