The Most Colorful Beaches

Artists and interior designers have long recognized how color can significantly affect moods, feelings, and emotions. It is a powerful communication tool and could be used to indicate motion, effect mood, and cause physiological reactions. Specific colors have been linked with increased blood pressure, improved metabolism, and eyestrain .Numerous ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy, or the use of colors to heal. Chromotherapy is in some cases referred to as light therapy or colourology and is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment.

In this treatment:

• Red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation.
• Yellow was thought to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.
• Orange was used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels.
• Blue was believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain.
• Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems.

Research is still needed in this area, but who says you can’t do some experimenting yourself? There are beaches all around the world that have unusual color sandy beaches. Here are some of them you may want to visit when doing your experiment.

Pink Sand Beach, Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas  

What is involved with making a pink beach? The three-and-a half-mile-long span gets its color from thousands of broken coral pieces, shells, and calcium carbonate materials left behind by foraminifera (tiny marine creatures with red and pink shells) that live in the coral reefs that encompass the beach. The pink sands can also be found on Harbour Island’s Atlantic side and along the Exuma Sound– Lighthouse Beach, Surfer’s Beach, Winding Bay Beach, and French Leave Beach are also famous for their rosy sand.

Red Beach, Santorini, Greece

Santorini’s Red Beach (also called Kokkini Beach) is set at the base of giant red cliffs that rise high over crystal-blue Mediterranean waters. The colorful red sand 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 Santorini in 1450 B.C. Nowadays, the beach is popular with sunbathers, though you’ll want to rent beach chairs to avoid sitting directly on the coarse sand. And it’s best to visit in the early morning hours—the sand heats up under the warm Mediterranean sun.

Papakōlea Beach, Big Island of Hawaii

Located on the southern tip of Hawaii’s Big Island, Papakōlea Beach is more commonly referred to as Green Sand Beach. And for good reason. The sand here 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. The density of the olivine crystals keeps them from being washed away by the tide, resulting in a striking olive-green accumulation along the coastline. Swimming is allowed but waves on the windy southern coast can be particularly strong.

Muriwai Black Sand Beach, New Zealand

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. New Zealand’s stunning Muriwai Black Sand Beach is a 37-mile stretch of sparkling black sand and home to New Zealand’s largest colony of Gannet birds. Hike up the scenic trail at the southern end of the beach to two viewing platforms for great ocean views and a peek at the birds in their natural habitat, where nearly 1,200 pairs nest between August and March each year.

Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California

Have you ever heard of purple sand? Head to the northern coastline of Pfeiffer Beach, where patches of violet and deep-purple sand can be found. The source 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. The purple sand is more likely to be seen after storms during the winter. Swimming is not recommended because of strong currents and a number of sharp purple rocks offshore, which also contribute to the beach’s rare coloration.

Porto Ferro, Sardinia, Italy

The northern corner of Italy’s island of Sardinia is home to Porto Ferro, a one-and-a-quarter-mile stretch of oddly orange-colored sand thanks to a unique mixture of the area’s native orange limestone, crushed shells, and other volcanic deposits. You can also find 65-foot-tall ochre-colored sand dunes behind the beach on the way to Lake Baratz, Sardinia’s only natural salt lake. The area is known for its scenic bike and hiking paths, and three Spanish lookout towers—Torre Negra, Torre Bianca, and Torre de Bantine Sale—that date back to the 1600s. Boating is the best way to explore this pristine area of Sardinia, which is also a popular spot for diving, surfing, and windsurfing.

Rainbow Beach, Australia

Rainbow Beach makes up for its small size (just 0.62 miles) with its many colors. There are 74 different hues, a clandestine combination of erosion and iron oxide buildup that has been occurring since the last ice age, and the makeup changes. There is a sad romantic story behind the colors as well. According to an ancient Aboriginal legend, the sands became colorful as a result of the rainbow spirit falling onto the large 656-foot tall beachside cliffs after losing a battle over a beautiful woman, leaving his beautiful colors to rest on the beach for all of eternity.

 

So if you are looking to do some color therapy, check out one of these beaches.

 

 

 

 

 

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