Pink sand beaches are a rarity; there are only a few in the world. Luckily, California's Pfeiffer Beach is one of them. So what makes the sand here so colorful? It gets its beautiful tint from garnet in the cliffs surrounding the beach.
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From the tip of South Florida, those interested in seeing one of the Caribbean's most unique beaches will be happy to know it's just a short ferry ride away. Harbour Island is perhaps one of the most well-captured pink beaches in the world and features sand in pastel hues that seem to defy all logic.
Olivine SandSand of almost exclusively olivine grains is very rare, and Papakolea is one of only four green sand beaches in the world. The others are Hornindalsvatnet in Norway, Punta Cormorant in the Galapagos Islands, and Talofofo Beach in Guam.
One of the main highlights of Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur is the famous purple sand. Erosion of the cliffs above, which contain Manganese garnet rocks, is responsible for the incredible plum-like colors you see here.
Blue: Vaadhoo, MaldivesThis color might be cheating, but it's no less spectacular for it. Bioluminescent phyto plankton around the Maldives occasionally washes up onto the shore, making the sand glow in the dark in a dazzling shade of aqua blue.
Black sand beaches are located all over the world, from the sheer-sided caldera of Santorini in Greece to the geothermal hotspot of the Canary Islands, as well as mountainous Hawaii, lush Tahiti, Japan, and several islands in the Caribbean.
Pink Sands Beach is the place to go for natural beauty, elegant resorts and most importantly, three miles of perfectly pink sand and gentle waters. The ocean is ideal for swimming - warm throughout the year and generally calm, protected from the rolling waves of the Atlantic by a coral reef.
As for the honor of the world's whitest sand? Well, it goes to the little-known beach at Hyam's Beach, on the shores of Jervis Bay in the Australia state of New South Wales.
Pfeiffer Beach, Monterey County, CaliforniaTechnically, Pfeiffer Beach along California's Central Coast is more purple than pink. Thank the manganese garnet from nearby mountains for adding the tint of color to the sand. However, when the sunset is just right, the beach exhibits a pinkish glow.
Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, AustraliaWhitehaven Beach is consistently ranked as the world's best beach, and with good reason: It's almost surreally beautiful. Besides its crystal clear waters, it's known for its white sand, consisting of 98% pure silica which gives it a bright white color.