The "Beaches with a Hue" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Googled "beaches" on my computer just to see what may appear.  Among the many photos and stories about some of the neatest beaches in the world was an article about some of the most colorful beaches in the world. Carol and I have been on many beautiful colorful beaches, but I was amazed that we never managed to step foot on the nine beaches that were featured.  I have included photos of the beaches and a brief description so you too can see some of the neatest colorful beaches in the world.  Many thanks to Budget Travel Magazine for the article.   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

It's worth the trip to California's remote Shelter Cove to see the gray-colored sand, the result of years of erosion of the nearby gray-shale cliffs along the shore.  Shelter Cove is along "The Lost Coast" just above Mendocino County and about an hour south of Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

New Zealand's stunning Muriwai Black Sand Beach is a 37-mile stretch of sparkling black sand.  Black sand beaches are typically a result of an island's explosive volcanic past—the rich color is a result of a mixture of iron, titanium, and several other volcanic materials.

Head to the northern coastline of Pfeiffer Beach, in Big Sur, CA, where patches of violet and deep-purple sand can be found.  The source for the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach is large deposits of quartz and manganese garnet originating in the nearby hills being washed down from the creek to its final resting place along the Pacific.

Located on the southern tip of Hawaii's Big Island, Papakōlea Beach is more commonly referred to as Green Sand Beach.Papakōlea Beach's sand is made of tiny olivine crystals from the surrounding lava rocks that are trapped in the 49,000 year-old Pu'u Mahana cinder cone by the waters of Mahana Bay.  You can take the two-mile hike along the southernmost point in the U.S.A. for a glimpse of the uniquely olive-green sand.

What makes this Pink Sand Beach in the Bahamas so pink? Thousands of broken coral pieces, shells, and calcium carbonate materials left behind by foraminifera (tiny marine creatures with red and pink shells).

The northern corner of Italy's island of Sardinia is home to Porto Ferro, a stretch of oddly orange-colored sand thanks to a unique mixture of the area's native orange limestone, crushed shells, and other volcanic deposits.

There are 74 different hues in the sand at Australia's Rainbow Beach, a clandestine combination of erosion and iron oxide buildup that has been occurring since the last ice age.  According to an ancient Aboriginal legend, the sands at Rainbow Beach are a result of the rainbow spirit falling onto the large beachside cliffs after losing a battle over a beautiful woman. 

The colorful red sand of Santorini's Kokkini Beach is a result of the surrounding iron-rich black and red lava rocks left over from the ancient volcanic activity of Thira, the impressive volcano that erupted and essentially shaped the island in 1450 B.C.  Kokkini Beach is set at the base of giant red cliffs that rise high over crystal-blue Mediterranean waters.

The sand doesn't get much whiter than at Crescent Beach, located on Florida's Siesta Key.  The sand along Florida's Crescent Beach is 99 percent pure quartz, which has traveled down Florida's rivers from the Appalachian Mountains.  The best part about Crescent Beach's sand: Not only does it feel like you're walking through powdered sugar, but it will never heat up no matter how hot the Florida sun beats down.