{"id":26202,"date":"2013-03-06T05:00:20","date_gmt":"2013-03-06T11:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=26202"},"modified":"2018-03-05T16:32:01","modified_gmt":"2018-03-05T22:32:01","slug":"sights-and-sands-its-the-worlds-most-unusual-beaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2013\/03\/sights-and-sands-its-the-worlds-most-unusual-beaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Sights and sands: The world’s most unusual beaches"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Papakolea

Next time you’re in Hawaii, check out the olive-colored sand at Papakolea Beach. Photo: iStockphoto<\/p><\/div>\n

Who among us doesn\u2019t love a soft, sun-drenched beach? But while iconic aspects\u2014lapping waves, powdery sand, warming rays\u2014are undeniable draws, certain locales have off-kilter attributes that drive the appeal home.<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s a challenge to access\u2014its location is three miles off the beaten path \u2013visitors to southern Hawaii<\/a>\u2019s cliff-side Papakolea Beach reap the rewards of olive green olivine-rich sand courtesy of the Puu Mahana volcanic cone. Bring your hiking boots and check it out next time you\u2019re near Ka Lae.<\/p>\n

At Vik Beach in Iceland, situated a reasonable drive from Reykjavik<\/a>, an expanse of black basalt sand and unusual rock \u201cstacks\u201d (steep rock formations) give way to crashing sea. One of the country\u2019s wettest locales, it sits beneath the M\u00fdrdalsj\u00f6kull glacier, with a population of resident puffins.<\/p>\n

When in Cape Town, a stop at aptly named Boulders Beach is requisite. Situated along South Africa<\/a>\u2019s rugged cost in Table Mountain National Park, it\u2019s a haven for thousands of African penguins (look, but don\u2019t touch\u2014they bite). Soak up the sunshine, take a dip in the cove or just take in the scenery, courtesy of massive, eroded granite orbs.<\/p>\n

Big Sur<\/a> is stunning in its own right. At Pfeiffer Beach, however, the drama takes an unexpected turn, thanks to a half-mile of purple manganese garnet sand. Find it less than half a mile from Big Sur Station off of Highway 1.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, New Zealand<\/a>\u2019s Hot Water Beach in Coromandel doesn\u2019t dissapoint. It\u2019s a geothermal attraction that draws both residents and curious travelers, who dig hot water pools from hot springs in the sand two hours before and after low tide. Just be on the lookout for large breaking waves.<\/p>\n

Not to be outdone is a secret-feeling spot on Japan\u2019s Iriomote Island, the second largest of the Okinawa Islands<\/a>. Access the island by ferry and find a locale covered in dense jungle and mangrove swamps. To the point, though, you\u2019ll also find Hoshizuna no Hama<\/em>, or Sand Star Beach, where \u201csand\u201d particles are made from small, star-shaped shells.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sink your toes into these incredible beaches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":26204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2660,304],"class_list":["post-26202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-adventure","tag-beach"],"acf":{"api_active":null,"api_title":null,"api_excerpt":null,"api_featured_image":null,"api_lob":null},"posts_api_cpm_point":[{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"Hawaii, USA","latitude":"19.8967662","longitude":"-155.58278180000002","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"}],"yoast_head":"\nSights and sands: The world's most unusual beaches | Orbitz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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