Netflix's new docuseries, Our Great National Parks, narrated by former US President Barack Obama, has been delighting viewers with its sumptuous shots of some of the planet's most spectacular national parks. If you’ve been inspired to add some of these incredible places to your bucket list, check out our round up of the world’s greatest national parks below!
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Torres del Paine (Towers of Blue) is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. Sweeping mountains and vertical granite spires soar up to meet the sky, while turquoise glaciers and dazzling lakes glisten below. Although best known for its spectacular scenery, it is also incredibly biodiverse with notable species here including guanacos and pumas.
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View BookManu National Park, Peru
The most biodiverse protected area on the planet, Peru's Manu National Park is home to more than 850 species of birds, 250 species of mammals (including the majestic jaguar), and more than 15,000 species of plants. The scale of the jungle, with its forested trails, winding rivers and soundtrack of humming insects, is awe-inspiring. For sheer wilderness, it doesn’t get much better than this.
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View BookLençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
This isolated expanse in the far north of Brazil offers miles of spectacular sand dunes interspersed with sparkling blue lagoons. The endless empty beaches and crystal-clear water are ideal for those in search of the ultimate oasis, while wildlife-watchers will have their sights set on the birdlife who thrive here, including the distinctive Scarlet Ibis.
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View BookCorcovado National Park, Costa Rica
Parque Nacional Corcovado is the largest of the parks and reserves that make up the Corcovado Conservation area, set aside to preserve the last original tracts of the Pacific coast’s tropical rainforest in Mesoamerica. This incredible wilderness offers some of the most spectacular wildlife-viewing in Costa Rica. Look out for squirrel monkeys, scarlet macaws and red-eyed frogs.
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View BookBryce Canyon National Park, USA
Despite its name, this spectacular landmark is not a solitary canyon, but a series of deep amphitheatres. The largest of these, Bryce Amphitheatre, is filled with flame-coloured pinnacle rock formations called hoodoos, the hallmark of this national park. Famously clear skies mean that most days Navajo Mountain on the Utah-Arizona border is visible from here, and with the right conditions, even the Grand Canyon can be seen.
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View BookCrater Lake National Park, USA
Oregon’s only national park surrounds a lake that, at 1,949 ft (594 m), is the deepest in the US and the ninth-deepest in the world. Beyond the lake’s intense blue depths, the park is shrouded in old-growth forests that provide sanctuary to an array of flora and fauna, including black bears, coyotes and elk. With more than 90 miles (144 km) of hiking trails, the park is a hiker's paradise, and winter at Crater Lake offers some of the best winter sports and cross-country skiing in the US.
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View BookBanff National Park, Canada
It is impossible to travel through Banff National Park and not feel awestruck. The sublime Rocky Mountains soar over a landscape of glimmering glaciers, evergreen forests, swift rivers flowing through lush valleys, and some of the bluest lakes on earth. This is where you’ll find Lake Louise, one of the enduring images of the Rockies, with its sapphire water surrounded by snowy peaks.
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View BookKruger National Park, South Africa
With more varieties of animals than any other park in Southern Africa, Kruger National Park is one of the best places in the world for wildlife spotting. Here, you might spot white rhinos lurking in the woodlands, elephants ambling across the dusty veldt or lions stalking across the savannah. This is surely the best show on earth.
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View BookNamib-Naukluft, Namibia
Namib-Naukluft is one of Africa’s largest national parks, covering an area of 50,000-sq-km (19,000-sq-mile). Characterised by rippled dunes and spectral forests, this lunar landscape offers a different kind of beauty, though no less breathtaking. Most beautiful of all is the night sky due to the crisp, clear desert air and absence of competing light sources.
Corbett National Park, India
India’s first national park is home to a spectacular array of wildlife, including elephants, deer, birds, and the country’s most iconic – and elusive – resident, the tiger. Situated along the valley of the Ramganga river and fringed by the Himalayan foothills in the north, the park encompasses varied terrain, from savannah grasslands to forested hills. It is considered one of India’s finest wildlife sanctuaries.
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View BookKhao Sok National Park, Thailand
Khao Sok is Thailand’s largest virgin forest. The breathtaking natural scenery of limestone cliffs, lush jungle and placid waterways is home to numerous exotic animal and plant species. Kayaking or canoeing the scenic Sok river is a relaxing way to experience the park’s natural wonders and offers opportunities to spot long-tail macaque monkeys swinging from the trees.
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View BookFiordland, New Zealand
Dominated by towering peaks, lush forests and reflective water, the Fiordland National Park is New Zealand at its most epic. It’s an area that can only be described with superlatives – its scale is vast, its mountains are sky-grazing and its fiords will take your breath away. The Fiordland features unique flora and fauna, including the Fiordland-crested penguin, and is home to the iconic Milford Sound.
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View BookKakadu National Park, Australia
With its thundering waterfalls, long twisting rivers and vast flood plains, Kakadu National Park is one of Australia’s most extraordinary places. An important cultural site, ancient rock art of indigenous peoples, some more than 20,000 years old, can be viewed at natural galleries. The park is also the best place in Australia for bird watching.
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View BookPlitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Formed over thousands of years by the constant flow of water, Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia is famous for its bewitching leafy landscapes. The park is made up of 16 emerald lakes intertwined by snaking footbridges that allow visitors to get up close to the crashing waterfalls.
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View BookTriglav National Park, Slovenia
Slovenia’s only national park is centred on the country’s highest mountain, Triglav. Encompassing verdant valleys, deep-blue lakes and soaring peaks, the park is an alpine paradise. One of the area's most captivating sights is the Valley of the Triglav Lakes, a sequence of seven glacial lakes surrounded by spruce trees and boulders.
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View BookRead next
Urban adventures: 7 cities with nature on their doorstep
It’s no secret that America’s national parks are home to incredible natural wonders and world-class hiking and biking trails. But plenty of cities are a gateway to the great outdoors too.