The most beautiful natural arch in the world is Delicate Arch in Utah, USA – a freestanding 52-foot sandstone arch perched on the edge of a slickrock bowl with the La Sal Mountains behind it. But the planet has dozens of world-class arches, from a hole punched through a Chinese mountain to a Saharan giant in Chad. Here are the 12 best, with exactly where they are, when to go, and how to reach each one.
| Arch | Country | Best season | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delicate Arch | USA | Apr-May, Sep-Oct | Freestanding icon, sunset glow |
| Durdle Door | England | May-Sep | Limestone sea arch on a swimmable beach |
| Pont d’Arc | France | Jun, Sep | You can canoe under it |
| Pravcicka Brana | Czech Republic | May-Jun, Sep | Europe’s largest sandstone arch |
| El Arco de Cabo San Lucas | Mexico | Dec-Apr | Granite arch where two seas meet |
| Tianmen Cave | China | Apr-May, Sep-Oct | Colossal hole through a mountain |
| Aloba Arch | Chad | Nov-Feb | Saharan giant almost nobody sees |
| Rainbow Bridge | USA | Apr-Oct | One of the largest natural bridges on Earth |
| Hole in the Rock | New Zealand | Dec-Mar | Boats sail straight through it |
| London Arch | Australia | Dec-Feb | Great Ocean Road drama with a wild backstory |
| Legzira Beach Arch | Morocco | Mar-May, Sep-Nov | Red sandstone arch glowing at sunset |
| Dyrholaey | Iceland | Jun-Aug | Black lava arch with puffin colonies |
1. Delicate Arch, USA
A lone 52-foot sandstone arch standing on the rim of a smooth rock amphitheater, so photogenic it appears on Utah license plates. It sits in Arches National Park, about 15 minutes north of Moab, Utah. Reaching it means a 3-mile round-trip hike with roughly 480 feet of climbing over open slickrock – there is no shade, so carry water. From April through October the park requires a timed-entry reservation booked in advance on recreation.gov, on top of the normal entrance fee. Go in spring or fall and time your hike so you arrive about an hour before sunset, when the arch turns deep orange. Insider tip: hike back down with a headlamp and you will have the trail nearly to yourself.
2. Durdle Door, England
A clean limestone sea arch rising straight out of the English Channel on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage stretch of coastline. It sits below the chalk headland near West Lulworth, about 2.5 hours from London. Access is free: park at Lulworth Cove and walk about a mile over the headland, or use the Durdle Door Holiday Park car park and take the steep steps down to the shingle beach. Summer brings swimmers and paddleboarders; May, June, and September give you the beach with fewer crowds. Insider tip: around midwinter, the sunrise lines up almost perfectly through the arch, which is why photographers brave the cold December mornings here.
3. Pont d’Arc, France
A huge stone bridge, roughly 60 meters across and 54 meters high, spanning the Ardeche River in southern France. It sits just downstream of the village of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, at the entrance to the Ardeche Gorges. The classic way to experience it is from the water: dozens of local outfitters rent canoes and kayaks from spring through early autumn, and paddling beneath the arch is the highlight of the descent. You can also view it free from roadside pull-offs on the gorge road. June and September offer warm water without the peak-August crowds. Insider tip: pair it with the nearby Chauvet 2 cave, a full-scale replica of the 36,000-year-old painted cave discovered close by.
4. Pravcicka Brana, Czech Republic
The largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, spanning about 26 meters, hidden in the forested canyons of Bohemian Switzerland National Park near the German border. The trailhead is at Hrensko, roughly 1.5 hours from Prague or 45 minutes from Dresden. It is a steady uphill walk of about an hour from the road, ending at a small entry gate – a modest fee gets you onto the viewing terraces beside the 19th-century Falcon’s Nest chateau. Walking on the arch itself has been banned since 1982 to protect the soft rock. Visit in late spring or September for green forests and stable weather. Insider tip: combine it with the Kamenice River gorge boat ride nearby for a full day.
5. El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
A rugged granite arch at Land’s End, the very tip of the Baja California peninsula, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific. You cannot drive to it: take a water taxi or glass-bottom boat from the Cabo San Lucas marina, a short and cheap ride that usually includes the sea lion colony and a drop-off at Lover’s Beach beside the arch. December through April is prime time, when humpback and gray whales pass through the same waters. The light is best in the morning before wind picks up. Insider tip: agree on the round-trip price and pickup time with your water taxi before boarding – it is standard practice and avoids any awkwardness later.
6. Tianmen Cave, China
Less an arch than a cathedral-sized hole punched clean through Tianmen Mountain, near Zhangjiajie in Hunan province. The opening, known as Heaven’s Gate, is over 130 meters tall and visible from the city below. Getting there is half the spectacle: a cable car among the longest in the world climbs from downtown Zhangjiajie, and a bus route with 99 hairpin bends winds up the mountain road. The final approach is a staircase of 999 steps to the mouth of the cave (escalators through the mountain are also available). Come in April-May or September-October; summer haze and fog can swallow the view entirely. Insider tip: buy tickets early in the day – lines here rival any theme park.
7. Aloba Arch, Chad
One of the tallest natural arches on Earth, standing around 120 meters high in the Ennedi Massif of northeastern Chad, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of sandstone towers and canyons in the Sahara. There is no casual way to see it: visits require a multi-day guided 4×4 expedition from N’Djamena with a licensed operator, camping along the way. Travel is only sensible in the cool, dry season from November to February, when daytime temperatures are manageable. The reward is a world-class monument you will likely have entirely to yourself, along with prehistoric rock art scattered across the plateau. Insider tip: book with an operator that includes the Guelta d’Archei, the famous desert waterhole nearby.
8. Rainbow Bridge, USA
One of the largest known natural bridges in the world, a sweeping sandstone span rising about 290 feet over a canyon stream near Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona border. It is a National Monument and a site sacred to the Navajo and other regional tribes, so visitors are asked not to walk under or approach beyond the viewing area. Most people arrive by boat tour from Page, Arizona – a roughly half-day trip across Lake Powell followed by a walk to the viewpoint, with the walking distance varying by lake level. Hardy backpackers can instead hike in across Navajo Nation land with a tribal permit. April through October is the boating season. Insider tip: morning tours get calmer water and softer light.
9. Hole in the Rock, New Zealand
A sea arch piercing Motu Kokako (Piercy Island) off Cape Brett, at the outer edge of the Bay of Islands on New Zealand’s North Island. This one you experience by boat: cruises depart daily from Paihia and Russell, and when the swell cooperates, the skipper threads the vessel straight through the gap in the cliff – a genuinely thrilling moment. Dolphins are commonly spotted along the way. December through March, the New Zealand summer, offers the best odds of calm seas and a successful pass-through. The island itself is privately owned by Maori and landing is not permitted. Insider tip: choose a smaller, faster boat; the big catamarans cannot always fit through in marginal conditions.
10. London Arch, Australia
A limestone sea arch in Port Campbell National Park on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, a few minutes’ drive from the Twelve Apostles. It was called London Bridge until January 1990, when the span connecting it to the mainland suddenly collapsed – stranding two visitors on the new island until a helicopter rescued them. Today you view the surviving arch from clifftop platforms reached by a short, flat, free walk from the car park. December through February brings the warmest weather, but the Southern Ocean makes its own rules year-round, so pack a windproof layer. Insider tip: come for sunset, then drive five minutes to the Grotto or the Twelve Apostles while the light lasts.
11. Legzira Beach Arch, Morocco
A massive red sandstone arch standing in the Atlantic surf near Sidi Ifni in southern Morocco, about 2.5 hours south of Agadir. Legzira once had two famous arches; one collapsed in September 2016, which makes seeing the survivor feel all the more urgent. Access is simple and free: walk 20 to 30 minutes along the beach from the small cluster of guesthouses at Legzira, timing your visit for low tide so the sand route is passable. Spring and autumn offer warm days without summer’s coastal haze. The arch glows a deep rust-red in the final hour before sunset. Insider tip: stay the night in one of the cliffside guesthouses and you will have the arch at dawn with only fishermen for company.
12. Dyrholaey, Iceland
A black lava promontory on Iceland’s south coast, near the village of Vik, whose tip curls into a huge arch that the sea flows through – the name means “door hill island.” You can drive to the lower viewpoint year-round; a rougher road climbs to the lighthouse on top for the classic view over the arch, black-sand beaches, and, on clear days, the Myrdalsjokull glacier. From roughly early May to late June, parts of the headland close overnight to protect nesting puffins, so check current access before you go. Summer gives you birds and endless daylight; winter brings northern-lights potential but fierce wind. Insider tip: puffins burrow within a few meters of the paths here – no long lens required.
FAQ: Natural Arches
What is the largest natural arch in the world?
Fairy Bridge (Xianren Bridge) in Guangxi, China is generally recognized as the longest natural arch span on Earth, at roughly 120 meters, measured by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society. It is remote and usually reached by raft along the Buliu River, which is why better-connected arches like Delicate Arch and Rainbow Bridge are far more visited.
What is the difference between a natural arch and a natural bridge?
They form the same way but from different forces. A natural bridge, like Rainbow Bridge or Pont d’Arc, is carved primarily by flowing water such as a stream or river. A natural arch, like Delicate Arch, is opened by other erosion – frost, wind, and the gradual flaking of rock. Sea arches like Durdle Door are cut by waves.
Do you need a permit to see Delicate Arch?
You do not need a hiking permit, but from April through October, Arches National Park requires a timed-entry vehicle reservation booked ahead on recreation.gov, plus the standard park entrance fee. Arrivals before or after the reservation window each day can enter without one – handy for sunrise hikes.
Planning a trip around one of these arches? Before you book, check typical daily costs for each country so you know what a week on the ground will actually run you.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.