The Wave sandstone formation in Coyote Buttes North, Arizona, USA

© Dennis Frates/Alam

Ride the wave. The Wave at Coyote Buttes, USA

By showing you this coveted sight, we're saving you a bit of an ordeal. The Wave, an undulating sandstone formation, can be found deep in the wilderness of northern Arizona, USA. But to get a view like this you'd have to hike a rugged and trail-free route, often in scorching temperatures and only if you have a permit in your pocket. To protect the landscape, only 20 a day are made available, offered through a daily lottery. For the lucky few who get one and are prepared to put in the effort to reach The Wave, the surreal beauty of this isolated stretch of sandstone makes it all worthwhile. This is just one hike of many in the expansive Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, which protects more than 100,000 acres of Arizona and Utah canyonland in the western USA.