What’s on your Phenomena-List?

You know that feeling when a tangerine-hued sunset stops you in your tracks, or you look up to find a vast sea of stars? These awe-inspiring spectacles can be the most beautiful reminders of our insignificance in the grand scheme of things. According to Expedia Group’s Unpack ’25 survey data, 84% of travelers are keen to take a trip specifically to witness a natural phenomenon in the coming year. And finding the right home to experience them is easier than ever, thanks to Vrbo’s “Nearby activities” filters, which let you search for everything from wildlife viewing to scuba diving.

Seeking inspiration? We’ve rounded up 12 properties in prime locations for a full calendar of nature’s most breathtaking shows—popcorn at the ready.

01

January: Northern Lights

_{Stokkseyri, Iceland  
Sleeps 4}

This traditional timber house (similar to the one in the video, above) has light, bright interiors (pictured) that contrast the lava coastline just below. An outdoor wood geothermal hot tub makes you feel you have your very own hot springs; and inside underfloor heating will keep you cozy against the often-harsh weather outside. Come in the depths of winter, when a thick layer of snow turns the landscape white. By day there are snowmobiling tours of Iceland’s largest glaciers and, because the sun goes down so early, long nights to spot the aurora borealis lighting up the sky.  

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02

February: Yosemite’s Firefall

_{Yosemite Valley, California  
Sleeps 8}

For a few days in the middle of February, the setting sun hits Horsetail Fall and creates an extraordinary illusion, turning the tumbling water molten orange. The annual “Firefall” is, of course, weather dependent, but back at this contemporary house, 10 miles from Yosemite National Park, there are huge windows looking out to snow-capped mountains and views of the Merced River canyon where bald eagles swoop, plus an outdoor copper tub for bathing under the stars. 

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03

March: The pink lagoons 

_{Mérida, Mexico  
Sleeps 8}

You’d never guess that this slick modern hideout was tucked away on a side street in Mérida’s Centro. It makes a handy base for the immediate charms of the Old Town and the tropical courtyard garden has a pretty pool for post-exploring, cool-down dips. Take a day trip to the northeast coast where Los Coloradas salt flats are not only home to neon flamingos but also shocking pink lagoons, both given their color by the red algae and shrimp that live in the briny water.  

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04

April: White Sands in bloom

_{Las Cruces, New Mexico 
Sleeps 6}

Channeling a real sense of place, the terracotta-colored architecture of this house nods successfully to the Pueblo Revival style. Vine-wrapped pergolas and tiled seating areas look out to a pecan orchard in the gardens, as the fountain trickles away. Not far away, the blindingly bright gypsum dunefield at White Sands is the largest of its kind on earth. Visit in April to see the yucca plants blooming in this seemingly inhospitable spot, on top of dunes up to 60 feet high.  

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05

May: Icebergs and humpbacks 

_{Trinity, Newfoundland 
Sleeps 10}

Charming Garland House, with its historic outport architecture and location right on the water, is the best in the bay. Not just for its widescreen views of the water, where icebergs occasionally bob in, or for the kayaks you can take out right from the deck. Nor just for its ideal location for hiking up Gun Hill, or heading out on humpback-whale-watching boat trips and puffin-spotting adventures. The thing that everyone really raves about is Aunt Sarah’s chocolate shop next door.   

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06

June: Synchronous firefly season 

_{Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Sleeps 12}

When the male lightning bug enters mating season in early June, as night falls he synchronizes his bioluminescent flashing with millions of his fellow fireflies to attract a mate. In the dark forests of the Great Smoky Mountains, it is the most spectacular light display. From the deck of this vast Gatlinburg chalet, or the pool, or the hot tub, you’ll have a bird’s-eye view of the fireflies. Also look out for bobcats, foxes and the occasional bear prowling past.

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07

July: Native venus flytraps

_{Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina 
Sleeps 8}

They feel like a thing of myth and legend, but if you want to see the carnivorous sharp-toothed Venus flytraps in action, head to the coastal plains around Wilmington. Here the balance of full sunshine, high humidity and wet sand is the dream environment for these insect-munching plants. The ultra-elegant Shell Island beach house, meanwhile, is the dream base for surfing and paddleboarding, or just sitting on the wide deck watching the waves crash below. 

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08

August: Sea-turtle hatching 

_{Cocoa Beach, Florida 
Sleeps 8}

At this immaculate Scandi-style vacation villa, everything has been thought of. The garden is a grown-up playground with its swimming pool, hot tub, firepit, hammock strung between the palms, and an outdoor bar and grill. Beach chairs and boogie boards are ready to be borrowed, but the real surfside action is the monitored hatching of baby sea turtles on this protected stretch near Port Canaveral. In August the tiny hatchlings emerge and start to make their way to the sea.

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09

September: The serpent shadow of Chichén Itzá

_{Valladolid, Mexico 
Sleeps 6}

Casa La Sultana is a great little find, just a quick walk from the center of Valladolid and excellent local restaurants. Tall arched doors at the back open out onto a leafy private garden with pool and hammock and a lovely terrace for sundowners. Make the pilgrimage on the Autumn Equinox to the Mayan site at Chichén Itzá to see the once-a-year spectacle when late-afternoon sun aligns with the Temple of Kukulkan to create a serpent-shaped shadow snaking down the staircase. 

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10

October: Saturnia’s hot springs 

_{Tuscany, Italy 
Sleeps 6}

Wine and olive oil producer La Maliosa owns this elegant residence in the little town of Poderi. The smart sage-green space feels as elevated as a hotel suite, beautifully finished, with walk in wardrobes and high-tech touches. Just nine minutes’ drive from here are the famous Saturnia hot thermal springs. The summer crowds have ebbed away by October and with the autumnal colors of the turning leaves, this is the best time to dip into the steamy, 100 degrees Fahrenheit pools. 

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11

November: An epic migration 

_{Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia  
Sleeps 8}

Former frontier town Darwin is emerging as a buzzing city weekender, but the real highlight is the nature right on its doorstep. The covered first-floor deck at this Fannie Bay hangout looks out onto lush palms chirping with wildlife, and less than 90 minutes’ drive gets you to Litchfield National Park, bursting with incredible birdlife, from rainbow bee-eaters to spangled drongos. In November, just before the monsoon, look out for migratory species including shorebirds and waders arriving on their southward journey. What’s more, a two-hour flight from Darwin will take you to Alice Springs, the gateway to Uluru. This massive red sandstone monolith—sacred to Indigenous Australians and one of the country’s most famous sights—is spectacular at any time of year.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIA’S NORTHERN TERRITORY

Australia’s Northern Territory: Phenomenal all year round

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  Desert drama and natural diversity

  
  If you’re seeking a destination packed with fascinating phenomena at any time of year, Australia’s Northern Territory checks every box. Unfathomably vast at over 520,000 square miles, it is double the size of Texas and yet incredibly sparsely populated. This is a place of drama, of eye-popping scale, where journeys take days rather than hours; a place of full-spectrum diversity with everything from the deep-red desert, home to Uluru, to the lush green surprise of monsoon rainforests. Nature rules the roost and there is so much to see.
  
  
  

  Find out more
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  The wonder of Uluru

  
  The Red Centre provides the postcard image of the area, where the sandstone behemoth Uluru rises out of the dusty earth and dominates the horizon. This ancient landscape, with its immense spiritual significance in Aboriginal culture, starts the day with sunrises that feel elemental and timeless, and ends it under a thick blanket of stars—these are the darkest skies on the continent. Native thorny devil lizards, big-eared bilbies, flightless emus and desert dingoes are amongst the creatures inhabiting this arid, remote spot.

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  Unforgettable nature

  
  By contrast, the Top End, which takes in Kakadu, Arnhem Land and Darwin, is made up of saltwater crocodile-filled wetlands and thundering waterfalls, with rich biodiversity, noisy birdlife and lush greenery. Migratory species arrive in droves in the wet season and, when it’s dry, the wildlife emerges, including the black wallaroo (pictured), one of the smallest in the kangaroo family, found only around Arnhem Land. From hiking to swimming in natural waterholes, 4×4 safaris and some of the best birdwatching in the world, it’s a thrilling year-round adventure.

 

  

12

December: Dark sky stargazing 

_{Northumberland, UK   
Sleeps 8}

This converted church couldn’t be better located for stargazing with Northumberland National Park, the largest gold-tier dark sky park in Europe, right on the doorstep. Minimal light pollution and the shorter days and longer darker nights of winter mean that in clear weather the millions of stars are like a thick blanket overhead—and you can often see the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye. There is even a viewing room atop the church tower for indoors sky-peeping. 

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Issy von Simson

Writer

Issy von Simson is a travel writer and consultant, and the former editor of Condé Nast Traveller magazine. She is co-author of Secret Stays, a guest editor of Mandarin Oriental magazine, a columnist for Gloobles and contributor to Travel+Leisure, The Telegraph and The Times.

Third-party research was conducted by market research firm OnePoll on behalf of Vrbo from August 5–September 3 2024, counting 25,000 respondents across 19 countries among adults who have stayed in a vacation rental.