There is something about beaches. Not just as places where you can soak up the sun unhindered. They provide a sense of tranquility. Whether you’re seeking solitude or a party, shallow waters or pounding surf, the sea shores always seem to have the answers. The abundance of beaches on mother earth also dishes out some astonishing variety.
And these 10 are some of the most unusual ones if you seek a bit of magic on the destinations you travel to.
1. A sandy beach in the middle of a meadow – Playa De Gulpiyuri, Llanes, Spain
Though the ocean is nowhere in sight, the beach is actually connected by a network of intricate underground waterways to the Atlantic where its water is sourced.
2. Bioluminescent Beach – Maldives
It’s an ocean of stars. Bioluminescent phytoplankton, which glows when agitated, can be found in many shores all over the world, but it seems they’re found more often in Maldives. This amazing photo was taken by Taiwanese photographer Will Ho.
3. Beach of the Cathedrals – Praia de Augas Santas, Ribadeo, Spain
Magnificent geological formations form a cathedral-like effect across this idyllic beach in Spain. The beach can only be easily accessible during low tide.
4. Bowling Ball Beach – Gulch State Beach, Mendocino County, California, USA
Large spherical rocks, like over-sized bowling balls, are scattered across the shore of this beach in Schooner Gulch. The boulders are said to have been caused by millions of years of erosion and “concretion” a rare geologic phenomenon also observed in the Moeraki and Koutu Boulders in New Zealand and Cannonball River in North Dakota.
5. Vanishing Beach – Chandipur Beach, eastern India
In the morning, the sea in Chandipur Beach vanishes completely like a miracle. It recedes up to 5 kilometers from the shore, giving visitors an opportunity to walk in the sea and explore the sea bed on foot. But once high tide kicks in, they better be back in shore, since that’s when the sea rushes back into place. This strange phenomenon happens twice a day throughout the year.
6. Hidden Beach – Playa de Amor, Marieta Islands, Mexico
This idyllic beach paradise was actually created when the Mexican government in the early 1900’s made a bombsite out of the area, blasting a huge hole on the canopy of the grotto. Despite its dreadful past, we’re actually grateful — the beach looks absolutely gorgeous.
7. Black Sand Beach – Punalu’u Park, Hawaii
Sick of ordinary white sand beaches? Head down to Punalu’u Park for something entirely different. As for why the sand is colored black, we have theories.
8. Rainbow Beach – South-eastern Queensland, Australia
Multi-colored sand dunes surrounding the town supply Rainbow Beach with as many as 74 different colors of sand. The colorful sand dunes are a result of years of erosion and iron oxidation dating back since the Ice Age.
9. Scala Dei Turchi – southern Sicily, Realmonte, Italy
Scala dei Turchi is a set of stairs formed out of natural white rock by years of wave action. Beach-goers are often found covered in white paste made from the mineral Marl that’s abundant in the area and is said to be good for the skin.
10. Desert Beach – Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhão, Brazil
Every start of the year, continuous rainfall floods the desert dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, creating a series of lovely turquoise lagoons in the white valleys of sand. The desert beach persists until it completely dries up in October. If you look closely in the water, you’ll be surprised to find a variety of fishes swimming around–a result of adaptation through the periodic drying and flooding of the desert oasis.
Source: whenonearth.net