The Wave, Coyote Buttes North, Arizona, USA

© Dennis Frates/Alam

The Wave, Arizona

By showing you this coveted sight, we're saving you a bit of a journey. The Wave, an undulating sandstone formation, can be found deep in the wilderness of northern Arizona in the United States. But to get a view like this you'd have to hike a rugged and trail-free route, often in scorching temperatures. You’d also need to 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 around 45,527 hectares of Arizona and Utah canyonland.