National Geographic: Sleeping Bear Dunes Ranks Among Most Beautiful Places On Earth

DETROIT (WWJ) - One of the best places on earth is right here in Michigan, according to National Geographic.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore ranks among the most desirable locations in the world -- for sheer beauty with a beach edging Lake Michigan -- in a recent 'best of' which names 21 of the best beaches on the planet.

Kimberley Lovato of National Geographic writes, "pure freshwater and 450-foot bluffs means eyes-open and vast views over Lake Michigan."

In the distance, notes Lovato, are North and South Manitou Islands which she describes as prime spots for hiking and camping.

"Prevailing westerly winds blowing across the lake build two kinds of sand dunes in Sleeping Bear Dunes. Beach dunes develop on low-lying shores of Lake Michigan. Their main ingredient is beach sand. The Aral Dunes, along Platte Bay's north shore, are good examples of beach dunes. Perched dunes, on the other hand, sit high above the shore on plateaus. Glacial sands atop these surfaces supplied material for these dunes," reads the geological history of the site from Leelanau.com.

Among the other 20 most desirable beaches is Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, in Mexico: "A swim through an opening nearly invisible from the sea reveals what locals call the "hidden beach," encircled by an impressive rock ring forming a natural oculus for the sun and sky. Only six visitors at a time can visit "Love Beach" via approved tour operators such as Punta Mita Adventures," according to National Geographic.

You can check out the full list here.