It’s not written in stone (be it the glow-in-the-dark variety or otherwise) that an earthly location so weirdly bizarre it borders on the otherwordly must have an unpronounceable name, but it certainly adds to the mystique. See what our tripping tongues are talking about below with our 15 Alien Places on Planet Earth.

1. Spotted Lake, Osoyoos, Canada

Spotted Lake is a saline endorheic alkali lake located northwest of Osoyoos in the eastern Similkameen Valley of British Columbia, Canada.

Spotted Lake to the west of Osoyoos, Canada. Large “spots” on the lake appear and are colored according to the mineral composition and seasonal amount of precipitation.

2. Rio Tinto, Spain

Rio Tinto, Spain. Image: wallup.net
Image: wallup.net

Rio Tinto, Spain. Its deep reddish hue is due to iron dissolved in the water.

3. Puna Grasslands, Peru

Yareta
Image: Public Domain.

Yareta is a tiny flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to South America, occurring in the Puna grasslands of the Andes at between 3200 and 4500 metres altitude.

4. Richat Structure, Mauritania

The Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara and Guelb er Richat, is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara near Ouadane, west–central Mauritania. Image: NASA / ISS
Image: NASA / ISS

The Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara and Guelb er Richat, is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara near Ouadane, west–central Mauritania.

5. Toyama Bay, Japan

Image: photohito.k-img.com
Source: photohito.k-img.com

Glowing Squid at Toyama Bay, Japan.

6. Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA

Fly Geyser
Fly Ranch Geyser is a man-made small geothermal geyser located in Washoe County, Nevada. Image: Reddit

Fly Ranch Geyser is a man-made small geothermal geyser located in Washoe County, Nevada.

7. Door to Hell, Turkmenistan

Door To Hell
Source: remotelands.com

‘Door to Hell’ is a natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan, that collapsed into an underground cavern in 1971.

8. Socotra, Yemen

Dracaena Cinnabari Trees on Socotra, a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Socotra is part of Yemen. Image: Tripadvisor.com
Source: tripadvisor.com

Dracaena Cinnabari Trees on Socotra, a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Socotra is part of Yemen.

9. Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madagascar. Image: BBC Travel.
Source: BBC Travel.

Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madagascar.

10. Obir Dripstone Caves, Austria

Image: hoehlen.at
Source: hoehlen.at

The famous Obir dripstone caves in Austria.

11: Staffa, Scotland, UK

The Fingal's Cave on Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Image: National Geographic.
Source: National Geographic.

The Fingal’s Cave on Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

12. Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland

Giant Ice Cave under the Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland. Image: Julien Ratel
Source: Julien Ratel

Giant Ice Cave under the Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland.

13. Naica Caves, Mexico

Image: thousandwonders.net

The Naica Caves of Chihuahua, Mexico, is the largest crystal cave ever found.

14. Baikal Lake, Russia

Image: Alexey Trofimov

Emerald Ice on Baikal Lake, Russia.

15. Waitomo Caves, New Zealand

Image: Shaun Jeffers

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves at Waitomo on the North Island of New Zealand is known for its population of glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa.