Fall in love with 10 heart-shaped places around the world
Amid the natural wonders of this island in Japan’s, Lake Toyoni is a naturally formed freshwater lake in the southeastern part of Tomakomai city. Spot it from above via the Sarudake Mountain Path near Tomakomai.
Easter Egg Rock Island, Maine
An Atlantic Puffin perches on a heart-shaped rock on Easter Egg Rock Island, Maine. The seven-acre, treeless island is one of the world’s first restored Atlantic puffin colonies, initiated in 1973. Here’s how to plan the perfect coastal Maine road trip.
In the ice caves around Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, irregularly shaped “windows” give glimpses of the sky. Bordering Vatnajökull National Park in southeastern Iceland, Jökulsárlón’s serene, blue waters are dotted with icebergs from the surrounding Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier.
A male gelada, also called a bleeding heart monkey, stands above East Africa’s Great Rift Valley in the Guassa Community Conservation Area. One of the oldest conservation areas in sub-Saharan Africa, Guassa is home to numerous endemic species, including the gelada and the endangered Ethiopian wolf.
Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Hike through the Upper Antelope Canyon, near Page, Arizona, to find a heart, which eons of erosion have carved into the red stone. You’ll need a Navajo guide to visit the Upper and Lower Antelope canyons, located in Navajo Nation—a 27,000-square-mile area in northeastern Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
You’ll have to book a helicopter or seaplane to see Great Barrier Island’s Heart Reef—a coral “bommie” or outcropping that’s just 56 feet long—since the area is off-limits to snorkelers and divers due to its protected status.
Tyrolean Alps, Austria
For 10 days each June, residents illuminate candles arranged in the shape of a heart and cross on Austria’s Elferspitze Mountain. The tribute, one of many in the Tyrolean Alps in Italy and Austria, follows the Catholic Feast of Corpus Christi and marks the anniversary of a thwarted invasion by Napoleon’s troops.
Špičnik, Slovenia
Sample some of Slovenia’s best wine in Špičnik, a small town famous for its winding, heart-shaped road. The best view can be seen from the top of Dreisiebner Štefka farm.
Every year from mid-November to mid-May, Dubai Miracle Garden blooms with more than 150 million flowers arranged in vibrant arches and alluring shapes, including the Hearts Passage.
Preveli Beach, Crete
Also known as Lake Preveli or Phoenix, is located at the exit of the imposing Kourtaliotikos Gorge, where the Great River flows. It is the most famous beach in south Crete, accepting thousands of visitors every summer. The river, forming a small lake, 500m long, before emptying into the sea, has water all year round.