Vestrahorn mountain black sand beach ocean, Iceland
© Dennis Fischer/Mauritius Images/Shutterstock
Vestrahorn on view
Jagged and misty mountains loom as a salty lagoon laps at soot-black sands. Could this be an exclusive beach resort in Mordor?No, we're not in Middle-Earth but rather the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, looking at Vestrahorn mountain along Iceland's remote southeast coast. Sparsely populated, eastern Iceland is home to only about 3.5 percent of the nation's already small (387,000) population. But nature lovers will find plenty of company out here, and not just due to the excellent view: Wildlife like seals and puffins love to gather on the rocky shores, and further inland you'll find Iceland's only population of wild reindeer.
Snow-capped mountain, blue high-altitude lake, golden grass, Altiplano, Bolivia
Golden Island Mountains Road
Seealpsee mountain lake reflections, Appenzellerland, Switzerland
Rainbow Mountains, Landmannalaugar, Iceland
Milford Sound Piopiotahi, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Volcanic mountain range, Mokolii Island, Oahu, Hawaii
Snow-capped Volcanic Mountains, Green Valley Stream, Iceland
Loch Etive with autumn island, Scotland
