The world’s most scenic roads are not just transit routes; they are destinations in themselves, offering a sensory immersion into landscapes that are otherwise inaccessible.
Based on expert consensus from travel authorities like National Geographic and Condé Nast Traveller, combined with your specific interests in photography, adventure, and regions like South America and China, I have curated this list of essential drives.
The Coastal Masterpieces
These routes are defined by the dramatic interplay between land and sea, ideal for high-contrast photography and sunset driving.
1. The Great Ocean Road (Australia)
- Location: Victoria, South-East Australia
- Distance: 243 km (151 miles)
- Best Time: February to March (late summer) for clearer skies.
- Why it’s Essential: This is the gold standard of coastal touring. Carved into limestone cliffs, the road winds past the Southern Ocean’s violent surf and the iconic Twelve Apostles—massive limestone stacks rising from the waves.
- Photographer’s Tip: Arrive at the Gibson Steps at sunrise to capture the Apostles from beach level, emphasizing their scale against the cliffs.
2. The Atlantic Ocean Road (Norway)
- Location: Møre og Romsdal county
- Distance: 8.3 km (5.2 miles)
- Best Time: May to September (or autumn for dramatic storms).
- Why it’s Essential: Often called “The Road Built on the Sea,” this engineering marvel hops across an archipelago using eight bridges. The Storseisundet Bridge is famous for its optical illusion curve that seems to drop into the ocean. It creates a feeling of driving directly on the water’s surface.
3. The Amalfi Coast Road (Italy)
- Location: Sorrento to Salerno
- Distance: 50 km (31 miles)
- Best Time: May or September (avoid August crowds).
- Why it’s Essential: Known locally as the Nastro Azzurro (Blue Ribbon), this UNESCO-listed drive clings to vertical cliffs suspended above the Tyrrhenian Sea. It passes pastel-colored villages like Positano and Ravello. The driving is technical—narrow lanes and tight blind corners—but the views of terraced lemon groves dropping into the turquoise sea are unmatched.
The Engineering & Mountain Marvels
These roads conquer impossible terrain, offering high-altitude thrills and geometric beauty perfect for drone photography.
4. Tianmen Mountain Road (China)
- Location: Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province
- Distance: 11 km (6.8 miles)
- Best Time: April to October.
- Why it’s Essential: Known as the “Road to Heaven,” this route features 99 hairpin bends symbolizing the nine palaces of heaven. It rises 1,100 meters in just 11 km. The symmetry of the switchbacks creates a mesmerizing visual pattern that is world-famous among automotive enthusiasts and photographers.
- Personal Note: Given your interest in China, this is a must-visit. Nearby, you can also experience the “Glass Skywalk” for a different perspective of the vertical cliffs.
5. Furka Pass (Switzerland)
- Location: Swiss Alps
- Distance: ~35 km
- Best Time: June to October (closed in winter).
- Why it’s Essential: Immortalized by the James Bond film Goldfinger, this pass offers the quintessential Alpine experience: snow-capped peaks, the Rhône Glacier, and perfectly paved switchbacks. It connects seamlessly with the Grimsel and Susten passes for a “Big Three” loop that is arguably the best day of driving in Europe.
The Wild Frontiers (Adventure & Solitude)
For your interest in “sustainable travel” and “adventure,” these routes offer solitude and raw, untouched nature.
6. Ruta 40 (Argentina)
- Location: Runs the length of Argentina (South to North)
- Distance: ~5,000 km (segments like the “Seven Lakes” or the southern Patagonia stretch are best for shorter trips).
- Best Time: November to March.
- Why it’s Essential: One of the longest roads in the world, “La Cuarenta” runs parallel to the Andes. The southern stretch through Patagonia offers desolate, haunting beauty with views of Mount Fitz Roy and the Perito Moreno Glacier. It is a journey of endurance and silence, passing through the windswept steppe where guanacos roam freely.
7. The Skeleton Coast (Namibia)
- Location: North of Swakopmund
- Distance: ~500 km
- Best Time: October to March.
- Why it’s Essential: This is a drive through the world’s oldest desert meeting the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape is surreal: towering sand dunes, rusted shipwrecks half-buried in the sand, and huge colonies of seals. It is a stark, monochromatic landscape that feels like driving on another planet.
Personalized Recommendations
For You in Peru:
- The Pan-American Highway South (Lima to Nazca): You are likely familiar with this, but viewed through a traveler’s lens, the stretch from Paracas to Nazca is world-class. The contrast of the stark desert dunes against the Pacific Ocean is unique to this region.
- Trujillo to Chachapoyas: For a deep adventure, this route climbs from the coast into the high cloud forests, passing the Gocta waterfall and the fortress of Kuélap. It remains one of the world’s great “undiscovered” road trips.
For Your Interest in Photography (China):
- Sichuan Provincial Highway S104: Less famous than Tianmen but visually poetic, this road to Mount Wawu is known for its “misty mountain” aesthetic. It winds through bamboo forests and rural villages that look like traditional ink paintings, especially in the rain.
Summary Table: Planning Your Drive
| Road Name | Country | Best For | Key Visual Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Ocean Road | Australia | Coastal Scenery | 12 Apostles limestone stacks |
| Atlantic Ocean Road | Norway | Engineering/Sea | Storseisundet “Bridge to Nowhere” |
| Tianmen Mountain | China | Thrill/Drone Shots | 99 perfect hairpin turns |
| Ruta 40 | Argentina | Wilderness/Solitude | Patagonian steppe & Fitz Roy |
| Amalfi Coast | Italy | Culture/Romance | Cliffside villages & blue sea |
| Icefields Parkway | Canada | Glaciers/Lakes | Turquoise glacial lakes |