#BeachThursday: these 10 coloured beaches are totally natural

Editor's note: today, PAXnews.com is launching #BeachThursday, a new feature showcasing unique beaches from around the world. With the return of colder temperatures and the winter travel season just ahead of us, we thought it was the perfect time to launch this new column!

White-sand beaches are beautiful, but they tend to steal the spotlight. Here are the 10 most breathtaking beaches around the world, in every colour of the rainbow — and more!

Red

Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island, Canada

On the Red Sands Shore in Prince Edward Island, Cavendish Beach can be found. Though parts of the beachfront are pristine and white, the cliffs that stagger out to the ocean are an intense rusty red colour, due in part to the red sandstone’s rich iron in the clay.

Photo by: Christine Hogg

Orange

Porto Ferro, Sardinia, Italy

Located in the province of Sassari in northwest Sardinia, Porto Ferro beach is a site for sore eyes. Under the sun, the sand is so richly coloured that it looks like gold, and when the waves saturate the soil, the sand turns a warm orange.

Photo credit: Alvesgaspar, Flickr

Yellow

Ramla Bay, Gozo, Malta

A rich and fertile valley that surrounds Ramla Bay is what gives its sand a sparkling gold hue, and it’s the only yellow beach in Malta.

Photo credit: Chris Beyeler, Flickr

Green

Papakōlea Beach, Big Island, Hawaii

The green sand at Papakōlea Beach is not because of an abundance of algae, but because of the volcanic deposits that are found there. Papakōlea Beach sits in a bay that was formed almost 50,000 years ago and the volcanic materials there contain olivine crystals which tint the sand a mossy green. Papakōlea Beach is one of only four green beaches in the world, and you can only get to it by hiking.

Photo credit: Thomas, Flickr

Purple

Pfeiffer State Beach, Big Sur, California

This purple beach is off the beaten path, but its well worth the trek. The sand gets its gorgeous lavender colour from the garnet rocks that the cliffs are made of. It’s said that the best time to see the purple sand is after a good rainfall, when the garnet colour gets soaked into the ground.

Photo credit: Rosino, Flickr Creative Commons

Pink

Pink Beach of Komodo, Indonesia

Too often, the Pink Sand Beach in the Bahamas gets all the credit for having the best rose-coloured sand. The Pink Beach of Komodo in Indonesia is located in Komodo National Park (yes, there are Komodo dragons), and the shoreline is dusted with a romantic shade of blush pink. The colour comes from the coral reefs down below, whose fine particles break off and mix with the white sand above.

Photo credit: Indonesia Rooms, Flickr

Black

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

Iceland is famous for many things, and when it comes to black beaches, it’s for good reason. Vik Beach is a popular tourist hotspot, but the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach features more than just sand the colour of midnight. It’s essentially a beach made out of lava, as volcanic rock deposits cooled over the years and left behind exquisite hardened lava formations and caves.

Photo credit: LaMolte, Flickr

Rainbow

Rainbow Beach, Queensland, Australia

Can’t decide what colour of sand to stick your toes in? Rainbow Beach in Queensland, Australia, gets its name from the abundance of multi-coloured sand found here. Everything from swirls of caramel, to deep burgundy, to soft yellows, pinks, and white sands line the shores and coat the cliffs. The colours come from the rich mineral deposits in the sand dunes, but legend has it they got their markings after a spirit named Yiningie, represented by a rainbow, crashed into the cliffs while fighting off an enemy.

Photo credit: Shannan Mortimer, Flickr

Glass

Glass Beach, Eleele, Hawaii

Did you ever wander aimlessly, toes in the sand, looking for coloured beach glass? Years of dumping glass bottles in this industrial area of Hawaii are why this stretch of beach is rainbow-coloured. Over time, bits of broken glass were smoothed over by the ocean, causing the glass to break down into pebble-sized stones, creating a beautiful multi-coloured coastline.

Photo credit: Steve Corey, Flickr

Shell

Shell Beach, Western Australia

While stepping on millions of tiny pink shells might not sound like the most relaxing thing to do, that’s all you’ll find on Shell Beach, in Western Australia. Located in the Shark Bay region, more than 60 kilometres of cockle shells make up Shell Beach, and walking into the ocean, they extend for a depth of 23 to 33 feet. Shark Bay is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Shell Beach is one of the only two shell beaches in the world.

Photo credit: amanda, Flickr