Beaches with strange colored sand

From black, green to red or pink, some coastal areas in the world have sandy beaches with characteristic colors, attracting visitors to explore.

Paioa black sand beach (Maui, Hawaii, USA): Located in Waianapanapa state park, the black sand here is made mainly from small black rocks. Waianapanapa means “sparkling water” in Hawaiian, the name comes from the color of black sand contrasting with the blue ocean. The harmonious beauty of nature makes this place one of the most beautiful black sand beaches in the world. Pink sand beach on Komodo island (Indonesia): This site, also known as Pantai Merah, is located on Komodo Island, one of more than 17,000 islands in Indonesia. This is one of the 7 pink sand beaches in the world. This unique sand color is caused by red corals mixed with white sand. Pantai Merah Beach is also famous for snorkelling, perfect for beginners as even shallow waters are full of marine life. Papakolea Blue Sand Beach (Hawaii, USA): Papakolea (also known as Mahana beach) is a unique blue-sand beach on the southern tip of the large island of Hawaii. Nestled in a bay at the bottom of Pu’u Mahana mountain cone, visitors have to walk about 8 km to this secluded beach. There are no tourist facilities and waves too strong to swim, however, the attraction of Papakolea is the rare green sand, created by olivine crystals, a silicate sediment of volcanic lava. This beach is one of the 4 blue beaches in the world. Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach (Maui, Hawaii, USA): With the impressive scenery of the characteristic red sand beach, this place is the perfect place for visitors to check-in and take selfies. A hard-to-find location with just a small path to the narrow and steep beach makes Kaihalulu popular among nude lovers. In addition, the lava stone wall creates a small bay suitable for visitors to experience scuba diving. Horseshoe Bay pink sand beach (Bermuda): This beach’s pink color comes from Foraminifera, a microscopic creature with a pink-red shell. They grow densely on coral reefs undersides and their crust mingles with sand. Horseshoe is one of the most popular spots with tourists and locals alike. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach (Iceland): Located right in Ring Road near the town of Vik in the southernmost part, this beach has black sand from pebbles and fine rocks that are remnants of basalt lava. Reynisfjara offers breathtaking views with unique features ranging from Gardar Cliffs made up of hexagonal basalt columns to unique Reynisdrangar basalt rocks. The pink sand beach of Harbor Island (Bahamas): The more than 4.8 km long beach, located on the east side of Harbor Island, is ideal for snorkelling and swimming. Thanks to the near-shore coral reef, the waters here are quite calm and relatively shallow. The sand is made from fragments of coral, shells, rocks and calcium carbonate from marine invertebrates. Like Horseshoe Bay of Bermuda, the pink color of this beach comes from Foraminifera.