24 Unusual Beaches You’ve Never Heard Of Before

Do you think that beaches are blasé tourist destinations with nothing unique or interesting to offer? Well, you’re only partly correct. Many of them are over crowded and boring, but none of the beaches we feature here will disappoint. A singing beach, a glowing beach, a beach with rainbow-colored sand — here are the most offbeat seaside destinations you’ll find on Earth.

1. Glass Beach

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Location: Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii
What’s so special about it: Though it’s regular rock is basalt, the Glass Beach in Kauai is blanketed with millions of sea glass particles which came from years of discarded glass washed up on shore. Similar beaches include Fort Bragg and Benicia, which are both in California. Source 

2. Green Sand Beach

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Location: Papakolea Beach/Mahana Beach, South Point, Ka’u, Hawaii
What’s so special about it: Thanks to the mineral olivine, which comes from the nearby cinder cone, this peculiar beach sparkles a brilliant green. It’s only one of the four beaches in the world with bright green sand, the others being Talofofo Beach, Guam, Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island in the Galapagos Islands, and Hornindalsvatnet, Norway. Source

3. Hot Water Beach

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Location: East coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
What’s so special about it: Drive down to this beach armed with a shovel, because the best thing to do here is to dig your very own DIY spa. This geothermal beach can get as hot as 64°C (147°F), its heated water spouting from two nearby underground springs. Check out their website for updates on the water conditions before you drop by. Source

4. Tunnel Beach

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Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
What’s so special about it: After trekking across a private farmland, beach-goers must pass this long creepy tunnel to get to the actual beach. On the other side are beautiful sandstone cliffs, rock arches, caves, and other stunning rock formations against the backdrop of the magnificent Pacific Ocean. Source

5. Star Sand Beach

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Location: Irimote Island, Japan
What’s so special about it: Visitors of the star sand beaches of Irimote Island and neighboring islands in southern Japan are more often seen crouched over the sand, examining the curiously-shaped particles on their hands. Star sand are actually exoskeletons of foraminiferans (microscopic marine organisms) which have washed up by the millions for years on the island’s shores. Those who look closely enough might find some that are still alive. Source

6. Singing Beach

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Location: Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, USA
What’s so special about it: Before you get carried away by your imagination, the sounds coming from the friction between the grains of sand in this beach are actually more of the creaky, squeaky kind than the melodic, symphonic type, which is probably how you imagine it. Though you might call this false advertising, the experience is still one-of-a-kind. That Singing Beach is still one of of North Shore’s most popular attractions attests to that. Source

7. A sandy beach in the middle of a meadow

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Location: Playa De Gulpiyuri, Llanes, Spain
What’s so special about it: If you’re walking in a meadow and suddenly find yourself in a beach, it’s likely you’ve come to Playa De Gulpiyuri. 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. Source

8. Pink Sand Beach

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Location: Harbour Island, Bahamas
What’s so special about it: Eroded particles from red corals across the eastern coast of the Bahamas have washed to shore to give the powdery sand of Harbor island a pinkish glow. If you’re a fan of pink, this beach is the way to go. Source

9. Purple Sand Beach

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Location: Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California, USA
What’s so special about it: Another cute-colored sand beach is found in Big Sur, California. The purple tint of the sands of Pfeiffer Beach comes from its dominant mineral quartz combined with manganese garnet deposits found in the surrounding rocks. Source

10. Bioluminescent Beach

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Location: Maldives
What’s so special about it: 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. Source

11. Beach of the Cathedrals

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Location: Playa de las Catedrales/Praia de Augas Santas, Ribadeo, Spain
What’s so special about it: Magnificent geological formations form a cathedral-like effect across this idyllic beach in Spain. The beach can only be easily accessible during low tide. Source

12. Bowling Ball Beach

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Location: Schooner Gulch State Beach, Mendocino County, California, USA
What’s so special about it: 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. Source

13. Maho Beach

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Location: Saint Martin Island, Sint Maarten
What’s so special about it: With the beach’s location adjacent to the Princess Juliana International Airport, vacationers can actually jump up and touch a flying airplane. Source

14. Schoolhouse Beach

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Location: Washington Island, Wisconsin, USA
What’s so special about it: If you like beaches but absolutely hate sand sticking to your feet and getting everywhere else, you’ll love Schoolhouse Beach. Instead of icky sand, it’s covered in smooth limestone rocks that were glacier-polished for thousands of years. Each small rock is a geologic treasure that anyone caught trying to take one home has to pay a steep fine. Source 

15. Vanishing Beach

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Location: Chandipur Beach, eastern India
What’s so special about it: 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. Source

16. Hidden Beach

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Location: Playa de Amor, Marieta Islands, Mexico
What’s so special about it: 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! Source 

17. Black Sand Beach

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Location: Punalu’u Park, Hawaii
What’s so special about it: 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. Source

18. White Sand Beach

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Location: Hyams Beach,, New South Wales, Australia
What’s so special about it: Hyams Beach holds a Guinness Record for having the whitest sand in the world. It’s like snow in summer! Source

19. Rainbow Beach

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Location: South-eastern Queensland, Australia
What’s so special about it: 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. Source

20. Round Pebble Beach

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Location: Mabua Pebble Beach, Surigao City, Philippines
What’s so special about it: Instead of sand, this beach is covered with a multitude of smooth round pebbles which the waves gathered in from the sea. According to reflexologists, walking on these stones has a strong therapeutic effect on the body., which makes this beach a popular getaway for those who want to relax and rejuvenate. Source

21. Pig Beach

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Location:  Big Major Cay, Bahamas
What’s so special about it: Big major Cay is an island in the Bahamas that’s populated by 20 or so feral pigs who are often seen lounging about and swimming in the clear waters around the island. No one really knows where they came from, but they sure are bringing more and more curious travelers to their island. Source

22. Scala Dei Turchi

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Location: southern Sicily, Realmonte, Italy
What’s so special about it: 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.  Source

23. Whitehaven Beach

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Location: Whitsunday Island, Australia
What’s so special about it: Not only is Whitehaven Beach visually spectacular, it’s also actually awarded as the most eco-friendly beach in the world by CNN. Local sands are bright white containing a large amount of silica, which does not retain heat, enabling visitors to walk around the silky shore comfortably while barefoot on a sunny day.    Source

24. Shell Beach

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Location: L’Haridon Bight,  Shark Bay, western Australia
What’s special about it: A 7 to 10 meter thick layer of cockle shells covers the entire shoreline of this fascinating beach. Due to the high salinity of the water, cockles proliferate abundantly in the absence of its natural predators, who cannot survive in such harsh environment. It is one of the only two beaches made entirely out of shells. Source

Bonus:

A desert that turns into a beach on certain parts of the year

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Location: Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhão, Brazil.
What’s so special about it: 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

A “glacial river lagoon” with black sand

Location: Jökulsárlón Lake, southeastern Iceland
What’s special about it: Chunks of ice like huge glistening crystals scattered across the jet black bay make this natural scene seem right out of a dream. The ice comes from a nearby glacier while volcanic rock accounts for the black sand. Source

A beach covered in fish bones

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Location: Salton Sea, California, USA
What’s so special about it: Other beaches are covered in glass, pebbles, and multi-colored sand, but this beach is covered in fish bones. How did that happen? Find out here.

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10 of the Most Beautiful Train Stations Around the World

As train commuters, people often walk in and out of the stations at a fast pace without a glimpse of the walls or space around them. But sometimes, especially when you’re in a unfamiliar place, it pays to take time to appreciate the train station which at times appear to be giant works of art in need of closer and longer looks. Here are 10 of the most beautiful train stations in the world that you should visit.

1. Gare du Nord, Paris, France

Photo Credit: Stewart Leiwakabessy

Forget about the stink, the annoying crowd, the beggars, and the suspicious people and set your eyes on Gare du Nord’s undeniably attractive neoclassical design. One of the things you’ll notice is the 23 female statues that decorate the station’s façade. These statues represent the destinations served by the Chemin de Fer du Nord rail company including Paris, London, Berlin, Warsaw, Amsterdam, Vienna, Brussels and Frankfurt.

2. St. Pancras International, London, United Kingdom

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The original St. Pancras station was built in 1868 with its remarkable feature: the 689-feet long and 100-feet high train shed, which is considered to be one of the largest enclosed spaces in in the world. It was almost demolished in 1966 but was later withdrawn and in 2001, it was renovated under Sir Norman Foster. The train shed was extended by 200 meters, the roof was repainted back to its pale sky blue color, and the station’s masonry, mosaics, ironwork, and stonework were all renovated. The Victorian architecture is truly stunning, you’d even ask if this is really a train station.

3. CFM Railway Station, Maputo, Mozambique

Photo Credit: VicWild

The Portuguese influence is evident through Mozambique’s bronze dome. The CFM Railway Station features a mint-green and white-painted exterior, wrought-iron latticework, and displays of antique steam locomotives. Besides being a train station, CFM Railway Station is also the frequent host for events in Maputo such as concerts and art exhibitions.

4. Sirkeci Station, Istanbul, Turkey

Photo Credit: remoraa

Sirkeci Station was built in 1888, designed by Prussian architect August Jasmund. It was once known as the last stop of the famous Orient Express and a central station for all trains going to Europe before the Marmaray railway system. It boasted oriental motifs, colored tiles, and great clock towers that illuminated the whole place. You can still visit the train station, now with lesser crowds, and admire the red-tiled exterior, stained glass windows, and the whirling dervishes inside.

5. Southern Cross Station, Melbourne, Australia

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The Southern Cross Station’s design focused more on sustainable architecture and you can see the dune-like roof as one of the answers to this goal. The roof covers an entire city block of about 60,000 square meters with 23 meters at its highest point. It was specially designed to allow diesel fumes, hot air, and exhaust gases to move upwards and be dispelled through louvers using the force of the existing winds.

6. Kanazawa Station, Kanazawa, Japan

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The modern design on Kanazawa Station was once criticized by residents due to its take on the traditional architecture of the old castle town. The station can be described by its modern Shinto shrine gate called the “Drum Gate” (Tsuzmi-mon) because each leg looks like a  tsuzumi drum and the glass-covered “Hospitality Dome” (Motenashi Dome).

7. Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain

Photo Credit: Josh_Wolf

It’s a train station, an indoor botanical garden, and a turtle sanctuary all in one place. The Atocha Station in Madrid knows no boundaries in creating more than one purpose for itself with its over 2,000 tropical plants and 260 different tropical species covering 13,000 feet of space under the station’s arched roof. On the other end of the station, you’ll see a turtle pond greatly visited by tourists and commuters.

8. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, India

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Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was originally known as the Victoria Terminus when it was built in the 19th century.  Its whole design is a combination of Victorian Gothic Revival and traditional Indian architecture shown by three stories of turrets, spires, domes, gables, and floral and animal patterns. This historic railway station is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

9. São Bento Station, Porto, Portugal

Photo Credit: elodie_may

Wow – that’s the only word you’ll say once you see the stunning exteriors of São Bento Station showing off its architecture touched by French Renaissance. Be more amazed as you go inside to see the front hall with its walls covered with 20,000 azulejo tin-glazed ceramic tiles. The series of tile drawings depict the history of Portugal and its transportation.

10. Grand Central Terminal, New York, USA

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Talking about the world’s good-looking train stations won’t end without the Grand Central Terminal entering the list. It may even have already crossed your mind after reading the title. What made it a remarkable piece was its Beaux Arts style which is described to be more into the use of historic forms and rich decorative detail as obviously seen in the terminal’s entire look composed of Roman gods, and ornate columns, clocks, chandeliers, staircases, arches, windows, and ceilings.

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8 Breathtaking Tourist Destinations That Will Literally Kill You

You anticipate for that day you can take a break, away from the everyday responsibilities like school, work, or the other stuff that stresses you out. So what’s up with this discouraging title? We all know no one wants to book a flight to a tropical destination and suddenly find out that it’s actually a tropical ‘final’ destination. Knowing the good and exciting stuff about a place is good, but having knowledge about its dangers is essential too to make your trip hassle-free. Ignorance is bliss but when it comes to travel, you better make sure what you’re signing up for.

1. Poison Garden, Alnwick Garden Northumberland, England, UK

‘I wondered why so many gardens around the world focused on the healing power of plants rather than their ability to kill… I felt that most children I knew would be more interested in hearing how a plant killed, how long it would take you to die if you ate it and how gruesome and painful the death might be.’ These are the words of the Duchess of Northumberland who obviously had fun in creating this deadly garden. Alnwick’s Poison Garden features intoxicating and poisonous plants such as nux vomica, hemlock, foxglove, and also featured plantings of coca, cannabis and the opium poppy papaver somniferum for drug education.

2. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, USA

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In 2000, bodies of a man and a woman were already in an advanced state of decomposition near the site where the lava from the Kilauea eruption flows into the sea. The cause of their deaths were at first a mystery for no signs of trauma were found. In the end, it was found that the deaths were caused by pulmonary edema, or lung inflammation due to the hydrochloric acid inhaled. The highly corrosive hydrochloric acid is part of the lava haze that is produced when lava interacts with sea water. When going to see Hawaii’s magnificent volcanoes and you see white clouds around the area, stop and remember that it’s all acid.

3. Hua Shan Plank Walk, China

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In Mount Huashan, it takes 6 hours of hike or 30 minutes by cable car before you can reach the famous “Plankroad in the Sky”. The Plankroad is where the true magic starts as you walk through the narrow plank walkway nearly 5,000-feet in the air. All five peaks of the mountain have steep drops, narrow stairs, vertical passes up and down, and some gaps which make it a dangerous climb. Moreover, the plankroad is a two-way trail which means you’ll need to pass over other people at times. If you’re a daredevil, going harness-free is the way to go.

4. Bash Bish Falls, Massachusetts, USA

Photo Credit: Peter McCarthy

Bash Bish Falls (no, not Bish Bash) is in the list due to its shallow pools where it’s not possible for you to swim safely. Deaths that have occurred in the area were mostly caused by drowning, rock climbing, and rock jumping. So basically, any action made in this site is strictly prohibited to ensure that you’ll come back home alive.

5. Ilha da Queimada Grande, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Photo Credit: The Wow

Ilha de Queimada Grande in Brazil is also known as Snake Island because of obvious reasons – snakes, lots and lots of them. And they’re not just simple snakes. The island is infested with between 2,000 to 4,000 golden lancehead vipers, which are some of the deadliest snakes in the world. Their venom can kill a person in one hour, causing kidney failure, necrosis of muscular tissue, brain hemorrhage, and intestinal bleeding. Not fun at all.

6.  Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

Photo Credit: Frank Janssens

If you’re looking for hell, look no further. The Danakil Depression is one of the hottest places on earth and guarantees your journey to be sizzling hot and tiring. The basin is 328 feet below sea level featuring red rocks, sulfur fields, and salt deposits. It has temperatures that could go from 35°C (95°F) to 62°C (145°F) and it looks like the Afar people who live here can handle this kind of heat very well.

7. New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA

Photo Credit: Wind Watcher

Swimming in Florida’s New Smyrna Beach is already a dangerous thing to cross someone’s mind, so doing it in real life is plain crazy. Warning signs that prohibit swimming on the beach are right-in-your-face noticeable but people still go and try their luck to have a taste of New Smyrna Beach’s warm blue waters and oh-so-good shark attacks. Seriously, it’s a shark bite party in these waters. Black-tip reef sharks and bull sharks are always present in the waters and over 238 shark attacks have been recorded already. It even broke its own record with 24 shark bites in 2008.

8. Death Road, Yungas, Bolivia

Photo Credit: Eefje74

The name says it all. Originally North Yungas Road, this popular road in Bolivia is better known as El Camino de la Muerte or The Death Road. Why is it popular anyway? Besides its stunning views among the rolling hills of the Amazon forest, its impressive record of 300 deaths per year catches the attention of locals and tourists, especially those travellers who look for a thrilling adventure.

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