9 Wondrous Natural Arches around the World ...

By Neecey

9 Wondrous Natural Arches around the World ...

I find natural arches mesmerizing. Can you think of anything else in nature that actually looks like it was planned and constructed to said plan? Natural arches are formed by elements and earth movements and chemistry – all completely natural processes in the evolution of Earth, yet they also look like they have been deliberately sculpted. I love that so much! Here are some of my favorite natural arches.

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1

Durdle Door, UK

Durdle Door, UK I think this is the one that must have generated my passion for natural arches. I first saw this beautiful rock arch when I was a toddler. Durdle Door is located near to one of the south coast’s best beaches at Lulworth Cove. It sits on the area known as the Jurassic Coast, so-called because of the high concentration of dinosaur fossils. When you look through the archway and the sunlight is bouncing off the ocean, you can imagine it’s a gateway to another dimension.

2

Cathedral Cove, New Zealand

Cathedral Cove, New Zealand This one is definitely on my lust-list. The rock doorway at Cathedral Cove surely has to be one of the most photogenic natural arches on the planet. Located on New Zealand’s obscenely gorgeous Coromandel Peninsula, it was christened the cathedral because it is big and grand and has a mystical air. The archway connects two secluded coves which sit in the Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve. And if one great lump of rock is not enough, just off the beach is Te Hoho, a large pinnacle shaped like a ship’s prow.

3

The Azure Window, Gozo, Malta

The Azure Window, Gozo, Malta The problem with natural arches is that they evolve. Nature and the elements are constantly at work on them, sculpting and shaping them. Unfortunately, eventually they fall prey to the ravages of time and collapse. One of the most precarious arches currently – and thought to be ready to collapse within just a few years – is the Azure Window on the small island of Gozo. Its romantic name is truly fitting and I’m so glad I have been lucky enough to have seen this arch before it falls into the sea.

4

Bipod Arch, Algeria

Bipod Arch, Algeria If any example sums up the fragility of natural arches it’s this one. Known only as the Bipod Arch, it sits in total isolation on a plain of the Sahara Desert in Algeria. Isn’t it exquisite? It is not massive in terms of other arches, but the shape and that its huge body is balancing on slender “legs,” one of which now measures just 6 inches around, is what makes is so incredible.

5

Aloba Arch, Chad

Aloba Arch, Chad I don’t think I will ever get to the African nation of Chad in my lifetime so I will just have to drool over pictures of this one. Aloba Arch is one of the tallest natural arches in the world. The alcove arch, located in the Ennedi Range, has been formed by erosion of the rock by the sands and wind of the Sahara Desert. The Aloba Arch is an impressive 250 foot wide by 394 feet tall.

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6

Xianren Bridge, China

Xianren Bridge, China This sounds much more attractive when you call it by its alternate name – the Fairy Bridge. If you were wondering which takes the title of the queen of the world’s natural arches, it’s this one – in terms of size anyway. Located in the north west of Guangxi Province, Xianren Bridge has a span of 400 feet which was carved out of the limestone karst by the Buliu River. But, it is so remote that it wasn’t really known of outside of China until a geologist browsing on Google Earth spotted it. Its span was measured in 2010.

7

London Arch, Australia

London Arch, Australia Today, just one arch remains but until a few years ago (1990 actually), there were two joined spans, named because they resembled the original London Bridge which now stands in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. London Arch is found in Port Campbell National Park in Australia’s Victoria State.

8

Pont D’Arc, France

Pont D’Arc, France One of the most picturesque natural rock arches is the Pont d’Arc . The area around Vallon-Pont-d’Arc is famous for its limestone landscapes full of prehistoric sites and caves (including the famous Chauvet Cave). The Pont d’Arc has been carved out of the limestone by the Ardeche River and stands 175 feet high and 200 feet wide.

9

Stevens Arch, USA

Stevens Arch, USA I had such trouble picking out a US entry. There are probably more natural arches in the USA than anywhere else in the world and each has its merits and reasons to be classed as beautiful. I think, however, my favorite is this one. Rather than a formation that looks like a doorway or a bridge, the Stevens Arch in Escalante Canyon, Utah looks more like a window blasted out of a wall of rock; except this is a window that is 160 feet high and 220 feet wide.

I won’t go so far as to say that natural rock arches are among my favorite landscapes because I love so many things in nature. I never tire of looking at them though. Were you impressed?

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

And to think Aruba had one :( till the earthquake happened- "The natural bridge"

Love it the Durdle Door is number 1, came across it on Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville instagram photo array too.

These are all beautiful, but what about South Africa - Hole in the wall?

they are beautiful.....😜

or what about raouche in beirut lebanon, check it!!

we also have natural arch here in the philippines. it was located in Batanes. :)

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