When most people daydream of their upcoming beach getaway, they think about the warm sun, getting a tan, and perhaps laying on the beach with a cocktail.  Rarely does one think of what the sand will be like – especially in regards to what COLOR the sand will be!

However, through my many years of traveling, I’ve come across very amazing beaches because of the uniqueness of the sand color.

Below is a list, by color, of beaches I’ve been to (or will soon go to).  I’m making it a travel goal of mine to see every color!

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PURPLE

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Pfeiffer Beach (Big Sur), California, USA

This is the only purple sand beach in the world (that I know of).  Because of the violet sand, this is a big tourist attraction..

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RED

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Greece, Hawaii, Peru

There are a few red sand beaches in the world.  Usually located around past volcanic activity.  Here are a few of the best ones:

★ Santorini, Greece
★ Kaihalulu Beach (Red Sand Beach), Hawaii
★ Paracas National Reserve, Ica, Peru

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GREEN

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Papakōlea Beach, Hawaii, USA

… is said to be the only green sand beach in the world!  It’s located on the very southern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii (also the most southern point in the entire USA).  It’s really amazing, and super rare, so if you’re in Hawaii, definitely go on the adventure to go find it!  I loved my journey to find this hidden beach.  Read more about it HERE.  See all my pictures and read how to find it (it’s really really small).

Note: There is another beach that is comparable to Papakōlea… it’s located in Guam.  The sand is green, but is made up of different minerals.

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PINK

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Bermuda

The most famous Pink Sand Beach can be found in Bermuda, but after doing a bit of research, there are other pink sand beaches in the world such as in Indonesia.

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BLACK

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Hawaii, New Zealand, French Polynesia, Iceland

Whether in tropical climates, or in areas where you might see a polar bear, black sand beaches are located where there is (or was) volcanic activity.  Hawaii, New Zealand, French Polynesia, and Iceland have the some great examples:

★ New Zealand’s Muriwai Black Sand Beach
★ Hawaii’s Punalu’u Beach (simply named “Black Sand Beach”)
★ Papenoo, Tahiti – Located on the northern coast (a surfer’s paradise)
★ Iceland’s Diamond Beach is spectacular! Ice chunks are sprinkled all over the black sand beach which makes it looks like shiny diamonds on black velvet

These are just examples, but Hawaii and New Zealand have many black sand beaches scattered around their islands.

Note: One of my favorite beaches in NZ is Lion Rock.  The sand isn’t a special color, but definitely a fun beach to explore all day. Read more about it HERE!

 

 

WHITE

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Whitehaven Beach (Whitsunday Island), Australia

I’m sure that everyone has heard of pristine white sand beaches throughout the world – And, yes, there are many… I happened to go to the whitest-sand beach in the world which was Whitehaven beach on Whitsunday Island in Australia.

Whitehaven’s sand is said to be the purest sand in the world – probably due to the fact that it’s made up of 98% silica.  The sand is so pure, that it squeaks under your feet when you walk on it.  (When I was there, I was warned to take extra care of my camera and to put it in a ziplock bag because the sand is so fine, that it can actually get into the camera like water.)

If you can’t get to Australia, that’s ok! There are many other white sand beaches in the world… Here are some other white sand beaches that on the top of the list:

★ Jalousie Beach, Saint Lucia
★ Cancun, Mexico
★ Ambergris Caye, Belize
★ Fryes Beach, Antigua
★ Sousse, Tunisia
★ Ile Aux Cerfs Beach, Mauritius
★ Silhouette Island, Seychelles
★ Playa Esmeralda, Cuba
★ Mnemba Island, Tanzania

Here’s another white sand beach that that I happened to randomly find just through bumping into the right people at the right time.  It’s probably Hawaii’s best kept secret beach!  Read how I found this beach and then see my pictures and find it for yourself!

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