Six of the best!

This year’s selection brings together work that surprised us, moved us, and made us look at places and data in fresh ways. Some maps stand out for their design flair, others for their clever handling of complex information. Yet each one demonstrates how thoughtful cartography can capture attention and spark curiosity.

We’re excited to share the maps that resonated most with us, and to celebrate the talent and passion of the individuals and teams who brought them to life.

1. Into the Amazon - National Geographic

National Geographic’s Into the Amazon is an extraordinary interactive mapping experience that invites users to explore one of the world’s most significant and fragile ecosystems through an immersive, story-driven interface. Built from a two-year expedition spanning 4,000 miles of rainforest, mountains and rivers, the map blends scientific insight with cinematic digital design to create a journey that feels both educational and deeply atmospheric.

What sets this map apart is the way it layers rich, field-collected data with intuitive navigation. As you explore, you can descend through the forest canopy, travel alongside GPS-tracked wildlife, or dive into stories that illuminate the Amazon’s cultural and ecological complexity. 

Instagram: @Natgeo

2. Folkestone in Ruins – J. Maizlish Mole

We were really taken by the simplicity of this map’s design. A beautifully restrained colour palette paired with delicate, hand-drawn cartography that gives the whole piece a gentle, crafted feel.

Just as impressive is the way the map weaves in its historical content. Information about Folkestone’s past is carefully integrated into the layout, sitting effortlessly within the design rather than feeling added on. The text becomes part of the visual language, guiding you through the story of the place while still letting the artwork shine. It’s a lovely example of how thoughtful cartography can be both visually elegant and richly informative.

Instagram: @planetmole

3. British Isles & Ireland Greenground Map – HI Design OU

What immediately stood out to us about the British Isles & Ireland Greenground Map is the way it reframes the entire region through a nature-first lens. Inspired by the visual language of tube maps, it swaps roads and cities for national parks, long-distance trails and natural landscapes.

The map brings together a huge amount of information, connecting national parks across the UK and Ireland to major walking routes and scenic paths in a way that feels intuitive and uncluttered. It’s designed for inspiration rather than navigation, and it really succeeds. One moment you’re following the coastline of Wales, the next you’re tracing a trail across Scotland’s rugged interior or wandering through the forests and hills of Ireland. It’s the kind of map that makes you want to drop everything and head outside.

We also love the creative spark behind the Greenground concept taking a familiar, iconic diagram style and repurposing it to celebrate green spaces and slow, human-scale exploration. It’s a refreshing, optimistic piece of cartographic design that invites you to see the British Isles and Ireland as a single interconnected landscape of trails, parks and wild places waiting to be explored.

Instagram: @helenilus

4. Kowloon Walled City Map - Hitomi Terasawa

Kowloon Walled City was once the most densely populated place on Earth. A labyrinth of improvised architecture and overlapping lives, often described as a “living organism” thanks to its ever-shifting interior corridors and add-on structures.

This map embraces that complexity with remarkable care. Instead of smoothing the city into a simplified plan, it leans into the chaos through tight clusters of buildings, maze-like alleyways, the stacked living spaces and rooftop worlds that defined life inside the walls. You can see the way sunlight rarely touched the lower levels, and how everyday life spilled upward onto roofs and platforms when space ran out below.

What we especially love is how the map balances clarity with atmosphere. Even with so much going on, the structure remains readable, guiding your eye through the city’s growth and hinting at the layers of history behind them. It captures not just the physical layout but also the character of the place.

5. Canyonlands National Park Landscape - Raven Maps

What immediately drew our attention to this map is the way it captures the vastness and drama of Canyonlands through colour and form. Raven Maps uses a beautifully vibrant palette derived from satellite imagery, and the result is stunning. The reds, ochres, and earthy shadows of the park’s canyons seem to glow off the page. It feels less like a flat map and more like a window into the terrain.

Every canyon, butte, fin, and ridge has been modelled with care, giving the landscape real depth and texture. That topographic clarity makes the map not only visually captivating but also genuinely informative.

We also love the thoughtful balance between detail and restraint. Labels are hand-placed and roads, trails, and key points of interest are shown clearly enough to orient the viewer, whilst the surrounding areas soften into lighter relief so nothing detracts from the park itself.

Instagram: @ravenmaps

6. Heirloom Watercolor Property Maps - Marketa F. Horton

What makes Marketa F. Horton’s heirloom property maps so special is the deep sense of place and memory embedded in every brushstroke. These are personal landscapes, painted with the intention of capturing a moment in time and preserving it for generations. Her watercolour style brings a softness and warmth to each map, turning family estates, farms, ranches or vineyards into beautifully composed works of art that feel both intimate and timeless.

We love how Marketa approaches each project as an immersive experience. She insists on visiting the property herself, walking the land, absorbing the atmosphere, and sketching it to scale on site. That direct connection shows in the final maps. It’s cartography infused with story.

Instagram: @marketafhorton