These roads might have enough twists and turns to give you a headache but you’ll feel incredible after you’ve conquered them and you’ll surely want to try it again and again and again.
Here is a list with the 15 Most Beautiful Roads in the World to drive on and another five honorable mentions that you’ll surely like. Enjoy!
15. The Overseas Highway – Florida Keys
The Overseas Highway leaps from island to
island across 42 bridges southwest through Florida Keys and it was
built in 1938 along the course of an old railroad that has been
destroyed by a hurricane. The highway is mostly over water and in about
four hours you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and the ocean and of
course, the incredible sunrises and sunsets if you come here at the
right time. During holidays the traffic will make journeys through this
highway a bit longer but I’m sure everyone would love to stay on this
road as long as possible.
14. Red Rock Scenic Road – USA
The Red Rock Scenic Road winds through
Sedona’s Red Rock Country, often called a “museum without walls”. The
road provides a splendid view of the stunning red rocks which seem alive
like a timeless spirit that captivates and inspires everyone. The Red
Rock Scenic byway also passes through the Montezuma Castle National
Monument and the Coconino National Forest giving every driver an amazing
sense of intimacy with nature.
13. Iroha-zaka – Japan
Iroha-zaka is a winding road from Japan
which connects central Nikko and Oku-Nikko. The road comprises of 48
curves and each corner has an ancient Japanese alphabet, starting in
alphabetical order from I-ro-ha which also gave this road’s name.
Iroha-zaka is actually made of two roads, one to come down and another
to go up and they both have 48 curves matching the 48 letters of the
ancient Japanese alphabet.
12. Atlantic Road – Norway
The Atlantic Road was voted as the
Norwegian construction of the century and it’s a five mile long stretch
of road connecting Molde and Kristiansund in this country. The road
rides above some rough and uneven surfaces and it’s spectacular because
it rises itself and falls at many places like a sea at the time of a
rough tide. Apart from the incredible road itself, the scenery
surrounding it could give any driver shivers.
11. Oberalp Pass – Switzerland
The Oberalp Pass in an incredible road in
the high Swiss mountains that’s an important link between Central
Switzerland and the Graubunden Oberland. The road is really popular for
all drivers from Europe but it’s only open during summer months. In
winter this pass is closed for road traffic and the road itself is used
as a ski slope, toboggan run and hiking trail!
10. North Yungas “Road of Death” – Bolivia
The North Yungas Road is a 43 mile road
connecting La Paz and Coroico deep into the Bolivian Andes. The road is
name by the locals “El Camino de la Muerte” or the Road of Death and it
was named the world’s most dangerous road in 1995. The road, famous for
its extreme danger has a single lane width with terrifyingly drop offs,
tight hairpins, narrow passages and almost no guardrails at all. The fog
and rain can make visibility poor and the road surface muddy which adds
even more dancer to any journey on this road. On average, there is a
fatal accident every couple of weeks on this road and it is estimated
that 200 to 300 travelers are killer per year on this treacherous road.
Today however, the Youngas road has less traffic and it used mostly by
travelers who want to feel its thrill.
9. Trollstigen – Norway
One of the most notable attractions from
the Fjord in Norway is the Trollstigen road, a steep winding mountain
road located in the Rauma region. The word Trollstigen means the Troll
Ladder in English and it represents a series of stunning roads with a
breathtaking view and a couple of incredible waterfalls. This road is
very narrow and leaves very few possibilities for vehicles to pass each
other and with its steep 9% gradient and 11 hairpins it’s really, really
challenging. But it’s all worth it if you get to the top where you’ll
see this amazing road from above and the Stigfossen waterfall, a 320 m
waterfall which falls down the mountain side.
8. Guoliang Tunnel Road – China
The Guoliang Tunnel Road was built by 13
local villagers headed in only five years in the Taihang mountains in
the Hunan province of China. Many villagers lost their lives in
accidents during the construction of this tunnel but in 1977 it was
opened to traffic. The tunnel carved from the mountains is 1,200 meters
long, 5 meters high and 4 meters wide and its also one of the most
dangerous roads in the world. This extremely beautiful scenic route was
dubbed as “the road that does not tolerate any mistakes” and its a key
destination on the Chinese tourism map.
7. San Bernardino Pass – Switzerland
Another high mountain pass across the
Swiss Alps is the San Bernardino Pass and the road that goes through it
and connects the Swiss towns Misox and Hinterrhein is also one of the
world’s greatest roads. The pass is located at 2,065 meters and the road
has incredibly smooth roads, a lot of hairpins and challenging bends
and of course, amazing scenic views. The road also goes through an
impressive 6.6 km long tunnel.
6. Los Caracoles Pass – Andes
Los Caracoles Road passes through the
harsh terrain of the Andreas Mountains from the Andes on the way between
Chile and Argentina. The road has many hard switchbacks on an extremely
steep incline and numerous hairpins without any safety guard rails. For
the most part of the year, this pass is covered by snow and that makes
it incredibly hard to negotiate. Despite the fact that it’s one of the
most challenging roads in the world, the Los Caracoles Pass has a strong
safety record.
5. Col de Turini – France
The Col de Turini is situated in a
mountain pass in the south of France in the Alps at more than 1 mile
above sea level. The road is included as part of a 20 miles rally stage
every year of the Monte Carlo Rally in the World Rally Championship and
it combines 34 hairpins and long stretch lines where cars can reach top
speeds of over 110 mph. This stage is one of the most challenges stages
from the WRC and apart from the wonderful road, the scenery also makes
it one of the most attractive and exciting roads on Earth.
4. The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road – UAE
The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road in the
United Arab Emirates extends for 7.3 miles with 60 turns up the mountain
of a height of 1,219 m. The UAE road scales the mountain with a
beautiful view of the desert below and ends at a parking lot with only a
hotel and of course, a palace, belonging to the country’s rulers. The
road is a mixture of fast straights and sweeping curves that merge
perfectly from one to another forming this amazing driving road in the
middle of the desert.
3. Lysebotn Road – Norway
The Lysebotn Road is considered one of
the most breathtaking roads in Europe and it all starts with the narrow
road up the steep walls of the Lysefjord, Norway. The road includes 27
challenging hairpins and a 1.1 km long tunnel at the bottom which also
has 3 switchbacks inside to make things even more interesting. The
surface of the road is perfect and the ones who were already on this
road think of it as a rollercoaster. It’s probably the most fun road
from Norway and its last 30 km to Lysebotn will put a smile on every
driving enthusiast’s face.
2. Stelvio Pass – Italy
From the Eastern Alps in Italy, the
Stelvio Pass Road connects the Valtellina with Merano and the upper
Adige valley. This is the second highest paved mountain road in the Alps
and its situated at an altitude of around 1.7 miles (about 2,757
meters) above sea level. The Stelvio Pass is one of the best continuous
hairpin routes in the world and its fame came from the presence of 48
hairpin bends and the fact that the road becomes very narrow at some
points and it has a couple of very steep inclines. This road is regarded
by many car enthusiasts as one of the most challenging roads in the
world and it’s scenery is absolutely breathtaking and spectacular.
1. Transfagarasan – Romania
The Transfăgărășan (that’s the exact
spelling) is the highest and most dramatic paved road from Romania.
Built as a strategic military route by the former dictator Nicolae
Ceausescu between 1970 and 1974, this road connects the historic regions
of Transylvania and Wallachia, and the cities of Sibiu and Pitesti. The
Transfagarasan represents 90 km of twists and turns run North to South
across the tallest sections of the Carpathian Mountains between the
highest peaks of the mountain in this country.
On top of the mountains this road
provides access to Balea Lake, a glacier lake which has been here for
thousands of years and it also has an almost 1 km long tunnel straight
through the mountain’s top. The road was built at a high cost both
financially and from a human standpoint with more than 6 million
kilograms of explosive being used on the northern face and official
records of 40 soldiers who lost their lives while building it.
Unofficial records however mention that only the tunnel took about 400
lives.
The north end of the road is the most
spectacular and it’s dotted with steep hairpin turns, long S curves and
sharp descents combined with an absolutely stunning view! Between
October and June this road is under the snow and usually closed so… that
means only a couple of months in the summer it’s available to enjoy a
pure driving pleasure. Top Gear also named this road as the best road in
the world !
Honorable mentions:
Millau Viaduct – France
Autobahn – Germany
Great Ocean Road – Australia
Taroko Gorge Road -Taiwan
Leh–Manali Highway – India
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