"Let's go to the beach, each, let's go get away. They say, what they gonna say?"- Nicki Minaj
Here, Destinology writer Catherine Howarth brings you five of the most unusual beaches from across the globe, some are caused by science, some by nature and some by us naughty humans. Whatever the reason, they are all truly stunning in their own way and well worth a visit.
Playa del Amor ‘Hidden Beach’ Mexico
This idyllic bombsite is located west of Puerto Vallarta at the mouth of Banderas Bay and features a mound of land with a huge hole in it allegedly caused by bomb testing in the early 1900s. The beach itself is hidden from the outside and only accessible through a water tunnel which links the beach to the Pacific Ocean. I think you will agree it is certainly worth it just to see what it's like to be inside a hole in the earth. It isn't something you could do every day unless you are some kind of tiny rodent, which I would assume you aren't if you are reading this.
Punalu’s Beach (Black Sand Beach), Hawaii
This is located between Phala and Na alehy on the island of Hawaii. The black sand is made of basalt and is created when the lava flows into the ocean and explodes as it cools down. The beach itself is very popular with the local green turtles who like to hang around here and look cool, as well as the endangered hawksbill.
Glass Beach, California
This colourful glass beach is near Fort Bragg and it came into being after years of rubbish dumped by residents was pounded into the sand by the waves. It makes for a very pretty, if slightly uncomfortable walk on the shoreline and thankfully it is now against the law to put rubbish on the beach. Marbles anyone?
Firefly Beach, The Maldives
This beautiful and somewhat magical looking beach is lit up by ostracod crustaceans which give off light when agitated by the water creating this blue starry sci-fi phenomena. Often, they glow for a minute and sometimes longer depending on how agitated they are. We’ve all been there.
Pink Sand Beach – Harbour Island, The Bahamas
This could possibly be the prettiest beach going and it is all caused by washed up coral remains, broken shells and calcium carbonate materials which are ground into tiny particles by the sea. This mixes in with the normal grains of sand and causes a pale pink effect. If you are as pale as I am and get a slight pink 'tan' then you will also camouflage yourself with the sand! Endless fun I think you'll agree. Or not.
