Fall in love with 10 heart-shaped places around the world

Affection is everywhere you look this Valentine’s Day.

an aerial view of Lake toyoni in hokkaido, Japan

The heart-shaped Lake Toyoni in Hokkaido, Japan, is just one of many naturally occurring icons around the world—and beyond.

Photograph by Satoru Kobayashi, Getty Images

ByStarlight Williams

February 9, 2024

6 min read

Some people leave their hearts in San Francisco, others consider Paris—the “City of Love”—as the epicenter of romance. But these heart-shaped attractions, whether naturally occurring or crafted by hand, visibly channel the affectionate Valentine’s symbol. From a flight over Heart Reef in Australia to floral arbors resembling you-know-whats in Dubai, these spots could inspire passion, platonic love, or at least some heart-worthy Instagram photos.

an Atlantic Puffin on a heart shaped rock on Easter Egg Rock Island, Maine, USA — An Atlantic puffin stands on a heart shaped rock in Easter Egg Rock Island, Maine, U.S.
Photograph by Melissa Groo, Nat Geo Image Collection

a heart-shaped void from inside a glacial cave in Jokulsarlon, Iceland — A heart-shaped void lends a view to the outside from a glacial ice cave in Jokulsarlon, Iceland.
Photograph by Robbie George

a male gelada looking out from a cliff over a conservation area in Ethiopia — A male gelada (also known as bleeding-heart monkey) pauses during his morning ascent from a cliff above East Africa’s Great Rift Valley in the Guassa Community Conservation area, Ethiopia.
Photograph by Jeffrey Kerby

a heart shaped space in Antelope Canyon — Picture of a heart-shaped space in Antelope Canyon, Arizona, U.S.
Photograph by Justin Collins, EyeEm/Getty Images

The pair of galaxies cataloged as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039, known as the Antennae Galaxies, make a heart shape in space. — Galaxies NGC 4038 and NGC 4039, also known as the Antennae Galaxies, share a strong gravitational attraction, forming a heart shape.
Photograph by Kent E. Biggs

a heart shape in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia — The Heart Reef in the Great Barrier Reef of the Whitsundays, Australia, is composed of coral that naturally grew in the shape of a heart.
Photograph by Dukas Presseagentur, Prisma/Alamy Stock Photo

the lighting of a sacred heart fire on Elferspitze mountain in Austria — A sacred fire is lit in the shape of a heart on Elferspitze mountain in the Stubai Valley, Austria.
Photograph by Robbie Shone

a person cycling past a heart mural at Borough Market in London, United Kingdom — Artist Jimmy C cycles past his mural in London, U.K. The piece serves as a personal dedication to victims of the terror attack at London Bridge in 2017. The heart shapes, which are a regular fixture of the artist's work, are a call to respond with love not fear.
Photograph by Mike Kemp, In Pictures /Getty Images

Picture of a heart shaped road through a vineyard in Slovenia.
Photograph by Mario Horvat, 500px/Getty Images

a heart shaped arrangement of flowers over a walkway in the Miracle Gardens in Dubai — Heart shaped garden decor at the Miracle Gardens in Dubai, UAE.
Photograph by Middle East, Alamy Stock Photo

(Looking for enchanting places that inspire romance? These spots capture our reader’s hearts.)

This story was originally published in 2020 and updated February 2024.

Starlight Williams is an editorial researcher and writer at National Geographic. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.