We all love white sandy beaches, but there are many other colored beaches that are just as stunning! You wouldn’t believe the range of unique colored beaches that exist around the world.
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Black sand beaches
The black color is almost always caused by volcanic activity, as lava stains the sand. It’s no wonder that the most beautiful black sand beaches are found on famous volcanic islands.
Black Sand Beach (Hawaii)
Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, where the Mauna Kea volcano is still active today.
The Black Sand Beach is also known as Punaluʻu Beach. The biggest attraction of this coconut palm-lined beach is the multitude of green sea turtles. It’s a great experience to see them resting and enjoying the sunshine on the black sand.
Kamari Beach (Santorini)
On one of the most romantic islands, the beaches are not the main attraction.
The most well-known beach with black sand and pebbles is found in Kamari, on the eastern part of the island. It’s the most developed beach, lined with hotels, bars, and nightclubs.
Reynisfjara (Iceland)
A coastal area in southern Iceland, Dyrhólaey offers a fantastic view: to the north, the Myrdalsjökull glacier, and to the east, black lava columns.
The beach itself is called Reynisfjara. The water is quite cold, and you need to be aware of the strong currents. However, the sight and the „jet-black” sand are unmissable!
Pink sand beaches
The pink color is usually caused by some living organisms. Here are several you can see:
Elafonisi (Crete)
On the western part of the Greek island, there are several stunning beaches, with Elafonisi Beach standing out.
The unique color is given by the mix of tiny coral and shell fragments and white sand. The name itself refers to a small island that can be reached on foot through the lagoon.
Pink Sand Beach (Bahamas)
Located on Harbour Island, the beach’s color is caused by single-celled organisms called foraminifera, which have pink shells. Various shades of pink can be seen on this beach.
Pink Beach (Komodo)
The Indonesian island is not far from Bali, and it’s also home to the Komodo dragon.
The pink color is caused by the red pigment of microscopic organisms living in the coral reefs.
Red sand beaches
The red color is caused by iron leaching from the land, which can stain the sand bright red.
Rabida Island (Galapagos Islands)
On one of the smaller islands of the Galapagos, the beaches owe their unique color to the oxidation of iron-rich lava and the washout of marine sediment from the corals.
On the beach, you can often see seals resting and sunbathing.
Xi Beach (Kefalonia)
On Kefalonia, everyone wants to see Myrtos Beach, but this red-colored beach is also justly popular.
Located on the southern part of the Paliki Peninsula, this beach has a beautiful white cliff behind the red-colored sand, offering a stunning view.
Kefalonia attractions, beaches
Green sand beach
Papakolea (Hawaii)
Aside from the beach on the southern part of Big Island, there are only three other places with green sand (Guam, Norway, and the Galapagos).
Its unique color is given by olivine sand washed out from volcanic debris.
Purple sand beach
Pfeiffer Purple Beach (California)
Not far from San Francisco, this beach glows between purple and violet.
It’s not exactly known what causes this color, but researchers attribute it to the manganese content of the rocks on the beach.
Glowing beaches
Maldives
At night, the blue glowing beaches make the already fantastic islands even more magical.
The phenomenon is caused by phytoplankton, which emit photons in response to changes in pressure. Therefore, this glow is often seen near boats or swimming people.
