2025's Best Panoramic View Lies In A Remote Spanish National Park Surrounded By Snow-Capped Mountains

The world is full of beautiful sights to behold. Majestic snow-capped mountains, archaeological marvels, colossal canyons, and serene coastlines all carry a kind of wonder that captures our imagination and drives us to travel to the globe for a chance at seeing them in person. Ranking these places by their panoramic views is no easy feat, but one wildlife and travel photographer, Bella Falk, has taken on the challenge. The winner, she revealed, is a remote and little-known protected area in Spain: Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park.

This national park is located in the Pyrenees, a mountain range that runs along the border of northern Spain and home to breathtaking waterfalls, hiking trails, and glacier views. The mountain peaks are speckled with snow year-round, while the valleys and gorges are painted in a tapestry of greens fed by meltwater flowing down from the summits. The park is one of 20 entries selected to showcase the world's best panoramic views. Falk, who runs the website Passport & Pixels, teamed up with U.K.-based photo printing company CEWE to create the list.

Falk explained her reasoning for the rankings to Travel & Leisure: "The best panoramas have scale, so you're sucked in by the landscape but also have anchor points to draw your eye in, such as a river or jagged peak. The best views are emotionally powerful and give you that moment of stillness, scale, and perspective that makes you want to stay and watch for longer." Among the other entries are Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, considered by many to be the "World's Most Beautiful Lake," and the mysterious desert landscape of Sossusvlei in Namibia.

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park was established in 1918, making it one of Spain's earliest designated national parks. It spans 96 square miles and is dominated by rugged limestone mountains, the tallest of which, Mount Perdido, stands at 11,000 feet. Around a dozen other mountains rise above the landscape dense with beech and silver fir woods, creating some truly awe-inspiring views. These can be seen in all their splendor from Anisclo Canyon, which is framed by jagged cliffs and snakes through the valley, descending more than 1,000 meters into the watery depths below.

A great starting point for a hike in the park is La Pradera de Ordesa close to the village of Torla. In high season, parking is unavailable but there is a shuttle bus. From here you'll discover Valle de Ordesa, a well-shaded hiking area that leads you through dramatic mountain scenery past a series of cascading waterfalls. One popular 6-mile trail takes you past the stunning Cascada de las Cuevas, which plunges dramatically into a turquoise basin. You'll eventually reach the multi-tiered waterfall of Cola de Caballo.

Wherever you choose to hike at Ordesa y Monte Perdido, take a moment to turn around and enjoy the panoramic views. It's no wonder the park was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. If you want to see it for yourself, it takes four hours to drive from Barcelona and less than three hours to drive from the city of Zaragoza. There are numerous camping options in and around the park and further lodging options in Torla, near the park's entrance.