Sometimes,
it’s not about the destination, but the journey and when it comes
to these ten magnificently jaw-dropping highways, we couldn’t agree
more. So what are you waiting for? Hop in that car, roll down those
windows and cruise along some the world’s most beautiful
highways.
Winding through Fiordland National Park, the heart of the Southern
Alps, visitors will find this stunning 144 mile-long road. The road
is part of State Highway 94 and connects the town, Te Anau with
Milford Sound- a place some will recognize as one of the filming
locations for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Along the scenic
Milford Road, travelers will get to see lush rainforests, crystal
clear lakes and waterfalls as well as the Fiordland National
Park.
At elevations ranging from 5,000 to over 9,000 feet above sea
level, Scenic Highway 12 curves 124 miles throughout the rugged
landscape of southwestern Utah. The highway took nearly four
decades to build and spans the area between Bryce Canyon and
Capitol Reef National Parks. If you plan on traveling this way, you
can access the highway from either US 89 or Highway 12. As you
drive along, take some time to check out popular tourist
destinations along the way, such as the Dixie National Forest, the
Kodachrome Basin State Park, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument and the Anasazi State Park Museum.
Extending to just over seven miles long and snaking to the top of
UAE’s second highest peak, the Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road gives
visitors panoramic views of the town, Al Ain, below. The road
carves a path through a mountain of limestone and ends at the
mountain’s peak, where visitors can access a hotel as well as a
restaurant.
Breathe in the crisp salty air and witness nature at its best as
you drive along the rugged southeastern coast of Australia. The
Great Ocean Road runs from Torquay to Warrnambool in the state of
Victoria and offers dramatic, breathtaking coastal views. Along the
route, there are museums, restaurants and beaches, as well as whale
lookouts and surf spots. The road also passes by Apollo Bay,
Shipwreck Coast, the Great Otway National Park and the Twelve
Apostles--a collection
of limestone stacks right on the shoreline.
Built
in the 1930’s, the Overseas Highway follows the path of a now
obsolete railroad track that once crossed over the Florida Keys.
Today, the 113-mile Overseas Highway operates as the southernmost
leg of US 1 and extends from mainland Florida to Key West. As the
highway skips from island to island, drivers get a full view of the
magnificent, turquoise waters surrounding them.
Located in northern Italy near the Swiss border, Stelvio Pass is
one of the most visited and dangerous roads in the world. It was
built in the 1820’s and is now the highest drivable pass in the
Eastern Alps, zigzagging to just over 9,000 feet above sea level.
The road, which features 60 hairpin turns, is a popular route for
bicycle races and motorcycle rallies as well.
Deemed a National Tourist Route, the striking Atlantic Roadway is a
must-see. The five-mile route is a part of Norwegian National Road
64 and leapfrogs from island to island, connecting the towns of
Kristiansund and Molde in midwestern Norway. The road first opened
in 1989 and now features four view and rest areas to accommodate
the large amounts of tourists that come to view the picturesque
route.
At 185 miles long, the Cabot Trail curls around the northern tip of
Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. The road brings travelers through lush
green forests that in the fall transform into a breathtaking sea of
reds, oranges and yellows as the leaves change colors. Along the
route, drivers will come across an abundance of restaurants,
museums, galleries as well as hiking and snowmobiling
paths.
If tight turns and heights make you sick, you might want to skip
this road. Col de Turini coils through the Alpes-Maritimes in the
south of France and reaches an elevation of 5,200 feet. The
dizzying road, which ends in Sospel, is built on retaining walls
and is often used for the popular Monte Carlo Rally car race. It
has also made appearances in another popular road race, the Tour de
France.
Ruta 40 is a classic road in western Argentina, stretching all the
way from Puna to Cabo Virgins. It’s an incredible 3,045 miles long,
and not surprisingly, is the longest road in Argentina. Running
parallel to the Andes, Ruta 40 reaches almost 16,000 above sea
level and crosses 236 bridges, 18 major rivers, 13 great lakes and
20 reservations and national parks. Throughout the journey, drivers
may cross over some unpaved roads and through some extremely remote
areas.