Colección de Fondos de Pantalla 202605

As night settles over Suwon, South Korea, the old city wall pictured here shows that function doesn't necessarily cancel out beauty—it can create it. Built between 1794 and 1796 under King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, Hwaseong Fortress was more than a barrier. It was policy in stone: a reform-minded push for a leaner, better-run state, driven by practicality and a deeply personal motive. Jeongjo ordered its construction to honour his father while strengthening a kingdom that wanted smarter systems, not just thicker walls.

Just look at this cutie swimming in the waters of Kachemak Bay in Alaska! Otters are captivating creatures that play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Known for their playful behaviour and remarkable intelligence, otters are key indicators of waterway health. Sadly, they face growing challenges from habitat loss and pollution.

As spring sweeps across Northern California in the United States, the landscape is transformed by the vibrant displays of lupine flowers in shades of blue, purple and white. Flourishing in the region's Mediterranean climate, these wildflowers provide a vital source of nectar for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and beetles. With over 200 species found worldwide, lupines range from coastal varieties to those that thrive in mountain meadows. Beyond their striking beauty, lupines are essential to the ecosystem: by fixing nitrogen underground, they enrich soil fertility and support the growth of surrounding plants, even in nutrient-poor environments.

What if a building could breathe? In the middle of Jaipur, Hawa Mahal does exactly that—pulling in air, pushing out heat and turning architecture into a quiet science experiment. It's less a palace, more a perfectly timed exhale. And yes, it really does live up to its name: the 'Palace of Winds.'

Today's image highlights a prime example of long-term conservation efforts: Tre Cime Nature Park in northern Italy. Located in the Dolomites—a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for striking geology—the park was established in 1981. It is best known for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo: three towering dolomite peaks that rise sharply above alpine meadows. Their sheer rock faces make them among the Alps' most recognisable landmarks.

Turtles are not only fascinating animals; they also play vital roles in nature. Sea turtles help keep seagrass beds and coral reefs healthy, while freshwater and land counterparts support balanced ecosystems. Their shells are part of their skeletons, formed from dozens of fused bones, and some species navigate using Earth's magnetic field to return to the beaches where they hatched.

Naturally sculpted over 500,000 years, the Pont d'Arc in France opens like a gateway to the Ardèche Gorge. At dawn, its monumental silhouette glows with a golden hue as the murmur of the river echoes between limestone cliffs, where peregrine falcons and crag martins nest. You walk along the sandy bank, scented with wild mint and sun-warmed boxwood, with the feeling of stepping into a landscape that has remained unchanged since prehistoric times.

Today's image spotlights a drink that connects daily rituals to ancient landscapes. Just one look at the terraced tea fields of Sichuan Province, China, shows how deep those roots run. This misty region in southwest China is one of the earliest centres of tea culture, where people drank and cultivated tea more than 2,000 years ago. On nearby Mengding Mountain, a scholar named Wu Lizhen planted some of the world's first managed tea gardens during the Han Dynasty, laying the groundwork for generations of growers.

A soft buzz and a dusting of pollen can shape the future of our food. Today's image features the bumble bee during its quiet yet essential work. Unlike many insects, bumble bees use 'buzz pollination,' vibrating their flight muscles to shake pollen from flowers—a method vital for crops such as tomatoes, peppers and blueberries. Bees and other pollinators contribute to more than 75% of the world's major food crops, improving both yield and quality.

At Mallorca's far northern tip, in Spain's Balearic Islands, the Formentor Lighthouse stands on the sheer cliffs of Cap de Formentor. This exposed headland is often called the 'Meeting of the Winds.' Built in 1863 and first lit on September 30 of that year, the lighthouse rises about 210 metres above the Mediterranean Sea and is reached by a narrow, switchback road about 13 kilometres from Port de Pollença. Under your feet is pale limestone—rock formed from ancient marine life and later lifted and carved by erosion into dramatic faces, sea caves and natural arches. This rugged geology gives rise to the area's stark beauty and sense of isolation. Want to earn the view? Follow one of the peninsula's hiking routes, or tackle the short, steep climb to Talaia d'Albercutx for a watchtower panorama before continuing to the lighthouse. Keep an eye on the slopes: wild goats, descended from early domestic herds, spring across the ledges with effortless balance.

Some people chase peaks, others follow lakes. In Wales, the Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park is one stop that quietly combines both—Dolbadarn Castle. Standing beside the serene waters of Llyn Padarn, this 13th-century fortress was built by Llywelyn the Great—Prince of Gwynedd from 1199 to 1240—to guard the route through Llanberis Pass. Built from purple and green slate, the castle was largely assembled using dry stone techniques without mortar, apart from the keep. Its distinctive round tower once stood watch over the valley. History here has its twists. Owain Goch ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn's nephew, is believed to have been imprisoned inside these walls after a family feud.

How high is high enough for a great view? In the eastern United States, it doesn't take much. Hawksbill Mountain is the highest point in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, at 1,234 metres, showing how these older mountains rely on openness, not elevation. The park's establishment in 1935 involved reforestation after extensive farming and logging. Today, much of that land has returned to forest, supporting mixed hardwoods, mountain laurel and rhododendron. What else? Some of the rocks found here date back over 1 billion years, among the oldest in the state. The park shelters over 200 bird species and 32 species of fish and remains dog friendly, allowing pets in campgrounds and on most trails.

What do you call a place where the rocks do the climbing, and humans try to keep up? Welcome to Smith Rock State Park in Oregon, United States, where cliffs rise fast, and excuses fall faster. It sits inside the 40-kilometre-long Crooked River Caldera, shaped by multiple volcanic eruptions. Its welded tuff cliffs are made from compressed volcanic ash that cooled under pressure. The Crooked River carved the canyon, while formations like the Spire rise up to 180 metres.

Brains, brawn and a serious case of going deep—the sperm whale isn't here for surface-level living. Today, we meet a giant that thinks big and dives deeper.

Perched on a tufa ridge in southern Tuscany, Italy, Pitigliano is a small town with a big personality. Its roots stretch back to Etruscan times, and the winding streets still echo the past, from medieval fortifications to Renaissance palaces. Walking through its narrow alleys, you can feel centuries of life carved into the stone, while small piazzas invite pauses for coffee or gelato. This enduring treasure is often called 'Little Jerusalem' for its historic Jewish quarter, where a synagogue and historic cemetery tell stories of a once-thriving community.

In today's image, the granite arches of the Alabama Hills frame the Milky Way over a rugged landscape in California's eastern Sierra Nevada, United States. Famous for its rounded boulders and weathered rock formations, this area formed when molten rock cooled deep underground around 100 million years ago. Water and wind gradually shaped the stone into the smooth shapes seen today. Visitors can explore the natural arches, hike among the rocks, capture photographs of the unique landscape, ride horses or mountain bikes and enjoy seasonal displays of wildflowers.

Along the rocky coasts of the North Atlantic, Atlantic puffins make their homes in burrows and cliffside crevices. These seabirds, with their black‑and‑white plumage and colourful beaks, are classified by the IUCN as vulnerable, as overfishing and changing ocean conditions reduce the availability of their prey. Each spring, they return to breed, laying a single egg in carefully dug burrows. Remarkable swimmers, they use their wings to 'fly' underwater when hunting small fish such as herring and sand eels.

One of the world's greatest natural wonders stretches through the turquoise waters of the Coral Sea off Australia's northeast shoreline. The Great Barrier Reef, running along the coast of Queensland, is the world's largest coral reef system. It is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands, spanning more than 2,253 kilometres.

Captured in Wapusk National Park in northern Manitoba, Canada, today's image shows a polar bear mother and her cubs sharing a playful moment on the Arctic tundra. For polar bears, motherhood is a long and demanding commitment. Females give birth in winter, sheltering their newborn cubs in snow dens that provide vital insulation. Cubs are born tiny and rely entirely on their mother's rich, fat-heavy milk for warmth and rapid growth.

Water is the architect of Krka National Park in Croatia, shaping emerald pools and layered waterfalls along the Krka River. Today's image highlights Skradinski Buk, the park's most famous waterfall system, where multiple streams spill over travertine terraces in a dense forest near the village of Lozovac.

Few animals have matched humanity's quiet resilience quite like the donkey. Donkeys have worked alongside people for thousands of years, prized for their endurance, sharp memory and sure-footed confidence on rugged ground.

Stretching across the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is a land of sharp peaks, wide skies and surprising life. The refuge was established in 1939 to protect desert bighorn sheep, whose sure-footed silhouettes still define the rugged landscape.

Located on the eastern Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, where ancient cultures, fertile landscapes and shifting climates converge.

In the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, rows of blue agave stretch across the landscape, their spiky leaves catching the light like a field of sculpted stars. This region, centred around the town of Tequila, is the birthplace of tequila, a spirit deeply tied to both land and tradition.

Today's image takes us to Ksar Ouled Soltane in Tunisia's Tataouine district, where stacked clay granaries rise like sand-coloured fortresses. Dating back to the 15th century, this storehouse complex was built by Berber communities to protect harvests from heat, theft and time. Function first. Beauty as a side effect.

High above the savannah in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve, a leopard curls up on a tree branch, napping as the grasslands glow at sunset. Today, let's throw light on one of the world's most adaptable big cats. Leopards roam across Africa and parts of Asia, thriving in habitats that range from forests and mountains to open savannas. Their spotted coats are unique to each individual, like fingerprints, and their powerful climbing skills allow them to stash prey high in trees, out of reach of scavengers.

Can you picture 11,000 square kilometres of protected wilderness? That's Jasper National Park in Alberta. Established in 1907 as part of a growing network of protected landscapes in the Canadian Rockies, it was designated a national park in 1930. The park reflects both conservation efforts and much older Indigenous connections, including those of the Nakoda and Secwépemc peoples. Its terrain ranges from glacier-fed rivers and alpine meadows to dense conifer forests dominated by spruce and pine.

At the far edge of Ynys Llanddwyn, where the land quietly gives way to sea, Tŵr Mawr Lighthouse stands watch without making a fuss. It is not tall, not flashy, but it knows its purpose—and it keeps it bright.

Imagine a flower sparking a financial frenzy. Sounds unlikely, right? Yet in the 1630s, tulips did exactly that in the Netherlands. During tulip mania, rare bulbs became luxury items traded for astonishing sums—some valued at prices comparable to a house. Why so valuable? Unusual colours and striped patterns were scarce and unpredictable, and collectors wanted the rarest varieties they could find.