ReZoom

Would you love the beach even more if there was no ocean? In case you’re dreaming of a blazing sun and sand, sand, sand, we have seven perfectly dry spots for you.

1. Tabernas Desert
Spain

You might not have known that Europe even has deserts, but it does. (Well, to be more accurate, Europe has a desert – not deserts.) The Tabernas in Spain is the only freakishly arid spot in all of Europe. And, if the uniqueness of the Tabernas isn’t enough of a reason to visit, it was also used as a set for many spaghetti Westerns of the '50s and '60s, including “The Magnificent Seven” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

2. Atacama Desert
Chile

To be classified as a desert, an area must receive less than 10 inches of precipitation each year. So, if it’s possible to be the most desert-y desert, the Atacama in Chile takes the prize. Known as “the driest place on earth,” the Atacama’s primary sources of water are condensation from fog and dew. In fact, the Andes Mountains, which make it possible for the Amazon Basin to be one of the wettest places on earth, also keep that very same rain from reaching the Atacama. (Oh, those Andes Mountains – always playing favorites.) Unlike most deserts, should you choose to visit the Atacama, there is a town ready to cater to your shopping, dining and lodging needs. Check out Calama for a true oasis.

3. Great Victoria and Gibson Deserts
Western Australia

On the opposite end of the desert spectrum from the Atacama are the Great Victoria and Gibson deserts of Australia, which might be some of the wettest deserts on the globe. The Great Victoria and its neighbor, the Gibson, each average about eight to ten inches of precipitation a year, and the Gibson is known for its large number of thunderstorms. Due to the area’s relatively bountiful annual rainfall, there is also a large amount of flourishing wildlife in both the Great Victoria and the Gibson. If you visit, be sure to trek over to the nearby Lake Disappointment as well – it’s bound to provide the fodder for good travel jokes when you get home.

4. Namib Desert
Namibia

In keeping with the topic of deserts and their various claims to fame, the Namib Desert is often touted as “the oldest desert.” Located in the southern part of the African continent, the Namib is long, skinny (the widest points are no more than 70 miles across) and home to the tallest sand dunes on the planet. At 1,000 feet in height, the Sossusvlei sand dunes put most other deserts and their “molehills” to shame. The Namib is a sight to be seen, but it is not the spot to wait out a sandstorm.

5. Antarctica Desert
Antarctica

It might seem like the very notion of a “desert,” what with its mental images of sand and a burning sun, would exclude a continent made of ice, but the truth is that Antarctica sees little to no precipitation each year. Most of the ice that comprises the area of Antarctica has been there for millennia – making Antarctica not only the coldest place on earth, but also the driest and leading some to claim that Antarctica is actually the world’s largest desert. For now, we here at ReZoom will step aside and allow the battle between “Team Sahara” and “Team Antarctica” to begin.

6. Taklamaken Desert
China

The most macho of the macho might want to plan a trip to the Taklamaken in China. The desert’s name translates to “you can get into it but you never get out,” and it is also known affectionately as the “Sea of Death” in its homeland. If foreboding monikers aren’t enough, the Taklamaken is also the site of a rather famous archeological find. Mummified remains of nearly 4,000-year-old strawberry blonds discovered in the desert in the 1980s led many scientists to believe that contact between the East and the West happened far earlier than previously thought.

7. Arabian Desert
Arabian Peninsula

Since most Middle Eastern nations including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt can claim at least some part of the Arabian Desert, this spot is most associated with Middle Eastern culture and oil. The desert’s overall area is about the size of Texas, and it is known as “the empty quarter” amongst Arabs. Of course, we prefer to imagine magic carpets and genie-filled lamps throughout the Arabian, but that could be a bit of a stretch …