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Percé Rock, Canada -

This massive sheer rock formation in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, off Percé Bay, is one of the largest natural arches located on water.

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Rainbow Bridge, USA -

Rainbow Bridge National Monument in southern Utah stands 88 m (290 ft)—one of the tallest natural bridges in the world.

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Moon Hill, China -

Featuring one of the most breathtaking of natural arches found anywhere, Moon Hill outside Yangshuo in southern China's Guangxi autonomous prefecture is a popular tourist attraction. Steps lead up the arch itself, after which the more intrepid can trek to the summit.

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Durdle Door, England -

One of the most iconic natural wonders in the United Kingdom is Durdle Door, a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset, England.

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Étretat, France -

The chalk cliffs at Étretat on France's Normandy coast include three natural arches including one called The Manneporte, which features in a painting by Claude Monet (1840–1926).

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Elephant Trunk Hill, China -

Besides serving as a landmark tourist attraction, Elephant Trunk Hill in Guilin, Guangxi region, is the symbol of Guilin, which uses Elephant Trunk Mountain and the osmanthus flower as its city emblem.

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Delicate Arch, USA -

The 16-m-tall (52 ft) Delicate Arch in Utah's Arches National Park is the most widely recognized landmark in the region. It's formed from entrada sandstone.

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Nature's Window, Australia -

Nature's Window is one of Western Australia's most iconic natural attractions, and wins hands down for the perfectly framed upstream view of the Murchison River.

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Aloba Arch, Chad -

Remote Chad in north-central Africa is home to the impressive Aloba Arch, set on the Ennedi Plateau within the Sahara Desert. At an impressive 120 m (394 ft), it towers over the more famous Rainbow Bridge in America and is one of the tallest known arches in the world.

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Arco Naturale, Italy -

Arco Naturale on the east coast of Capri is actually the remains of a collapsed grotto. It's one of the most photographed of the island's scenic landmarks.

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Hvítserkur, Iceland -

This basalt sea stack juts 15 m (50 ft) out of the water on the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula, in northwest Iceland. Viewed in silhouette, this ancient volcanic fragment appears like a giant beast taking a drink.

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North Window, USA -

Another spectacular eye-opener in Arches National Park, North Window is accessible by following a looped trail that also takes in South Window and Turret Arch. 

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Pont d’Arc, France -

Pont d'Arc is a natural bridge that spans the Ardèche river in southern France. The location is a favorite with canoeists and kayakers, who paddle under the impressive landmark to enter the Ardèche Canyon.

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Ear of the Wind Arch, USA -

Ear of the Wind is what's known as a pothole natural arch, eroded in DeChelly sandstone. It's located in  Arizona within the boundaries of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, and a Navajo guide is required for any visitation.

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El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, Mexico -

El Arco de Cabo San Lucas is the distinctive limestone rock formation that erupts from the sea at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas, itself the extreme southern end of Mexico's Baja California.

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Natural Bridges State Beach, USA -

California's Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz is so named for the natural bridge straddling a section of sand. The mudstone bridge—the last of three that used to stand here—attracts thousands of monarch butterflies during the October–February migration period.

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Landscape Arch, USA -

The longest of the numerous rock formations found in Arches National Park in Utah, the aptly named Landscape Arch spans 88 m (290 ft). In fact, it is the fifth-longest natural arch in the world, after four arches in China.

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London Arch, Australia -

London Arch in Victoria's Port Campbell National Park still provides an impressive outlook even after the collapse of the span closer to the shoreline. Then it was called London Bridge because of its similarity to its namesake.

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Kolob Arch, USA -

Slightly shorter than Landscape Arch but no less impressive, Kolob Arch in Utah's Zion National Park can be reached by hiking trails that bring you near to the cliffside that it frames.

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Pigeon Rock, Lebanon -

Set just off the coast of Raouché, a residential and commercial neighborhood of Beirut, is Pigeon Rock. The natural landmark is said to be the remains of a sea monster the Greek hero Perseus killed to save Andromeda. The legend suggests Perseus used Medusa's head on the creature to turn it into stone.

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Shipton's Arch, China -

Also known as Tushuk Tash, this is believed to be the highest natural arch in the world after a National Geographic team measured the arch at 365 m (1,200 ft).  It's named for English mountaineer Eric Shipton (1907–1977) who first reported it to the West in 1947. It's located near the village of Artux in China's isolated Kizilsu Kirghiz autonomous prefecture.

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Pedra Furada, Brazil -

Brazil's stunning Pedra Furada natural arch is best viewed from the summit of Morro da Igreja, which overlooks this singular rock formation, the name of which translates as "drilled stone." Morro da Igreja, which stands in Santa Catarina state, can be reached by vehicle from the town of Urubici.

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Sipapu Natural Bridge, USA -

Spanning White Canyon is the largest of the natural bridges in southeast Utah's Natural Bridges National Monument—Sipapu. It's an especially alluring destination for hikers in that the arch has an active trail running beneath it where the view skywards is absolutely breathtaking.

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Stevens Arch, USA -

Seemingly punched out of solid rock, this incredible shelter arch is one of the great showstoppers of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. It's named for Steven Canyon and can be reached by following Coyote Gulch— itself one of the premier backpacking destinations in the country.

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Tianmen Mountain, China -

The natural arch that punches a hole through the base of Tianmen Mountain at Zhangjiajie, in the northwestern part of Hunan province, is reached by following a steep set of stairs that form part of a temple complex.

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Aiguille Percée, France -

The most rewarding way of admiring this stunning natural arch in the French Alps near Tignes is by skiing through it. Its name translates to English as "pierced spire," and it looks pretty dramatic in summer too, when it can be hiked from mid-July to late September.

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Ponta da Piedade Arch, Portugal -

The fantastic caves and grottos that form Ponta da Piedade near Lagos in Portugal's Algarve region include a wonderful gingerbread-like arch that you canoe under as you paddle your way around an amazing sun-soaked watercourse.

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Okno Ohniste, Slovakia -

The name of the largest arch in Slovakia translates into English as "fireplace window." It's embedded in a cliff face west of the summit called Ohniste in the Low Tartra mountains.

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Great Pollet Arch, Ireland -

A trek along the Wild Atlantic Way in County Donegal is rewarded by inspiring views of Great Pollet Arch, Ireland's largest sea arch.

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Natural Arch, Saudi Arabia -

Located in a pocket of the Tuwaiq Escarpment about 150 km (93 mi) south of Riyadh near the town of al-Hareeg is the little-visited Natural Arch, or Abu Marhroog. It has a span of about 48 m (160 ft). 

Sources: (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (Britannica) (Far West China)

See also: Famous sites to see before they disappear from Earth

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