15 Mysterious Travel Destinations to Visit if You’re into Highly Curious Events!

Let’s celebrate the weird, the unexplained, and the downright bizarre! If you’re the type of traveler who’d rather chase UFO sightings than sit on a beach, you’re in luck: the world is full of places where science takes a backseat and mystery rides shotgun.

Here are 15 destinations where strange things happen and nobody can quite explain why.

1. The Bermuda Triangle, Atlantic Ocean

You know this one. The Bermuda Triangle has swallowed ships and planes since people started keeping track. This stretch of ocean between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico has racked up dozens of disappearances that still baffle investigators. While scientists point to methane bubbles and magnetic anomalies, the mystery continues to draw in curious travelers. You can book boat tours and flights that pass right through the zone if you’re feeling bold!

2. Hessdalen Valley, Norway

Strange lights dance across the sky in this Norwegian valley, and they’ve been doing it for decades. The Hessdalen lights appear as floating orbs of white, yellow, and red that hover, zip around, and vanish without explanation. Scientists have set up monitoring stations, but they still can’t pin down what causes them. The valley is remote but accessible, and locals will tell you the best spots to watch for the phenomenon.

3. Magnetic Hill, Moncton, Canada

Park your car at the bottom of this hill, put it in neutral, and watch it roll uphill. Magnetic Hill in New Brunswick defies what your eyes tell you about gravity. The optical illusion is so convincing that you’ll swear something supernatural is happening. It’s become a full-blown tourist attraction with a visitor center and detailed explanations of the science behind it, but experiencing it yourself still feels like magic.

4. Area 51, Nevada, USA

The US government has finally admitted that Area 51 exists, but that hasn’t stopped speculation. This military base in the Nevada desert is a hotspot for UFO enthusiasts who believe the government is hiding extraterrestrial technology. You can’t get inside the gates, but you can drive the Extraterrestrial Highway, visit the alien-themed towns nearby, and stand at the boundary markers where security will politely but firmly turn you around.

5. Devil’s Kettle, Minnesota, USA

Half of the Brule River pours into a pothole and disappears. The Devil’s Kettle at Judge C.R. Magney State Park has stumped geologists for years. Where does the water go? Recent research suggests it rejoins the river downstream, but for decades, people dumped dye, ping pong balls, and logs into the hole, and nothing ever came out. The hike to see it is gorgeous, and standing at the edge of the kettle still gives you that “wait, what?” feeling.

6. Nazca Lines, Peru

Giant geoglyphs carved into the desert floor 2,000 years ago depict animals, plants, and geometric shapes that you can only fully appreciate from the air. The Nazca Lines span over 280 square miles, and archaeologists still debate why ancient people created them. Were they astronomical calendars? Religious symbols? Alien landing strips? You can take scenic flights over the lines or climb the observation tower for a partial view.

7. Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, USA

Rocks move across the desert floor on their own, leaving long trails behind them. For decades, Racetrack Playa baffled scientists who couldn’t catch the stones in motion. Recent research revealed that thin sheets of ice form overnight, and wind pushes the ice with the rocks embedded in it. But seeing those tracks stretching across the cracked earth still feels otherworldly. The playa requires a high-clearance vehicle and a long drive on rough roads.

8. Crooked Forest, Poland

About 400 pine trees grow with a sharp 90-degree bend at their base before straightening out. The Crooked Forest near Gryfino was planted in the 1930s, and every tree curves in the same direction. Theories range from heavy snow damage to human manipulation for furniture making, but no one knows for sure. The forest is small and easy to visit, and walking among the curved trunks feels like stepping into a fairy tale.

9. Eternal Flame Falls, New York, USA

A natural gas leak keeps a flame burning behind a waterfall in Chestnut Ridge Park. The Eternal Flame Falls rarely goes out, and when it does, visitors can relight it. Geologists are still studying why gas seeps from this particular spot when the rock shouldn’t be producing it. The hike is short and moderately difficult, and you’ll want to bring a lighter just in case the flame needs relighting.

10. Lake Natron, Tanzania

This blood-red lake in Tanzania turns animals into stone. Well, sort of. Lake Natron has such high alkalinity that it calcifies any creatures that die in its waters, preserving them in eerie detail. The lake’s crimson color is attributed to salt-loving microorganisms, and the water can reach temperatures of up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s remote and difficult to access, but photographers flock here for the otherworldly landscape and flamingo populations.

• Want to know more about how nature can preserve the dead in unexpected ways? Read this!

11. Sailing Stones Valley, Romania

Like Death Valley’s moving rocks, stones in Romania’s Costeşti village seem to grow and move on their own. The trovants are spherical rocks that locals swear get bigger after it rains. Scientists explain it as mineral deposits cementing sand together, but the phenomenon still attracts curious visitors. The stones are scattered across the countryside, and some weigh several tons.

12. Blood Falls, Antarctica

A five-story waterfall of blood-red water pours from the Taylor Glacier. Blood Falls looks like something from a horror movie, but the color comes from iron-rich saltwater that’s been trapped under the glacier for millions of years. When it oxidizes upon contact with air, it turns rust-red. The isolated location makes this one of the harder destinations to reach, but Antarctic cruises occasionally pass by.

13. Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand

Giant spherical stones litter Koekohe Beach like dragon eggs waiting to hatch. The Moeraki Boulders formed millions of years ago from minerals that crystallized around a core, but Māori legend says they’re the remains of eel baskets and gourds from a legendary canoe wreck. Some boulders reach over six feet in diameter and weigh several tons. The beach is easily accessible and perfect for photography.

14. Spotted Lake, British Columbia, Canada

This lake transforms into a polka-dotted landscape every summer. Spotted Lake contains high concentrations of minerals that crystallize as water evaporates, creating hundreds of colored pools separated by walkways of hardened minerals. The Okanagan Nation considers it sacred, and while you can’t walk on it, you can view it from the highway. Each spot contains different minerals, giving them yellow, green, and blue hues.

15. Mystery Spot, California, USA

Gravity goes haywire in this small redwood grove where people lean at impossible angles and balls roll uphill. The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz has been baffling visitors since 1939. Skeptics say it’s all optical illusions and clever construction, but your brain won’t believe that when you’re standing inside. The tilted cabin and peculiar demonstrations make for a fun and disorienting experience that has been a California roadside attraction for decades.

Pick a mystery, pack your bags, and see if you can solve what scientists haven’t. Just don’t blame us if you come back with more questions than answers!

About the Author

Originally from Indiana, Heather believes every destination has a story worth telling and a reason to visit. With a deep love of adventure, history, and psychology, she shares travel trivia, tips, and inspiration to encourage you to explore the world with curiosity and optimism. Read her other articles on Frayed Passport here.

Featured image by Bruce Warrington on Unsplash