10 Incredible Canyons or Gorges In The World

Canyons or gorges are deep ravines between cliffs or mountain peaks, generally carved by the wearing activity of rivers, because of their natural tendency to cut through the surface upon which they flow, thus eroding the underlying layers of rocks. There are mainly two kinds of canyons like wide box canyons and the narrow slot canyons. Let us take a look at 10 incredible canyons or gorges in the world.

10 Incredible Canyons or Gorges In The World

10. Fish River Canyon, Namibia

The Fish River Canyon is located in south Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa, and is a huge tourist attraction who visit to witness its immensity and grandeur. It features a great ravine of about 160 km length, 27 km width and 550 m depth. There is a hot springs resort at the lower end of the canyon. Some parts of the canyon is privately owned. The canyon contains small amounts of water.

9. Grand Canyon, Arizona USA

The Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona, America, and is one of the most incredible canyons in the world. Formed by the erosive action of the Colorado River for millions of years, it has a depth of over 1.6 km and a length of 446 km. What attracts tourists to this spot is the overall immensity of the canyon, its intricate landscape and the colourful vistas, all hard to find elsewhere in the world. 

8. Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Iceland

Fjaðrárgljúfur is located in south east Iceland, is one of the most gorgeous canyons in the world. It has a depth of up to 100 m, and its length is approximately 2 km. This gorge has the Fjaðrá River flowing through it, and was created by the progressive erosion caused by the water from the glaciers flowing cutting through the rocks and palagonite for millennia. Tourists visit it to enjoy the view.

7. Blyde River Canyon, South Africa

The Blyde River Canyon, located in Mpumalanga of South Africa, is one of the most picturesque canyons in the world. In fact, it is considered a significant natural feature. It is 25 km long and about 750 m deep on an average, and is perhaps the world’s largest green canyon. Consisting mostly of sandstone, it supports a wide variety of flora and fauna, and is protected by the Nature Reserve.

6. Gorges Du Verdon, France

The Verdon Gorge in the southeast of France is one of the most amazing gorges in the world. It is a river canyon that is often dubbed as the most beautiful one in the whole of Europe. It has a depth of 700 m and a length of 25 km. The erosive action of the Verdon River, noted for its turquoise-green water, formed the gorge, and together, they form the most distinguishing feature of the location.

5. Tiger Leaping Gorge, China

The Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest and most scenic gorges in the world, located on the Jinsha River, near Lijian City of Yunnan in China. It has a maximum depth of 3790 meters, from the river to the peak. It is a spectacularly large gorge, and the Naxi people are the inhabitants in this gorge, living in a handful of small hamlets, and living on grains as well as foreign hikers in the gorge. See also; Top 10 Natural Arches in the World.

4. Bryce Canyon, USA

The Bryce Canyon of Utah, US, looks like a natural amphitheatre, with columns made of limestone, called hoodoo. It came into focus as one of the most stunning canyons in the world at the start of the 1900s, when its unearthly vista was described in magazines and newspapers. Its rim varies from 2400 to 2700 metres. Though hard to access, it is a popular stargazing spot with a view of 7400 stars. 

3. Kali Gandaki Gorge, Nepal

The Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal, one of the most wonderful gorges in the world, was formed by the Kali Gandaki, or Gandaki River in the Himalayas. Some records define it as the world’s deepest gorge, with a depth of 5571 lower than Annapurna I at a point between Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri, where its elevation is 2520 m. Known for shaligram fossils, it is a trade route between India and Nepal. See also; Top 10 Most Magical Places in Asia.

2. Indus Gorge, Pakistan

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The Indus Gorge in Pakistan is considered the deepest, and one of the most incredible gorges in the world. The Indus River being one of the major rivers in Asia and the most important river of Pakistan, it cuts to a depth of about 4500-5200 metres along its course near the Nanga Parbat massif as it passes the Nanga Parbat, and thus forms gigantic gorges, exposing the middle and lower crusts.

1. Antelope Canyon, USA

The Antelope Canyon is perhaps the most visited and most photographed of all the incredible canyons in the world, noted for the uniquely shaped rocks with the flowing patterns in beautiful colours. Located in the southwest of America, close to Page. It was formed by the erosion of the Navajo Sandstone, primarily because of flash flooding and secondarily due to sub-aerial processes.

There are several other such gorgeous canyons or gorges in the world. Some of them are frequently visited by tourists from all over the globe, while others are still untouched and unspoilt. All in all, these gorges or canyons are among the most stunning of the naturally formed landforms on earth.