Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Hierve el Agua: Hiking the Petrified Waterfalls of Oaxaca

Perched above Oaxaca’s sunbaked valley, Hierve el Agua feels like nature’s infinity pool — calcified waterfalls that spill into mineral-rich rock pools with panoramic views of terraced hills and distant mountains. Bathe in warm, shimmering waters forged over millennia, hike along surreal stone ridges and watch cloudy skies cast shadows over the limestone cascades — an otherworldly escape that blends geology, culture and quiet wonder.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Steam, Sunlight & Surreal Silence at El Tatio

El Tatio wakes before dawn, a high-altitude wonder tucked into the Andes of northern Chile. Perched above 14,000 feet, this sprawling geothermal field is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and the third-largest geyser basin on Earth. As the chill of morning clings to the altiplano, more than 80 geysers punctuate the landscape with thin plumes of steam and bursts of boiling water — an otherworldly show that’s at its most magical in the pale light just after sunrise.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Cappadocia’s Anatolia Region

Southwest Cappadocia is storybook: fairy chimneys, honeycombed cliffs and sculpted rock faces. Wander Pigeon Valley’s alcoves where light and drifting birds add quiet poetry. Climb Selime Monastery’s cavernous chapels and carved stairways. Follow Ihlara Valley’s cool, green canyon with a river and frescoed cliffside churches. Descend the Underground City’s labyrinth of chambers. Together, these sites form an ancient, living tapestry of nature and history.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Hot Air Balloons & Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

Central Turkey's dry region of Cappadocia is known for its magical fairy chimneys, hot air balloons and mysterious caves. To unwind, enjoy hookah, browse for local artifacts or smash a fiery clay pot overflowing with testi kebab for dinner.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Mogote Hills of Viñales Valley

Viñales a small town west of Havana with green rolling hills planted with fruit, vegetables, coffee and tobacco. It’s known for steep limestone hills called mogotes which dot the landscape and gardens full of palms and orchids.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Machu Picchu: A Dream Come True

At almost 8,000 feet above sea level, Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Set above the Urubamba River valley, the site was built in the 15th century and later abandoned. Even today, it carries an air of mystery with its exact purpose still debated.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Cobblestone Streets of Trinidad

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988 because of its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, Trinidad is also one of the most well-preserved cities in the Caribbean.

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Travels Jessica Knowlden Travels Jessica Knowlden

Hiking Peru's Epic Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon is a river canyon in southern Peru famed as one of the deepest in the world. It’s a trekking and rafting destination with canyons, valleys and remote traditional villages honring terraced agriculture that predates the Incas. The giant Andean condor can often be spotted from viewpoints like Cruz del Condor.

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