The Ciudad Encantada, or “Enchanted City” just behind the beach of Bolnuevo in Murcia, Spain, is a complex of ancient sandstone structures that have eroded into elaborate mushroom forms and sub-vertical shapes that seem to defy gravity, creating a sort of otherworldly effect.

Also called the Erosiones de Bolnuevo or Las Gredas de Bolnuevo, these remarkable shapes were formed by sandstone rich with clay (gredas), and contain microfossils that date from about 4.5 million years ago, back to the Pliocene period. 

The Enchanted City’s alien formations (not to be confused with another “Ciudad Encantada” of eroded wonders near Cuenca, Spain) have been sculpted by water and wind over thousands of years. While they have legal protection, these fragile natural monuments are exposed to the attentions of the public who can wreak havoc by climbing on the fragile cliffs and approaching these remarkable structures, unfortunately causing a less natural form of footfall erosion.