10 Most Beautiful Sand Dunes In The World

Shaped and sculpted by wind over centuries, the world’s most beautiful sand dunes range from the towering red dunes of the Namib Desert to the singing sands of Asia and the pale ridges of the Sahara. Here are ten of the most beautiful sand dunes on Earth, and what makes each one remarkable.

1. Sossusvlei, Namibia

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Deep in the Namib Desert, Sossusvlei is a clay-and-salt pan ringed by some of the tallest dunes on Earth, glowing deep red at sunrise. The contrast of dead camelthorn trees against the orange sand makes it one of the most photographed landscapes in Africa.

2. Badain Jaran Dunes, China

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The Badain Jaran Desert in northern China holds the tallest stationary dunes in the world, some rising over 450 metres. Remarkably, dozens of permanent lakes sit between the dunes, and the sand is known for the booming sound it makes as it shifts.

3. Death Valley, United States

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California’s Death Valley, the hottest and driest place in North America, is home to several dune fields, including the rolling Mesquite Flat dunes. Their golden ridges, set against stark mountains, are a favourite with photographers and filmmakers.

4. Erg Chebbi, Morocco

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On the edge of the Sahara, Erg Chebbi’s wind-sculpted dunes rise up to 150 metres and stretch for more than 20 km. Reached by camel from the village of Merzouga, they are among the most visited dunes in Morocco.

5. Medanos de Coro National Park, Venezuela

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In north-west Venezuela, the Medanos de Coro National Park protects a sea of constantly shifting dunes up to 40 metres high, an unexpected stretch of desert close to the Caribbean coast.

6. Rub’ al Khali, the Arabian Peninsula

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Known as the Empty Quarter, the Rub’ al Khali is the largest sand desert in the world, covering much of the southern Arabian Peninsula. Its dunes reach up to 250 metres, towering over one of the most inhospitable places on the planet.

7. The Libyan Desert

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Part of the eastern Sahara, the Libyan Desert holds vast sand seas such as the Great Sand Sea, with dunes reaching extraordinary heights and stretching unbroken for hundreds of kilometres.

8. The Great Dune of Pyla, France

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Near Bordeaux on France’s Atlantic coast, the Dune of Pilat is the tallest sand dune in Europe, around 100 metres high and creeping slowly inland. It draws more than a million visitors a year for the climb and the views over the bay.

9. Samalayuca Dune Fields, Mexico

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In the state of Chihuahua, the pale Samalayuca dunes spread across the desert in separate fields of fine, almost white sand, a striking and surprisingly fragile landscape.

10. White Sands National Park, United States

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In New Mexico, the dunes of White Sands are made not of quartz but of glistening white gypsum crystals, the largest gypsum dune field on Earth. Redesignated a national park in 2019, its rippling white waves slowly march downwind.

Discover more landscapes: the most breathtaking canyons, the most amazing salt flats, and the most famous natural landmarks in Africa.

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