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Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile

“Looking across the lake from the Explora Lodge you see one of the most magnificent mountainscapes in the world,” says Friedman, citing his favorite spot from which to take in this, one of the newest and grandest parks in South America, and a UNESCO World Heritage Reserve. The 598,000-acre park, tucked at the far south end of the Andes, offers stunning mix of landscapes and fauna, making it a gem. Say the folks at Geographic Expeditions (who had it on their shortlist, too): “Paine’s unique physical attributes of glaciers, lakes, gnarled Magellanic trees, and dramatic mountains offer some of the most awe-inspiring hiking in the world.”

-Forbes