Explore the world in 17 stunning images from our contributors.
Patagonia, ChileWith dramatic peaks, verdant forests, and a swath of ice larger than anywhere but Greenland and Antarctica, Chilean Patagonia offers travelers one of the last wild frontiers. Scroll through to see 16 more stunning images from our contributors.
Photograph by Tamara Merino, National Geographic
Photos curated byMelissa Bunni Elian
Text byStarlight Williams
November 28, 2022
•7 min read
As travel returned this year, we ventured back into the world with a renewed sense of adventure. From Alaska’s Denali National Park and Reserve to Indonesia’s lush rainforests, the photographs we published in 2022 reflect the beauty of our world through fresh perspectives.
Our National Geographic contributors were tasked with documenting the enduring essence of travel. They opened the aperture on innovative conservation efforts, vibrant cultural communities, and underappreciated destinations ready for future travel.
As we look to the new year, we hope these photographs ignite your adventurous spirit, encourage transformative experiences, and set you off on your next journey.
Choquequirao, PeruIn the Peruvian Andes, the ruins of the ancient Inca city of Choquequirao, a cousin to the more visited Machu Picchu, can only be reached by foot or mule. However, a proposed cable car could make the site more accessible to travelers.
Choquequirao, PeruA muleteer and his horses follow the 39-mile, high-altitude path to Choquequirao, an Incan settlement built in the same era as Machu Picchu. While many travelers hike the full route—which can take two or three days round trip by foot—others ride pack animals for some or all of the journey.
Photograph by VICTOR ZEA, National Geographic
Denali National Park and Reserve, AlaskaSheldon Chalet, accessible only by helicopter, perches 5,818 feet above the Ruth Glacier Great Gorge—an abyss in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Reserve that’s deeper than the Grand Canyon. Larger than the state of New Jersey, the wilderness reserve offers opportunities for big adventure, from backcountry camping to mountaineering.
Photograph by Jason Gulley, National Geographic
Dome of the Rock, JerusalemLocated on what Muslims call Noble Sanctuary and Jews call Temple Mount, the seventh-century A.D. Dome of the Rock is one of Jerusalem’s most recognizable landmarks. Muslims believe the shrine and adjacent mosque mark the spot where Muhammad ascended into heaven. (See Jerusalem like a Nat Geo Explorer.)
Photograph by Ziyah Gafic, National Geographic
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.A slow camera exposure blurs the crowds inside the Lincoln Memorial, which celebrated its centennial on May 30, 2022. Carved from 38,000 tons of marble, limestone, and granite, the edifice honoring the 16th president holds a massive statue of Abraham Lincoln by sculptor Daniel Chester French.. (Learn the surprising history behind the Lincoln Memorial.)
Photograph by SASHA ARUTYUNOVA, National Geographic
Jiufen, TaiwanThe alleyways of Juifen, a seaside mountain hamlet 90 minutes from Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, comes alive in the glow of lantern light. Enchanting scenes in the town, from cliffside teahouses to streets bustling with food vendors, seem to mirror those in the film Spirited Away.
Photograph by Mike Kai Chen
Reykjanes Peninsula, IcelandAfter centuries of quiescence, Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano has erupted twice in less than a year, drawing thousands to take in the stunning scenes of the vast, bubbling lava fields. With more than 1,500 active volcanoes in the world, volcano tourism has boomed in the last decade, despite its danger.
Photograph by Chris Burkard, National Geographic
Xochimilco, Mexico CityFood vendors in colorful tour boats known as trajineras offer their products to visitors in Xochimilco, a UNESCO wetland district in southern Mexico City. Pre-Hispanic canals and floating farms make it one of the capital city’s top tourist attractions, but for decades, toxic chemicals and algae have plagued the ancient site. Scientists are combating the problem by using boats to deliver nanobubbles (microscopic air pockets) into the oxygen-starved waters to restore the wetland’s canals. (This vibrant sanctuary show why wetlands are important—and the challenges they face.)
Photograph by César Rodríguez
Mertasari Beach, Bali, IndonesiaAfter a two-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bali Kite Festival returned in August. Hundreds of colorful, fluttering designs, such as this janggan (dragon kite), filled the sky above Mertasari Beach. The kite’s design is inspired by a Hindu belief about a dragon named Naga Basuki, who helps balance nature’s equilibrium.
Photograph by PUTU SAYOGA, National Geographic
Rovinj, CroatiaThe Church of St. Euphemia’s towering steeple dominates the skyline of Rovinj, Croatia, a picturesque old town pinned to a bluff on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula. Often compared to Venice due to the style of its architecture, the active fishing port lures travelers to explore its trendy restaurants, locally run shops, and cobblestone streets. (Swoon over these romantic European small villages.)
Photograph by Ciril Jazbec, National Geographic
Patagonia, ChileAn ice climber ascends one of the dozens of glaciers in the remote, wind-whipped terrain of Chilean Patagonia. With its iceberg-carved peaks and fjords, southern Chile remains one of the wildest places on Earth, encompassing countless adventure spots from the peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park to the glacial lakes of the Pingo Valley.
Photograph by Tamara Merino, National Geographic
Hermosillo, MexicoA hummingbird gathers nectar from a cactus flower near Hermosillo, Mexico. In Aztec mythology, the world’s smallest bird represents the sun god Huitzilopochtli, conceived by his mother after she clutched a ball of hummingbird feathers that fell from the sky to her chest.
Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic
Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo, IndonesiaThe trees of Borneo’s Gunung Palung National Park protect one of the last viable populations of orangutans in the world. While much of the park is inaccessible to tourists, several tour operators lead sanctioned, sustainable expeditions around the park to explore the habitat. (New species of orangutan is the rarest great ape on Earth.)
Photograph by Tim Laman, National Geographic
Nova Scotia, CanadaA sailboat navigates the icy waters around Canada‘s Nova Scotian coast. Legendary explorers who plied these waters include Sir John Franklin, who disappeared here with his crew nearly 200 years ago searching for the Northwest Passage, a fabled seaway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Photograph by RENAN OZTURK, National Geographic
Melissa Bunni Elian is a photography resident at National Geographic. Follow her on Instagram.
Starlight Williams is an editor at National Geographic. Follow her on Twitter.
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