It is 50 years since the first man finally stepped on the Moon . Our most mythical satellite and that is still a mystery today. However, trips to the moon have not been repeated. So, is it possible to find landscapes and places to travel to the moon without having to leave Earth ?
The following enclaves that we detail are considered “lunar landscapes”, due to their uniqueness and their similarity to what we have always thought the Moon would be. We invite you to pack your bags because we are going to travel around the world through the lunar landscapes of the Earth .
Landscapes and places to travel to the moon without being an astronaut
From Jules Verne to the present day, man has always dreamed of the Moon as an achievable destination . As space research points to new challenges, the Moon continues to hold its magnetism and interest. Those who cannot do space tourism can always visit these lunar landscapes on Earth.
Around the world through the lunar landscapes of the Earth
Fuerteventura: how do you imagine a lunar crater?
We begin our particular journey through the landscapes and places that remind us of the moon here on Earth , from Spain. More specifically from the Canary Island of Fuerteventura.
Here, unique mountains and volcanoes await us that have given rise to an attractive lunar contrast between areas of lava flow, mountains originated in craters and white earth plains.
Something very similar to what the moonwalkers found on the Moon, with its high areas (terrae) and the darkest areas (maría).
If you want to experience the sensation of seeing the inhospitable, go to Las Peñitas, or the Cumbre del Tindaya and you will enjoy a lunar adventure without traveling into space.
- More information about Fuerteventura here
Göremeen National Park Cappadocia, Turkey
From Fuerteventura we travel to Turkey, to the historic Cappadocia. There, one of the most curious enclaves in the Middle East awaits us: Göremeen National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
The geological formations of Göremeen , also the result of a volcanic eruption and the subsequent effect of erosion, have left for ephemeral posterity a surprising and captivating landscape that falls in love as soon as you set foot in it.
Among these rock formations, the traveler finds a whole city carved out of the rock, with its houses, churches and cells . A sight to behold that is well worth a trip to Cappadocia.
The underground caves and tunnels of the Göremeen National Park are a must-see for every traveler who approaches this lunar landscape on Earth.
Purnululu National Park, Australia
It looks like the work of aliens, but in reality these formations are due to the erosion of the surrounding mounds , Bungle Bungle. This labyrinth of orange sandstones is over 350 million years old.
As a curiosity, the Australian aborigines of the Kimberley region revered these marks as symbols of the gods .
The best way to see the geological formations of the Purnululu National Park in their grandeur is through an aerial view . However, you can also explore the ruts aboard a jeep .
And it is that the charm of the area resides not only in this lunar landscape, but in the Bungle Bungle mountain range that shelters it, with its beehive shape and its deep gorges.
The massive Cathedral Gorge has impressive natural acoustics
- More information about Purnululu National Park
Petrified Forests, Argentina
The Petrified Bosques National Park is in Jaramillo , in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. As part of the Patagonian steppe , discover vast and seemingly lifeless landscapes. The Petrified Forests themselves opens a door for us to know how life could be here millions of years in time.
Again, the end of the lush forests came from the hand of volcanic eruptions . Its lava buried and petrified everything in its path. To this day, it is considered one of the largest extensions of fossils to be explored by paleontologists.
- More information about the Petrified Forest National Park
Valley of the Moon, Atacama desert in Chile
The last stop on this particular journey through the landscapes and places to travel to the moon could not be other than the spectacular Valley of the Moon in the dry Atacama Desert (Chile) . Traveled in recent years by the Dakar, the interest in this lunar landscape has been revitalized with thousands of tourists each year.
Although its nature is clayey, it is precisely the variety of tones and contrasts that the earth generates that gives it that lunatic aspect. To visit it, you can go by car or join one of the guided tours offered by the Ischigualasto Provincial Park.
One of the best times to be in the area is at sunset, when the sun points its last warm rays on the clays, giving the place an unreal and dreamlike appearance, like that of another planet.
- More information about the Atacama Desert.
Ready to start your first trip to the Moon without having to travel to space ? These are just the best places and lunar landscapes you can visit on Earth. There are dozens of Martian and lunar-like spaces waiting to surprise us and teach us a lesson in how the Earth may evolve in the future.
