The world is full of beautiful beaches - there's no doubt about that. And while most of us will gladly settle for a white sand beach under a bright sun, here's a look at beaches around the world whose sands are the colors of the rainbow.See some of the world's most beautiful colorful sand beaches. Red, green, pink, purple and even black are some of the colors featured in this breathtaking display of nature serenity.
The Striking Red Sands on Maui's Almost Hidden Beach, Kaihalulu Beach
At the end of Maui's Road to Hana lies Kaihalulu Beach, with its magnificent red sand beach. It's no surprise as to where the color comes from, either – the beach is surrounded by red cliffs, and the contrast of the blue water against the colorful landscape is simply stunning.
Santorini Greece Red Sand Beach
Known for its whitewash buildings with cobalt blue roofs, the idyllic Greek island of Santorini holds another treasure waiting to be discovered – Red Sand Beach, or Kokkini Beach. The red sand comes from the red lava, the cliffs of which protect the cove and create quite a dramatic backdrop.
San Blas Bay, Gozo
Down a steep, narrow road from the village of in-Nadur on the island of Gozo, nearby Malta, lies an orange-sand beach that remain fairly quiet. San Blas Bay is accessible only by that steep, narrow road, of which the last part is closed to traffic because it is so steep. Make your way down that road and find yourself on a nearly-deserted beach.
Papohaku Beach Park on the Hawaiian island of Molokai
It may not be yellow, but the golden sands at Papohaku Beach Park on the Hawaiian island of Molokai are mesmerizing, and oftentimes untouched. When the sun sets, the golden light on those golden sands is quite a sight.
Hawaii's Papakolea Beach Green Color Sand Comes From Olivine, a Lava Mineral
On the east coast of Guam lies Talofofo Beach, one of only a handful of green sand beaches in the world – the others are on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands and Norway. The green sand on Talofofo Beach gets its color from the olivine mineral, a product of the island's lava flow.
Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives has Bio-Luminescent Sand that Lights Up the Night
While the sand itself isn't blue, it does take on the saturated hue from the phytoplankton that's strewn across Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives. The bioluminescence lights up the night, creating a spectacular natural scene.
The Sand Gets its Color from Manganese Garnet
After a short drive through a redwood forest in Big Sur, you'll find yourself at Pfeiffer Beach. While all of the sand on the beach isn't purple or violet, there are patches on the northern coastline of the beach that are, which make for a pleasant discovery. Tip: after winter storms are the best time to spot the purple and violet on the beach.
Siesta Key - Beach- Shoreline
Just outside Sarasota, Fla. lies Siesta Key, with some of the whitest, softest sand in the world. The sand is 99 percent pure quartz, which means it stays nice and cool even on the hottest of Florida summer days.
Lava Particles Create Black Sand Beaches in Costa Rica
Lava particles that have found their way to the beaches in Costa Rica create dramatic, black sand beaches that are incredibly captivating. One of the more popular black sand beaches in the Central American country is Playa Negra in Limon, on the Caribbean coast.
Australia's Rainbow Beach
All of the colors of the rainbow – and more! – are on display at Rainbow Beach in Queensland, Australia. The sand comes from the multi-colored sand cliffs just north of Double Island Point – and as many as 72 different colors can be spotted.