2. Heart Island, Galesnjak, Croatia
View of Heart Island, Galesnjak, Croatia. The privately-owned island is one of the world's few naturally occurring heart-shaped objects. (paulprescott72/Thinkstock)
Mother Nature has a romantic side, and it shows in these spectacular natural displays of hearts all over the world. This Valentine's Day, explore the stunning heart-shaped islands and lakes dotting the Earth from a sun-drenched island resort in Fiji to a small lake high in the Swiss Alps.
1. Galesnjak, Croatia
View of Heart Island, Galesnjak, Croatia. The privately-owned island is one of the world's few naturally occurring heart-shaped objects.
Located in the deep-blue waters of the Adriatic Sea, the private, heart-shaped island of Galesnjak, located in Zadarski Kanal between Zadar and the Island of Pasmanin Croatia, came to the attention of romantics everywhere via Google Earth. It wasn't long before the owner of the uninhabited islandwas swamped with requests from couples to stay there, according to the Telegraph. As the most perfectly heart-shaped island in the world, Galesnjak, also known as Lover's Island, may serve as a romantic wedding venue (the island is available for bookings). But it won't be convenient: The tiny island is completely deserted, containing only wildvegetationand untouched beech forest, according to the official website.
2. Tupai, French Polynesia
A tiny atoll located just north of Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Tupai is a popular wedding spot and romantic getaway.
It's a common misconception that Tahiti is a heart-shaped island. But what many people may have been referring to is the heart-shaped atoll of Tupai in the island chain of Tahiti. For years, visitors (mostly couples) to French Polynesia only had the opportunity to fly Tupai via helicopter but Air Tahiti now offers flights to and from the island, according to GoTahiti.com. Tupai, about 11 miles to the north of Bora Bora, is fast becoming a popular wedding (and engagement) spot, with aerial tours and diving day trips also available. If you just want a glimpse of this romantic island, make sure to sit on the right side of the plane when departing Bora Bora.
3. Trnovacko Lake, Montenegro
View of the Trnovacko Lake lake in northern Montenegro, best known for its heart-like shape. The area is popular with local summer campers.
Located at the Bosnian-Montenegro border, Trnovacko Lake's beautiful heart shape makes itone of the most photographed locationsin the region, according to the Cross-Border National Parks website. The green-blue lake is 2,300 ft long and 1,300 ft wide set amidst a "huge amphitheatre of rocky peaks." The lake is drained from the Maglic, the Volujak and the Bioc hill ranges. According toLonely Planet: Western Balkans, the lake and its surrounding areas arepopular with local campers in the summer. There are several large beaches and a beech forest that provide shade during the hot summer days.
4. Heart Reef, Australia
Aerial view of the Heart Reef, a heart-shaped coral reef in the Coral Sea, in the Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Heart Reef,a beautiful composition of coral that has naturally formed into the shape of a heart in the Whitsunday Islands in Australia, is perhaps the most photographed location of the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays' most recognized attraction. It is best experienced from the air by helicopter or seaplane, as visitors are unable to snorkel or dive there due to its protected status, according to Live Science.
5. Lago di Tom, Switzerland
View of the Lago di Tom in the Piora Valley, in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland.
Lago di Tom is one of the main lakes in the Piora Valley,inTicino, Switzerland. Surrounded by the green peaks of the Ticenese Alps, the lake is one of the region's most scenic views, making it a popular hike.Aside from the heart-shaped wonder, however,tourists visit the valley for another rarity: local Alpine cheese, which is produced from the milk of cows that spent the summer high up on the mountains, according to the official website of Switzerland Tourism.
6. Tavarua, Fiji
Tavarua is a heart shaped island resort in Fiji known for its seven main surfing breaks. The island hosts annual professional surfing competitions.
The heart-shaped island resort of Tavarua in Fiji is considered one of the world's best surfing destinations. It's known as home to one of the most famous breaks in the surfing worldCloubreak. With waves breaking in the 10-20ft range, the island attracts surfers from all over the world. Located close to the main Fijian island, Viti Levu, and surrounded by a coral reef, Tavarua also offers a variety of vacation activities such as sport fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling and kayaking.
7. Coeur de Voh, New Caledonia
View of the Coeur de Voh, a natural large formation of mangrove vegetation that resembles a heart and can be seen only from above.
New Caledonia's Coeur de Voh, a large landscape formation of mangrove vegetation with a heart shape that can be seen only from above, was made famous byYann-Arthus Bertrand, who used an aerial photograph of the mangrove in his book"The Earth from Above."But its image constantly changes. As the mangrove vegetation changes,the colours and textures of the formation also change over time, according toKaren McKee of the U.S. Geological Survey - National Wetlands Research Center. Few people have seen the Coeur de Voh up close but in December 2012, a group of mangrove experts visited the location. They had to pass through a tangled forest of Rhizophoratrees to get there, but they found the area teeming with rich wildlife, such as mudskippers and tree-climbing crabs. The experts believe climate change may affect the heart shape of the Coeur de Voh in the future, however. With rising sea levels,Rhizophora trees may dominate the formationand obliterate the heart border and shape, according to a video produced by McKee.
8. Island near Port Chalmers, Alaska
Aerial view of a heart-shaped island near the Port Chalmers area, hidden in the beautiful fjords of Alaska.
While one may not be able to visit this heart-shaped island, lovers can enjoy this amazing aerial photograph taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Located at Port Chalmers in Alaska, the tiny islanddisplays the colour banding ofvarious bands of marine and terrestrial flora, according to NOAA.
9. Lake Antrona, Piedmont, Italy
A general view shows the heart-shaped lake of Antrona, nothern Italy, on September 22, 2014, near Antrona Piana.
The heart-shaped lake of Antrona in Piedmont in northern Italy is a popular hike. Visitors can walk around this jewel in about an hour and it's fringed with numerous wondersfrom a picturesque waterfall to charming bridges and tunnels. It's also surrounded by some of the best mountain views of the region.
10.Lough Ouler, Wicklow Mountains, Ireland
Located in Ireland's Wicklow Mountains National Park, Lough Ouler is a lake formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier.
Located in Ireland's Wicklow Mountains National Park, Lough Ouler is a lakeformed in a cirque excavated by a glacier.The name 'Ouler' was derived from 'Iolar,' Irish for eagle, suggesting that eagles were seen here in the past. The lake is enclosed on the east side by a series of moraines which allow only a small stream to flow out of the lake to join the Glenmacnass River, according to the official website for the Wicklow Mountains National Park.
11.St. Paul's Bay, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece
View of St. Pauls Bay, located just south of Lindos on the southeast coast of Rhodes, Greece.
The heart-shaped St. Paul's Bay in Lindos, on the southeast coast of Rhodes in Greece is one of the most beautiful bays on the island, featuring a stunning, sandy beach, turquoise-blue waters, and majestic views. It is believedthat St. Paul came here in the year 51 AD to preach Christianity to the Rhodians. A small church built on the hillside to commemorate the visit has become a popular wedding venue, mainly because of the picturesque views of the bay and Lindos Acropolis visitors can enjoy from the site.
12.Llynnau Cwm Silyn, Snowdonia, Wales
The heart-shaped Llynnau Cwm Silyn (and its nearby twin lake Cwm Dulyn) is an inviting swimming hole, with clear, blue waters perfect for a refreshing dip after a hike.
Snowdonia in Wales boasts a magnificent landscape of mountains, valleys and forests dominated by the parks namesake peak. But it's also home to the Snowdonia National Park and stunning, sparkling lakes. One of these lakes, the heart-shapedLlynnau Cwm Silyn (and its nearby twin lake Cwm Dulyn)is an inviting swimming hole, with clear, blue waters perfect for a refreshing dip after a hike.
13.Lake Calvaresc, Switzerland
Located about 7,000 feet up the Calanca Mountain Trail between the Calanca and Mesolcina Valleys in the Swiss Alps, Lake Calvaresc is a stunning pool of water surrounded by scenic mountains views.
Located about 7,000 feet up the Calanca Mountain Trail between the Calanca and Mesolcina Valleys in the Swiss Alps, Lake Calvaresc is a stunning pool of water surrounded by scenic mountains views. Most hikers reach this beautiful, heart-shaped lake after three-day hiking trek from San Bernadino, staying in mountain huts along the way, according to Inhabitat.
14. Lake Heart, Khamar-Daban Mountains, Russia
A small, heart-shaped lake is seen near Russias Lake Baikal.
Trekkers to the Khamar-Daban mountains, a mountain range near Baikal Mountains in Siberia, Russia, and the Chersky Peak are rewarded by spectacular views of the massive, ancient Lake Baikal and Lake Heart, a small but stunning lake named for its romantic shape, on the mountain valley. Several tour companies offer guided treks of the Khamar-Daban mountains.
15.Heart-Shaped Lake, Tien Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan
A majestic heart-shaped mountain lake is seen in Tien Shan mountains, Kyrgyzstan.
The Tien Shan mountains, also known as "Heaven's Mountains," in Kyrgyzstan's easternmost tip are home to the breathtaking landscape of towering peaks and hanging glaciers. The region is also home to iceberg-filled lakes, including a turquoise-blue heart-shaped gem.
16.Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, Brazil
The heart-shaped Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon is photographed at dusk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2019.
A lagoon in the district of Lagoa in the Zona Sul (South Zone) area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon is also called the "heart of Rio de Janeiro" due to its shape.Connected to the Atlantic Ocean, allowing seawater to enter by a canal along the edge of a park, the lagoon also serves as a recreational area for local residents, with nearly three miles of bike and jogging trails, and boathouses for rowing, according to Viator Travel.
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