The dream of a relaxing week spent soaking up rays on a beautifully sun-kissed yellow sandy beach it seems is somewhat unimaginative. Yellow sand? It\’s a classic certainly, to the point of tedium? Possibly. Here are five beaches that baulk the tradition of yellow and opt for something a little less conventional in the colour spectrum…

Kaihalulu Beach

Kaihalulu Beach rocks red! It\’s a secluded little beach located on the island Maui. It\’s deeply coloured red sand is a result of a cinder cone hill in the immediate vicinity. It is said that swimming out from this beach is not like swimming anywhere else, but be sure to stay within the lava sea wall and watch the currents, they\’re tricky fellows. Also, it might not be the best beach for those who consider themselves a little prudish. Due to its secluded nature there are more than a few nudists.

Hyams Beach

Hyams Beach is located on a fairly remote and quiet section of the NSW South Coast. It is part of Jervis Bay and is officially the world record holder for possessing the whitest sands on Earth. It isn\’t all that small either, being four times bigger than Sydney harbour. The beach took the title from Siesta Key in Florida and when the makeup of both is examined it\’s easy to see why these two are at the top. Their geological genes are predominantly quartz crystals.

Pfeiffer Beach

Pfeiffer Beach is nestled in Big Sur, California. The area is surrounded by earth rich in manganese garnet. This gets washed onto the beach by weather, wind and rain mostly and gives the sand a unique hue somewhere between pink and purple. The effect is such that there is a multi-tonality of shades giving the beach the look of a water colour painting that is a wonder to behold.

Papakolea Beach

Papakolea Beach is green. Green beaches are rare; the only other one is in Guam. Their colouring is due to volcanic activity, in particular the vast amount of residual olivine crystals that have been created by nearby eruptions and erosions caused by a nearby cinder cone. If you fancy a trip to Papakolea it\’s in the Kau district of the Island of Hawaii.

Black Sand Beach

Beaches with black sand aren\’t that rare, though Black Sand Beach as the name indicates is one of the best examples. Located in Sausalito, California these darkest of dark sands is made of a myriad of different coloured stone all washed on to the shore by volcanic activity.

Glass Beach

Technically this beach is half man made. Situated on the coastline within MacKerricher State Park, California the area was used as a public dump shortly after World War II. This carried on for about 20 years until the practice was ceased. In the 70 or so years since the tide has gradually worn down all the broken glass to tiny harmless pebbles, resulting in a magnificent spectacle despite the inauspicious beginnings.

There you have it a plethora of spectacularly coloured beaches. I only need to find a couple more and then I\’m off on a rainbow tour of this lot!

Dave Poult is a copywriter who researches and writes about funny gifts for the online gift company Find Me A Gift.

Dave Poult is a copywriter who researches and writes about funny gifts for the online gift company Find Me A Gift – http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/

Author Bio: Dave Poult is a copywriter who researches and writes about funny gifts for the online gift company Find Me A Gift.

Category: Travel
Keywords: travel, beaches, sand, colour, geography, sights, sea,