The Dune of Pilat in Arcachon Bay, south-west France
© aluxum/iStock/Getty Images Plu
A moving mountain of sand
Stretching out in the sun across our homepage today is Europe’s tallest sand dune, the Dune of Pilat. Here in the Arcachon Bay area of south-west France, this mountain of sand stands about 348ft (106m) above sea level and runs for about 1.7 miles in length. Each year, it moves 3ft to 16ft (1 to 5 metres) eastward, driven by Atlantic winds and tides, gradually burying the trees in the adjoining maritime pine forest below. More than just a pile of sand, this exceptional natural monument is the most-visited site in France’s Aquitaine region and is particularly beautiful at sunset, when the light lends a magical quality to this incredible landscape.
Beach huts on West Cliff Beach, Whitby, North Yorkshire
St Catherine’s Island, Tenby, Pembrokeshire
Mangrove trees, Walakiri Beach, Sumba Island, Indonesia
Stormy sky over Skara Brae, a Neolithic village on the Mainland, Orkney
Blacktip reef sharks off the coast of Tahiti, French Polynesia
Kazem Dashi rock formation in Lake Urmia, Iran
Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia
Annular eclipse over New Mexico, USA, on 20 May 2012
