For millions around the world, sun-filled beaches abutting water so blue it nearly blends into the sky are some of the most sought-after natural settings for getaways. Feeling soft sand between our toes as palm fronds provide shade is pure relaxation for many of us.
Nature’s ability to dazzle goes one step further when it adds new colors into the mix. And it does just that with vivid pink-sand beaches hugging the shores of turquoise blue seas. These special settings are rare — only about a few dozen are found worldwide. Where can you find these radiant destinations? Take a look at the world’s prettiest pink sand beaches.
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25. Horseshoe Bay Beach
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Location: Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda
Best time of year to visit: May through October
Stay at: The Reefs Resort & Club
Why Horseshow Bay Beach is one of the best: One of the most-photographed pink beaches in the world, Horseshoe Bay Beach can be found on the south coast of Bermuda, located off the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. in the Atlantic Ocean. The beach’s pink hue is made of crushed coral and is one of the brightest, but as the No. 8 best beach of any color in the world, according to TripAdvisor, you may have to eke out space to capture that perfect Instagram shot.
24. Elafonisi Beach
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Location: Crete, Greece
Best time of year to visit: June through October
Stay at: Elafonisi Resort
Why Elafonisi Beach is one of the best: You’ll find more room for picturesque photos in the large 1.5-square-mile stretch of Crete’s Elafonisi Beach. Nestling the cerulean-blue Mediterranean Sea for a backdrop of pastel colors that feels otherworldly, Elafonisi Beach’s color comes from the thousands of broken seashells topping the sand. Its home, Elafonisi Island, can be reached by foot from Crete due to a stretch of shallow water between the two islands.
23. Balos Beach
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Location: Chania, Crete
Best time of year to visit: June through October
Stay at: Balos Beach Hotel
Why Balos Beach is one of the best: Hop in a car and travel two hours north, and you’ll discover Crete’s lesser-known (but also stunning) Balos Beach. While most tourists head straight to Elafonisi, you can find a more rustic beach surrounded by a seashell-filled lagoon. With both pink and white sand and blue waters that darken in depth, Balos is layer upon layer of color and one of the most photographed places in the world.
22. Pink Beach
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Location: Komodo, Indonesia
Best time of year to visit: April through November
Stay at: Komodo Resort
Why Pink Beach is one of the best: Home to the infamous Komodo dragon (said to be the inspiration of Godzilla), Komodo National Park is where you’ll find more than 4,000 dragons. But that’s not all that brings visitors to this rugged island. Its bright-pink beach meshes coral-colored sand with aquamarine waters and gets its color from a microorganism that creates the pink in the sand. Nearby Padar Island, also part of the national park, has an additional pink sand beach.
21. Tangsi Beach
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Location: Lombok, Indonesia
Best time of year to visit: April through November
Stay at: Novotel Lombok Resort and Villas
Why Tangsi Beach is one of the best: If dragons aren’t desirable for your beachy getaway, try the island of Lombok, located next to Bali. While Bali may get more glory, it doesn’t have Tangsi Beach and bubblegum-pink sand. Time your visit with the setting sun, and not only will you have the bright pink sand and aqua blue water, but also the colors of the sunset layering more pink, purple and orange hues in the sky. Now, that’s an Insta pic!
20. Pink Sand Beach
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Location: Harbour Island, Bahamas
Best time of year to visit: December through April
Stay at: Pink Sands Resorts
Why Pink Sand Beach is one of the best: The Atlantic Ocean’s prettiest pink beach can be found near Eleuthera Island in the Eastern Bahamas. The small island is less than 4 miles long and only a half-mile wide, but its 100-foot-wide sand of pink is created by the same microorganisms found in Indonesia. The only way to reach the island and its beach is by water taxi from Eleuthera, which means you’ll find plenty of empty stretches.
19. Pfeiffer Beach
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Location: Big Sur, California
Best time of year to visit: September through December
Stay at: Big Sur Lodge
Why Pfeiffer Beach is one of the best: You don’t need to travel to the islands to uncover pink sand in the United States. California’s Big Sur has its own blush-hued locale, although some would argue it’s closer to a magenta created by the runoff of manganese garnet from the hills. Locals say a visit during the winter solstice sunset makes the most magical red hue, but to see it striped in purple, visit during the rainy season in spring.
18. Pink Beach
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Location: Bonaire
Best time of year to visit: May to October
Stay at: Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire
Why Pink Beach is one of the best: For warm Caribbean waters hugging rose-colored sand, the Dutch island of Bonaire, off the coast of Venezuela, has you covered. Although Pink Beach is striking, its most popular as a launch point for snorkeling and diving in crystalline waters filled with more colorful tints in its resident fish. Pink Beach of Bonaire gets its hue from the aforementioned foraminifera microscopic organisms.
17. Kaihalulu Beach
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Location: Hana, Maui
Best time of year to visit: Spring and fall
Stay at: Hana-Maui Resort
Why Kaihalulu Beach is one of the best: Not only can you find white sand beaches on the Hawaiian island of Maui, but also a famous black sand beach at Honokalani and a red sand beach at Kaihalulu. Both unique beaches are part of the allure of the picturesque Road to Hana drive filled with waterfalls, rainforests and scenic vistas. Although Kaihalulu’s sand is deeper in red hues than its pink counterparts, due to its rust-red lava particles, its hidden cove makes it a secluded destination far removed from the crowds.
16. Kapalua Beach
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Location: Kapalua, Maui
Best time of year to visit: Spring and fall
Stay at: Kapalua Resort
Why Kapalua Beach is one of the best: Maui’s Kaihalulu Beach is not the only salmon-colored perch you can enjoy, and you won’t have to traverse the Road to Hana to access it. The snorkelers’ cove of Kapalua Bay is lined with pink sand. Once awarded America’s Best Beach, you’ll find sea turtles aplenty when you dip into the warm sea-green waters.
15. Spiaggia Rosa
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Location: Isola Budelli, Italy
Best time of year to visit: June through September
Stay at: Marmorata Resort
Why Spiaggia Rosa is one of the best: Italy’s Budelli Island is covered in sand made up of both foraminifera and crushed coral and seashell for a double whammy in pinkness. Only accessible via private boat or ferry, this beautiful beach is protected: You can look but you cannot touch. Take a guided tour of Maddalena Archipelago National Park, and catch the pinks from nearby Spiaggia del Cavaliere and Cala di Roto at the northern tip of Sardinia.
14. Playa de Ses Illetes
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Location: Formentera, Spain
Best time of year to visit: June through December
Stay at: Gecko Hotel & Beach Club
Why Playa de Ses Illetes is one of the best: Ibiza, Spain, may be most known for its party scene throughout the summer, but even hotter is a visit by boat to nearby Formentera Island, which is home to the country’s only pink sand beach. The island has nearly 43 miles of coastline, but Ses Illetes is home to a pale pink beach in a quiet cove of turquoise waters. At more than 1,500 feet, visitors have ample space to relax and take in the stunning setting.
13. Grande Santa Cruz Island
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Location: Mindanao, Philippines
Best time of year to visit: May to July
Stay at: Marcian Garden Hotel
Why Grande Santa Cruz Island is one of the best: Although it has a big name, Grande Santa Cruz Island is not very big (less than 2 miles long and 1 mile across). It earns its name as the largest of two islands on the Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines. Here, the red organ pipe coralline sand reflects a rose-colored hue. Simply ask to visit Pink Beach, and locals will get you to a stretch of powder-like sand of pink, but you’ll need a permit to see the beach, and only during daylight hours, as it is highly protected.
12. Crane Beach
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Location: Barbados
Best time of year to visit: December through April
Stay at: The Crane Resort
Why Crane Beach is one of the best: Found on the property of a luxury resort that has been in operation since the Victorian era, this private pink beach is a perk of a Barbados getaway. As the oldest continuously operating hotel in the Caribbean, The Crane boasts one of the best beaches in the world — and one of the few pink beaches in the West Indies.
11. Pearl Beach
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Location: Tahiti, French Polynesia
Best time of year to visit: May through October
Stay at: Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort
Why Pearl Beach is one of the best: Another private pink beach can be found in Polynesia at the Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort. As if a visit to Tahiti isn’t exotic enough, this gem is home to both white and pink sand beaches nestled along a lagoon with overwater bungalows. The Pearl even offers pampering spa treatments right on the pink sand!
10. Les Sables Roses
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Location: Tetamanu, French Polynesia
Best time of year to visit: May through October
Stay at: Tetamanu Village
Why Les Sables Roses is one of the best: In a nearby French Polynesian atoll, Les Sables Roses (pink sand beaches) is a combination of coral and foraminiferal microbes that create a pretty-in-pink spot in the Tuamotu Islands. This public beach isn’t hidden only to guests of a resort but, instead, allows visitors open access to its soft sand and crystal clear waters of the South Pacific.
9. Playa Flamingo Beach
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Location: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Best time of year to visit: December through April
Stay at: Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo
Why Playa Flamingo Beach is one of the best: You’ll want to see this Costa Rican beach when the sunlight shines just right. What may appear to be a white sand beach in some lighting illuminates pink when light gleams from its powdery sand found in the crescent-shaped Potrero Bay.
8. Coral Pink Sand Dunes
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Location: Kanab, Utah
Best time of year to visit:
Stay at: Canyons Boutique Hotel
Why Coral Pink Sand Dunes is one of the best: There may not be a hint of water near the coral-colored sands of Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah, but the more-red-than-pink dunes span across 3,730 acres — the most “pink” sand you’ll find on this list. These towering dunes change shape with the wind and welcome ATVs and sand surfing fun for desert travelers.
7. Hutt Lagoon
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Location: Gregory, Australia
Best time of year to visit: September through November
Stay at: Horrocks Beachside Cottages
Why Hutt Lagoon is one of the best: It is not the sand that is pink in Hutt Lagoon but rather the water. This salt lake near the Indian Ocean and the Hutt River of Western Australia can vary from strawberry pink to watermelon red. The reason? The same algae used to redden cosmetics can be found living in this lake! Be sure to visit when the sun is highest for the most vibrancy.
6. Langs Beach
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Location: Langs Beach, New Zealand
Best time of year to visit: December through February
Stay at: Waipu Cove Resort
Why Langs Beach is one of the best: Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand’s most beautiful beach can be found on the east coast of Northland. Its Mckenzie Cove features pink hues brought in from broken coral and shells. Often, a pink algae washes in and further coats the beach with its cotton candy appearance. Don’t let the “debris” fool you; it’s a very safe and clean beach, popular amongst surfers.
5. Las Salinas
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Location: Cobo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Best time of year to visit: April through June
Stay at: Combate Beach Resort
Why Las Salinas is one of the best: Australia isn’t the only place you’ll find a pink lake. Puerto Rico is blessed with this pretty phenomenon, too. Las Salinas salt flats are flamingo pink, and rightly so, as they get their pigmentation from the same pink shrimp flamingoes eat that turns them pink! Like Hutt Lagoon, visit when the sun is at its brightest for the pinkest pop of color.
4. Las Coloradas
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Location: Yucatan, Mexico
Best time of year to visit: December through April
Stay at: Pina Coloradas Ecolodge
Why Point of Sand is one of the best: Mexico is another stunning spot for candy-colored lakes. In the Yucatan peninsula, home to Cancun, Riviera Maya and Tulum, many visitors aren’t aware of the salty lakes of vibrant pink. The lakes are used to harvest salt and turn as pink as its flamingos due to the same shrimp and algae that call it home. You cannot swim in these lakes, but you are welcome to snap vivid photos.
3. Point of Sand
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Location: West End, Cayman Islands
Best time of year to visit: March through June
Stay at: The Alexander Cayman Brac
Why Point of Sand is one of the best: This sandbar beach extends 15 feet with ankle-deep water before it finally drops into depths, thus giving this beach its name. Located along the eastern portion of Little Cayman, Point of Sand features a faint pink coloring and is considered one of the best shell-seeking beaches in the Caribbean. It’s also considered a hidden gem, so try to keep it a secret.
2. Playa Rosada
Location: La Orchila, Venezuela
Best time of year to visit: December through April
Stay at: Posada Piano y Papaya Los Roques
Why Playa Rosada is one of the best: One island that may remain hidden is La Orchila, home to a military base off the coast of Venezuela. This island of white and blush-colored beaches is where President Hugo Chavez was imprisoned and remains protected by the government. Special permits are required to visit.
1. Anse Source D’Argent
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Location: La Digue, Seychelles
Best time of year to visit: February through April
Stay at: La Digue Island Lodge
Why Anse Source D’Argent is one of the best: The Seychelles of the Indian Ocean is also home to an orchid pink beach: Anse Source d’Argent. Here, the pink sand is topped with towering granite boulders, rounded by the erosion of the sea and creating a unique backdrop along the water that's so clear it's nearly translucent. The beach is part of L’Union Estate Park, which charges for admission.