The World’s Most Spectacular Roads

08/3/08  Print This Post Print This Post    99 Comments   Popular   Written by Juliane Huang
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For those who consider the journey to be as important as the destination, road trips have long provided amazing views and a sense of adventure.


Below are some of the world’s most spectacular roads
. Fair warning to viewers: these images are shockingly attractive and have been known to induce wanderlust in those who gaze upon them.

Denali National Park, Alaska, Photo by nicmcphee

Timgad, Algeria, Photo by gabyu

Italy, Photo by skino

Illinois, United States, Photo by jamesjordan

Zion National Park, Utah, United States, Photo by wolfgangstaudt

Dades Gorge, Morocco, Photo by wolfgangstaudt

Meadowlands, New Jersey, United States, Photo by bobjagendorf

Greenwich Township, Berks County, Photo by nicholas_t

Highway 98, Arizona, United States, Photo by paraflyer

Las Canadas del Teide, Spain, Photo by hyperfinch

Monument Valley, Utah, United States, Photo by hyperfinch

Himalaya Highway, Photo by babasteve

Route 40, Argentina, Photo by rob

Beaver, Utah, United States, Photo by areyoumyrik

Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, United States, Photo by candiedwomanire

Utah, United States, Photo by areyoumyrik

Pacific Coast Highway, California, United States, Photo by tylerdurden

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States, Photo by nicholas_t

Lapaz to Coroico, Bolivia, Photo by backpackerben

Southern Bolivia, Photo by philliecasablanca

Camino a Urubamba, Cusco, Peru, Photo by lebce


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About the Author

Matador ID: juliane

Juliane Huang majored in Photo Appreciation, with a minor in Envy. She is stunned at the level of talent she sees in some photos and almost can't believe that the world could be so beautiful. Almost. You can find her random ramblings on her blog: www.xanga.com/julibobuli) .

99 Comments... join the discussion!

  • Eric Daams replied on August 3, 2008

    No mention of the Great Ocean Road? That's a classic one!

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  • Nic replied on August 4, 2008

    The Great Ocean Road, Australia

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  • paresh replied on August 4, 2008

    great, really great, thanks for sharing.

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  • Mirko Herzner replied on August 4, 2008

    Wow. What a stunning collection of street shots. Some of them really might inspire me to go there one day. I enjoyed the one from Italy most. Thanks for sharing.

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  • Rekha replied on August 4, 2008

    Oh!! its beautiful!!

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  • PW Herman replied on August 4, 2008

    These are all spectacular photos but not every road here is spectacular, at least not on a worldwide scale…and some of the locations are too generally described. Each photo should have a little paragraph so that the reader can gain greater context. All beautiful images, though.

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  • AutoCarLive replied on August 4, 2008

    I have submitted your article to http://www.autocar-live.comwhich is a social site where users can submit car/auto articles and vote for already submitted articles. Register and vote for the article to appear on the frontpage at http://www.autocar-live.com/upcoming.php

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  • Nic McPhee (Unhinder replied on August 4, 2008

    A very cool collection – thanks for including my photo in this excellent set! I think you got the Dades Gorge photo mis-labelled. It's by Rosino, not wolfgangstaudt.

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  • Jewel replied on August 5, 2008

    OMG! You are so right. I was just about to write in my journal about these places. they are so beautiful. And most of of them are very close to where i live. Just goes to show that we shouldn't overlook seemingly unimportant states. Thank you.

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  • Mark Hester replied on August 5, 2008

    On The Rest of Everest Podcast the team drives up Himalaya Highway in the picture. It is just as spectacular in the video. I have nothing to do with the podcast — except to enjoy it. Check it out. http://www.therestofeverest.com/

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  • Guitar Dad replied on August 5, 2008

    Spectacular shots!

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  • Turner replied on August 5, 2008

    Yeah, some great views in the US. West Texas and Arizona have my vote.

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  • alan replied on August 6, 2008

    Actually, the title should be 'the world's most spectacular photos of roads'. There are a lot more roads out there that are at least as spectacular as these.

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  • Junior replied on August 6, 2008

    Is lacking The Serrado Rio do Rastro im Brazil!!! link: http://inema.com.br/mat/idmat011290.htm By!

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  • Loren replied on August 7, 2008

    wow, so prettttyyyyyy

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  • Pokin replied on August 7, 2008

    Great collection of photos! After driving up and down the I5 I thought it might have been fun to do the world's most boring roads, but realized that would put everyone to sleep pretty quick. Love this list. Can't wait to go see some of them myself!

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  • Dinkyboy replied on August 7, 2008

    Too bad you don't know the names of most of those roads, or can be more specific where they are. Makes them nothing more than nice photos that happen to have a road in them.

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  • Jose replied on August 7, 2008

    The photo 11 does not correspond to the Canary Islands, Spain.

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  • Óscar replied on August 7, 2008

    The second Photo tittled as Las Canadas del Teide, Spain, Photo by hyperfinch is wrong, it isn't Las cañadas del Teide (Tenerife canary islands) spain.

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  • Bobby replied on August 7, 2008

    non from the UK. damn. Great Post by the way.

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  • shawn replied on August 7, 2008

    How about the Hana High way? Maui, Hawaii

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  • lara dunston replied on August 8, 2008

    Some great shots – and great roads – but there are far many more spectacular roads out there, particularly outside the US – that Meadowlands road probably needs to go in a 'Charming American Roads' category. And the road to Coroico needs to go in a 'World's most dangerous roads' blog – was it spectacular? I can't remember – I had my eyes closed most of the time. Sadly, that's one road that one too many deaths occur on each week. Agree with Eric, the Great Ocean Road is one of the most spectacular drives on the planet – and Australia must also have someof the most breathtakingly beautiful stretches of roads. But I'll add to that a few more jaw-dropping roads that I've done this year while doing guidebook research: the Musandam Peninsula in Oman; the Sila Mountain Range, Calabria, Italy; most roads in the mountains on the high plateaus of Crete, but especially the remote south-east; the Liwa desert of the United Arab Emirates, near the 'border' with Saudi Arabia (real Lawrence of Arabia stuff!); the Valley of the Cedars in the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus. All stunning roads that see very few travellers driving them.

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  • jw replied on August 9, 2008

    Las Canadas del Teide, Spain, I've never been there and yet it looks so, so familiar.

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  • Luke replied on August 9, 2008

    No surprise I guess to notice that 10 of the 21 photos were in the US. When will the Yanks realize the rest of the world has heaps more better stuff than their "insular" country.

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  • eunice replied on August 10, 2008

    All the photos are very stunning, and they appear to have 3D effect! What caught my eyes here are not only the roads but the beautiful skies that are so well-captured.

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  • Eva replied on August 10, 2008

    Feel free to suggest some photos that you think are "heaps more better" than these… If you're going to hate, then at least let us in on the big secret!

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  • matati replied on August 11, 2008

    What about this one?: ” target=”_blank”>http://images.matati.multiply.com/image/2/photos/... Gisoom road. Northern Iran

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  • Alex replied on August 14, 2008

    Nice list, though missing Great Ocean Highway in Southern Australia. Now, THAT is magnificent. Similar to Highway 1 in California

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  • Blass replied on August 15, 2008

    There are several roads in New Mexico that are even more beautiful than those. The road from the City of Rocks State Park to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is probably the most beautiful road I have ever seen.

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  • Chris replied on August 17, 2008

    The Sea to Sky highway between Vancouver and Whistler in British Columbia. Sites for the 2010 Olympic ™ games, separated by some spectacular views of Howe Sound. Many car commercials have been shot on this highway. //” target=”_blank”>http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?tow...//” target=”_blank”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Hig...

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  • abc replied on August 19, 2008

    this is a very american-centric post no mention of great ocean road or great alpine road

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  • Colin Scott replied on August 20, 2008

    Nothing mentioned on the many roads through the Scottish Highlands :o ( Glancoe to Fort William route is stunning

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  • George replied on August 20, 2008

    The one titled "Utah, United States" is Interstate 70 looking east from the top of the San Raphael Reef, west of Green River. I rode that section of interstate in 2005 on a sportbike, and even <href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6abLmQSxYZo&quot;target="_blank">shot some video of i…. As interstates go, it's beautiful, but an even more impressive section is further east, in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, east of Glenwood Springs. It's both a beautiful drive AND an engineering marvel, how 4 lanes of interstate highway were shoehorned into a narrow canyon without trashing the ecosystem of the Colorado River (or disrupting the operation of the Union Pacific tracks on the opposing side of the canyon.)

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  • George replied on August 20, 2008

    Gah! URL got borked. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6abLmQSxYZo My apologies everyone.

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  • Isabel Martins replied on August 21, 2008

    Good choice and certaily brought new info and inspiration for me. However, I'd have some roads to add. Correction: The picture 11 says it is Las Canadas de Teide, what is not correct. That is Highway 163 and crosses Monument Valley, which is pictured here. (Utah, US)

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  • me replied on August 21, 2008

    Oh man ,Big sur (Hwy 1) is on fire

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  • Ed replied on August 22, 2008

    Isabel is CORRECT. We have been there the past 2 years on vacation! Tell "hyperfinch" to correct the caption. It is Utah Rt. 163. Watch the movie Forrest Gump and see where he stops running.

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  • Lisa replied on August 22, 2008

    So those are some pretty great roads, but what about Canada????????? There are at least ten in BC alone that I would include!

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  • ANGELINA replied on August 24, 2008

    Health and happiness will to you ! And to you as well! Thanks for the kind words! Cock-a-hoop welcome to my blog!

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  • Jared Gothard replied on August 26, 2008

    ok, some of those are bad ass, im not going to lie, but the others are simply the way the pic is taken, the road itself is not that spectacular.

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  • yellow replied on August 27, 2008

    OMAN is amazing with the Hazar Mountains, absolutely breath-taking..

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  • Mat replied on September 5, 2008

    Antrim coast road between Belfast and Giant's Causeway. Spectacular.

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  • Nicole replied on September 6, 2008

    why is it that there are so many from the usa? and none from Canada. Canada has the usa beat on beauty by far!!!! very disappointing!

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  • kutu replied on October 22, 2008

    thanks..

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  • Suresh Alurwar replied on November 6, 2008

    These are really great collection of roads. There are many beautiful roads in India on western Ghats which is one of the 18 biodiversities in the world.

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  • aya replied on November 14, 2008

    gorgeous collection! these roads seem wildly picturesque, so i'm not sure if it can compare, but the cabot trail on cape breton island stands out in my memories as one of the loveliest roads i've encountered so far.

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  • Joe replied on November 25, 2008

    I could name 20 places in Canada which are better than the Illinois picture.

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  • Tom replied on November 26, 2008

    Pretty nice collection of photo's , Although a lot are from the states, I gues Africa has some nice roads for this blog.

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  • Dominic replied on December 2, 2008

    It took awhile to open up this article, but well worth it! Beautiful photos. And nice to see home (Pacific Coast Highway – in Santa Monica no?). And that road in Bolivia is crazy. I remember riding a bike down that – intense stuff. Thanks for the photos.

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  • Roger Gray replied on December 3, 2008

    Should have been called Road's from the US of A and some other less notables

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