Let’s take a trip around the world to the most unique lakes. We’re going to be on 4 different continents across the world, looking at the deepest, clearest, and most beautiful lakes known to mankind. Each of the following eight lakes has unique characteristics that have landed them on this list. And now, let’s start our tour in Europe.

The Plitvice Lakes: Located in Croatia, these lakes make number one on our list as they are a series of sixteen lakes connected by waterfalls that will take your breath away. Set in the deep woodland in Croatia, the lakes and surrounding area are populated by deers, bears, wolves, boars, and rare birds. The best part of the Plitvica Lakes is their distinctive coloring. The water ranges from azure to green, grey, and blue. The colors change constantly due to the quantity of minerals in the water and the angle of sunlight. These distinctive characteristics make the Plitvica Lakes a picture perfect destination.

The Dead Sea: We’re going to the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan. Located 420 meters below sea level, the shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest point on the dry land. It is the second saltiest body of water with 30 percent salinity. This sea is over 8 times saltier than the ocean. Animals cannot flourish, and boats cannot sail. Biblically, the Dead Sea was the place of refuge for King David. The Dead Sea has been the supplier of a variety of products from balms to potash for fertilizers.

The Boiling Lake: Let’s cross over the Atlantic Ocean to Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park. The Boiling Lake is a hole in the earth’s surface around 60 meters across filled with bubbling grey and blue water. The water is enveloped in a cloud of vapor, making it a beautiful picturesque scene.

The Laguna Colorada: We’re taking it farther south to Bolivia, home of the Red Lagoon. This shallow salt lake contains borax islands colored white, which contrast perfectly with the red color of the waters. The water is red due to red sediments and pigmentation of some algae in the waters.

Crater Lake: Let’s move up north to Oregon. Oregon is home to the world’s clearest waters, Crater Lake. The lake has no inlets or tributaries which is one of the many unique factors that make it the world’s clearest water. The lake was formed around 5,677 BC by a collapsed volcano. The deepest point is over 500 meters deep, making it the deepest lake in the United States, and the ninth deepest in the world.

Five-Flower Lake: Across the Pacific, the Wuhua Hai, or Five-Flower Lake, is a charming multi-colored lake. The bottom of the lake is filled with fallen tree trunks that you can see perfectly due to the water being so clear. Located in the Jiuzhaigon National Park in China, the water of the Five-Flower Lake comes in shades of turquoise, yellow, green, and blue. Located at an elevation of 2,472 meters, the lake is below Panda Lake and above the Pearl Shoal Waterfall. Talk about a picture perfect location!

Lake Baikal: Let’s move west to the oldest and deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal of Russia. The lake is over 25 million years old. Known as the Blue Eye of Siberia, Lake Baikal contains more water than all of the Great Lakes in North America combined. It holds about twenty percent of the world’s total fresh water. The Lake is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals. Two thirds of its species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. For this, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Caspian Sea: We will end our trip in Russia at the Caspian Sea. It is the largest lake in the world, and three times the water of Lake Baikal. It is also the largest inland body of water in the world. The Caspian Sea accounts for about 44 percent of the total lacustrine waters of the world. The surface area of this sea is over 152,000 square miles, greater than the next six largest lakes combined. If you haven’t visited the Caspian Sea, you must!