17 of the World’s Most Unusual Beaches

With summer coming to a close, it’s nice to reminisce about warmth, sun and relaxation. And when you think of summer vacation, you often think of beaches of soft, white sand. But not all beaches fit this description. In fact, some of the most interesting beaches have different color sand, unique rock formations and unusual locations. Sand is formed by whatever the ocean waves hit against on the shore, be it rocks, coral, shells, and even glass. Sand can even change color due to, for example, its formation from hardened lava. Already planning a trip for next summer? Well, here are photos of 17 of the most unusual beaches around the world for you to consider:

Unique Glass Beach

glass beach califronia
Image credit: HitFull

Hidden Beach in Marieta, Mexico

hidden beach
Image credit: wer1

Maldives Beach

Maldives Beach
Image credit: 99bibin

Beach of the Cathedrals, Ribadeo, Spain

Beach of the Cathedrals
Image credit: Toothbrush

Pink Sands Beach, Bahamas

Pink Sands Beach
Image credit: Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho

Maho Beach, Saint Martin

Maho Beach, Saint Martin
Image credit: Devin Poolman

Jokulsarlon, Iceland

Jokulsarlon, Iceland
Image credit: Patrick Shyu

Koekohe Beach, New Zealand

Koekohe Beach, New Zealand
Image credit: Sheila Thomson

Kourou, French Guiana

Kourou, French Guiana
Image credit: Arria Belli

Giants Causeway Beach, Ireland

Giants Causeway Beach, Ireland
Image credit: Stefan Klopp

Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii

Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii
Image credit: Steve Cadman

Red Sand Beach, Rabida, Galapagos

Red Beach, Rabida, Galapagos
Image credit: nomadical

Shell Beach, Shark Bay, Australia

Shell Beach, Shark Bay, Australia
Image credit: Eulinky

Papakōlea Green Sand Beach, Hawaii

Papakōlea Green Sand Beach, Hawaii
Image credit: www.lovebigisland.com lovebigisland

Pfeiffer Purple Sand Beach, California

"Manganese garnet, washed down from the hillside above, gives Pfeiffer Beach its distinctive purple sand. The further north you go, the more you'll see."
Image credit: Pamela Ocampo

Vik Beach, Iceland

Vik Beach, Iceland
Image credit: Rachel Knickmeyer

Cave Beach in Algarve, Portugal

10127 Gruta Benagil-Marinha
Image credit: Pepe

Mikaela Rakos

By Mikaela Rakos

Mikaela is both a writer and content curator for Dashburst, looking to discover and share the latest news, art, entertainment and more. When not tracking down new content to share with the world, you can find Mikaela spending quality time with her rescue dog.