Ten pictures that will make you fall in love with Alaska

Alaska is a stunning state that will take your breath away no matter how many times you set foot on its shores. Rugged, wild and untamed, it is an awe-inspiring wilderness patrolled by bears, trekked by moose and carved by glaciers.

If you haven’t already visited, these ten pictures will make you fall under Alaska’s spell, and if you have, they will make you fall in love with Alaska all over again.

1. Spectacular mountains

Alaska is coated with spectacular mountain ranges that wouldn’t look out of place on Mars. Battered by unforgiving weather, Mother Nature has moulded them into epic ancient relics.

2. Kodiak brown bear

These breath-taking mammals are a must-see during any cruise to Alaska, and sightings are common. Time your trip between July and September and you could even watch them snatching fish from rivers during the annual salmon run.

3. Melt pool, Juneau

Juneau famously sits below a never-melting ice field. The bright white wilderness stretches for miles save for a few startlingly blue pools that stand out like jewels in the landscape.

4. Springtime blooms

Don’t let the pictures fool you – Alaska is more than a frozen wilderness. Spring brings a surge of new life; carpeting fields in vibrant wildflowers and lush grasses.

5. The Northern Lights

Imagine standing beneath these dancing lights, hand in hand with your loved one. Alaska is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights (or Aurora Borealis), with hotspots in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau. Cruise between September and April for the best show.

6. Spy-hopping orca

Alaska is made for nature-lovers. Its marine life includes at least five species of whale: gray, beluga, humpback, blue and minke. Then there are the orcas: members of the dolphin family hunting seals, fish and even the calves of Alaska’s large whale species. The best sightings are between May and September; there is no sight like an orca ‘spy-hopping’ (checking you out) in front of your ship or zodiac.

7. Kachemak Bay

Kachemak Bay, in Alaska’s lower Cook Inlet, is a land of extremes. Home to both hulking glaciers and smouldering volcanoes, fire and ice collide in an unforgettable landscape that is rich in nature and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

8. Tracy Arm fjord

Mountains, waterfalls, wildlife, glaciers: Tracy Arm fjord has it all. Sitting just off Juneau, this is a popular stop on luxury cruises to Alaska, where ships drift as close to Sawyer Glacier as is safely possible before switching off their engines so guests can listen to the snap, crackle and pop of the looming ice.

9. Juneau’s coast at nightfall

Intrepid adventurers, dedicated foodies and families in search of unforgettable holidays will fall in love with Juneau, a close-knit coastal community watched over by mountains and rich in wildlife, culture and Native heritage.

10. Glacier Bay National Park

Glacier Bay National Park is indescribable. Home to towering mountains, abundant wildlife and, of course, countless glaciers, this frozen paradise casts an enduring spell over all who set eyes on it.

Have you experienced any of the natural wonders featured in these images? What made you fall in love with Alaska? Let us know using the comment box below.