8 Beautiful Beaches That Aren’t Made of White Sand

1. Shell Beach, western Australia. Visit the Shark Bay World Heritage area for a look at this gleaming white beach, made from billions of miniature shells.

2. Crane Beach, Barbados. Turquoise water, sheer cliffs, and crashing waves have made this pink sand beach a favorite with boogie-boarders and sightseers.

3. Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland. Travel 112 miles southeast from Reykjavik to marvel at the black sand and basalt columns, both formed from cooled lava.

4. Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California. This astonishing purple beach owes its color—which is especially vivid after rain—to a concentration of garnet.

5. Papakōlea Beach, Big Island, Hawaii. The lava mineral olivine, also known as Hawaiian Diamond, gives the sand an unusual green hue.

6. Porto Ferro Beach, Sardinia, Italy. A mixture of orange limestone and volcanic deposits combine to create bright orange sand.

7. Kokkini Beach, Santorini, Greece. Sheltered by a towering rock wall, this red sand beach is photogenic, but beware of crowds and rockslides.

8. Honomalino Bay, Big Island, Hawaii. At first glance, the sand appears black, but it’s actually a tasteful blend of black and white, resulting in one of Hawaii’s salt-and-pepper beaches.