9 Real Cities Built in Mind-Blowing Locations

When you envision the ideal location for a town, your first thoughts probably won’t be places like “inside a volcano” or “on stilts in the middle of a lake.” But, the truth is, some of the world’s most jaw-dropping cities were built in the weirdest spots like cliff edges, desert lagoons, and narrow riverbanks. What’s really impressive is that, somehow, they’re still standing. Not only that, they’re thriving (well, some of them are)!

Here are nine of the most unbelievably unique locations where people actually live.

1. Huacachina, Peru

Tucked in the middle of Peru’s desert, Huacachina looks like someone plopped a vacation resort into a dune. With fewer than 100 full-time residents, this town wraps around a shimmering oasis surrounded by palm trees and towering dunes. Back in the 1940s, it was a retreat for the rich. Today, it’s a paradise for tourists and backpackers, where you can paddleboat across the lagoon by day and party all night. Bonus points if you sandboard down the dunes or jump in a dune buggy for a wild ride.

2. Fira, Greece

Ever wanted to live on a volcano? Welcome to Fira, the capital of Santorini! This perfect town, straight from a fever dream, sits on the steep edge of a volcanic caldera, with its iconic white-and-blue buildings perched on cliffs above the sea. Tourists come for the sunsets but stay for the lore, as they learn that the entire island was formed by a volcanic explosion 3,600 years ago. That half-moon bay was literally the blown-out center of a volcano. Gorgeous and geologically exciting.

3. Monsanto, Portugal

Monsanto looks like a village from a fable built by mountain trolls eons ago. Instead of building around giant granite boulders, locals just incorporated them into their homes, turning them into walls or roofs. Some houses are carved into the rocks. With cobblestone alleys and moss-covered stones winding up to a medieval castle, this town looks like it fell out of a high-fantasy novel. No wonder it’s now a protected “living museum.”

4. Ronda, Spain

This cozy town in southern Spain is divided in half by a deep, dramatic canyon known as El Tajo. Ronda is famous for being the birthplace of modern bullfighting, but the jaw-dropping bridges connecting its halves steal the show. Puente Nuevo, the newest bridge, built around 200 years ago, spans the gorge with spectacular views and dizzying drops that will give you a fear of heights even if you have never had it before.

5. Ganvie, Benin

Humorously nicknamed the “Venice of Africa,” Ganvie is a stilt village built over a lagoon in Benin. People get around by canoe, and most of the 30,000 residents live in bamboo huts perched above the water. The town was founded as a refuge in the 1600s by the local Tofinu people to escape slave raids, knowing their enemies wouldn’t follow them onto sacred waters. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and people are lined up to see it.

6. Monemvasia, Greece

Monemvasia is a picturesque little town slammed into the side of a massive rock off the coast of Greece. Hidden from sight, you have to walk across a short bridge and pass through a tunnel in the rock to reach it. Inside, you’ll find ancient churches, cozy cafés, and winding lanes that haven’t changed much in centuries. It’s like stepping through a magic portal into a forgotten world.

7. Yanjin, China

Smooshed between steep mountains and the Nanxi River, Yanjin looks more like a concept art drawing of a location from some video game than a real city. It’s so narrow that, in some places, the entire town is less than 100 feet wide. There’s a road on either side of the river and tall, skinny buildings perched on stilts along the banks. Isolated and hard to reach, Yanjin wasn’t on many people’s radar until drone footage of this “impossible city” went viral, and now everyone’s trying to get there.

8. Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy

Today, only about a dozen people and a few dozen cats still live in this cliffside hamlet, but Civita di Bagnoregio has been “hanging on” for more than 2,500 years. Built by the Etruscans, it perches on a crumbling volcanic plateau and is accessible only by a long pedestrian bridge suspended high above a canyon. Earthquakes, erosion, and time nearly erased this town, but tourism is breathing new life into it.

9. Bonifacio, Corsica

Bonifacio is built so close to the edge of Corsica’s limestone cliffs, it looks like the town might fall into the sea at any moment. But don’t worry, it’s been like that since the Middle Ages. The views of the Mediterranean are breathtaking, the old buildings are charming, and the entire place exudes a peaceful, tranquil vibe. From the water, it almost looks like the village is floating above the waves.