Experience the magic of 10 unique black sand beaches. Beyond the ordinary, these shores offer breathtaking beauty and unforgettable adventures.
Unique black sand beaches are a rare and stunning natural phenomenon. They offer a glimpse into the earth’s powerful processes and creating unforgettable travel experiences. Join us as we explore some of the most incredible examples of Unique black sand beaches around the globe.
Isn’t the sight of a black sand beach fascinating? There is something inexplicably unique about beaches where the sand is dark black. I think black sand is more beautiful than white.
What do you think?
Black sand beaches are an instant hit among beach buffs. I have recently encountered several lovely, unique black beaches, which I am glad to share with you in this post.
These are new locations, buddy! Don’t ignore, but read it fully.
Reason for black sand on a beach:
It is due to volcano eruptions in the vicinity of an ocean or a sea. The molten lava that is cooled by the water turns into basalt rock.
Due to wave action, basalt rocks are broken and deposited on the shore. Chemicals such as ilmenite (iron oxide and titanium oxide) and magnetite (iron oxide) present in the basalt rock cause the black color formation.
10 Unique Black Sand Beaches: Beyond the Ordinary
Let’s go and see the black geological beauties!
Discover the magic of unique black sand beaches. At which volcanic forces meet the ocean to create breathtaking coastal landscapes.
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Muriwai Beach, Auckland, New Zealand
Ah, what a terrific-looking beach.
It is a black sand beach with rocky background. It is located about 40 km from Auckland. Though human visitors are less to the beach, the noisy, and large Australasian Gannets live in hundreds on the beach.
Yes, they are big and hence strong flyers. I suppose they migrate.
This black beach has some adventure sports, including paragliding and kite surfing. If the right wind conditions exist, one can indulge in hang gliding. There are cliffs that act as takeoff ground for the hang gliders.
Waitakere Volcano is the reason behind this black beach.
Quite a few activities are available within the 50 km long beach.
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Piha Beach, New Zealand
The large rock you see in the photo is known as Lion Rock.
The black sand adds to the charm of the rocky beach. Piha Beach is also located on the western coast of Auckland.
From Murawi Beach, you can reach Piha Beach in just about an hour. The distance to be covered is only 60 km.
The beach is very popular among New Zealanders, but only during the summer season. Since Auckland is only 40 km away, many people from the big city make a day trip to Piha black sand beach.
Volcanic Mount Taranaki’s eruptions in the past had caused the sand to turn into black.
A nearby attraction is the KiteKite waterfall.
Piha Beach is a highly-visited beach from the city of Auckland.
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Karekare Beach, New Zealand
Wow! This is a gorgeous black sand beach. It is breathtaking, I wonder how will it look when viewed aerially. The west coast of Auckland is the host of this black beach. Karekare Beach is just a little south of Piha Beach.
For these 3 black beaches, the culprit to turn them into black is Waitkere Volcano
I would rate the 3 beaches on the west coast of Auckland are the best in all of New Zealand.
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Playa Negra, Costa Rica
Here is a black beach that is otherwise very popular as an excellent surfing location in Costa Rica. The waves swell to the correct height preferred by veteran surfers. They also like the wave breaks.
Yes, this is an ideal wave conditions that suit surfers with experience. Playa Negra is reached from Los Pargos town, in Gunacaste Province. The beach offers several water sports such as stand-up paddling, kayaking, of course, snorkeling.
Restaurants , and bars are available near the beach that is facing the Caribbean Sea.
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Muzhappilangad beach, Kerala, India
Where exactly is Muzhappilangad Beach in Kerala, India?
The beach’s location is 10 km from the city of Thalaserry, Kannur district. This is the only drive-in beach in India. In addition, the black sand attracts curious beach buffs.
Muzhappilangad beach is nearly 4 km long. It mainly attracts car owners who like the feeling of driving so close to the beach.
Well, why not? BBC included this black sand beach in the list of world’s 6 ideal beaches where you can drive a car.
Kerala State is located on the west coast of India. Sunset will steal your heart here.
Oh, absolutely breathtaking!
Here is something that will kindle your interest to visit the Kerala beach. There is an inhabited island, known as Dharmadam Island, off the black sand beach. It is only 200 meters away.
Boats take you to the private island provided you either are a guest in one of the resort hotels on the island or have permission as a visitor.
People can walk to the island when the tide is low, revealing a sandbar. The island is small, but more than 30,000 people live there!
If you happen to go there, you can taste a unique seafood called ‘Blue Mussel’, a kind of mollusk.
Bird watching:
This Arabian coast pulls numerous migratory birds and local aquatic birds. Birds that you can spot here include:
- Whimbrel
- Seagulls
- Lesser-crested Terns
- Caspian Plover
- Asian Openbill
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Ruddy Turnstone
Both of them look very pretty. A seasoned birder can identify as many as 30 species of birds that are migratory.
Apart from guided cruises in small boats, you can think of paragliding too.
The black Mozhappilangad Beach is a must-see destination in Kerala, India.
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Pasut Beach
Did you guess the country where you saw the black sand beach? It is none other than Bali, Indonesia. Bali is a perennial tourist destination for stunning beaches, exotic culture, impressive jungles, and terraced rice fields.
Located in the Tabanan Regency, Pasut Beach is a peaceful spot. The beach has a backdrop of a coconut garden which adds to the intrinsic beauty of the Bali Island. Pasut black beach faces the Indian Ocean, on Bal’s west coast. Due to the lack of crowd, this terrific tourist attraction is one of the most peaceful beaches in all of Bali.
Similar to the Muzhappilangad Beach in India, you are allowed to drive your two-wheeler on Pasut Beach.
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Vik Beach, Faroe Island
Ah, beautiful!
The mountainous backdrop gives a dramatic appeal to this isolated black sand beach, which is very little –known to the world.
The Faroe Islands archipelago is a remote chain of islands that are floating in the North Atlantic Ocean. These islands are overseas territories of Denmark.
Our destination, Vik Beach is on the east coast of the Faroes. The island is quite remote, looking very desolate. You can see some rugged rock formations protruding from the ocean.
They are certainly not easily accessible to us but not for the beautiful Puffins, that live in large colonies on the rocky mountains, surrounding the Vik Beach.
Reaching the Vik Beach, Faroes.
Many cities in Europe operate direct flights. From Denmark, the flight is of two-hour duration. You can gauge the duration from other places in Europe.
If you are a veteran seafarer, you can board a ferry from Copenhagen, Denmark. The voyage takes 36 hours!
Are you game enough to reach this hidden black beach by sea crossing?
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Lovina Beach, Bali
It is a well-visited beach in Bali.
Bali has a couple of volcanoes, especially near Lovina Beach which is located on the northern coast of Bali.
- Mount Batur
- Mount Agung
The latter erupted in 2017. Hence it is no wonder, the Lovina Beach has black sand.
I noticed one thing on these black beaches. The sand is black only from the slope that is leading towards the sea. The actual beach area has either slightly dark or golden or white sand.
The main activity here is to watch dolphins. To do that, you have to travel in a boat to some distance in the sea. When the boat is stopped, you can even jump into the water and swim alongside the friendly dolphins. The dolphin sighting tour takes two hours.
There are some mineral hot springs near the beach. They are usually found near the volcanoes.
Aquatic birds to see in Lovina Beach:
The beautiful Brown Boobies will get your attention almost immediately when you hit the beach.
The black Lovina Beach is located about 3-hour drive from the Bali airport.
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Playa Jardin, Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife is an island in Spain. It is part of the Canary Islands archipelago. Canary Islands are the most-visited islands in Spain.
Do you know that there is a volcano called Mount Teide in Tenerife which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site? It is an active volcano and is the cause of several black sand beaches on Tenerife Island.
Three more volcanoes are present on Tenerife, but they are not active at present. The added attraction is an aesthetically designed garden that has a waterfall also.
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Kamari Beach, Santorini, Greece
Have you ever seen pebbles in black color? I haven’t. That must be a very rare sight.
You can see an entire beach stretching into several kilometers, scattered with black pebbles.
Santorini is the most visited Greek Island. On the island’s south coast, protruding from the sea, are some volcanic mountains that cause the black sand.
Kamari Beach is a highly popular beach because of the black sand, and black pebbles.
If you are staying in Fira, the capital city of Santorini, you need to hire a taxi and travel 10 km to reach the black Kamari Beach.
Beach buffs are happy to find the beach studded with lounges, and umbrellas. There is no dearth of eateries and bars nearby.
Among these 10 unique black sand beaches, I like three in New Zealand very much due to the breathtaking seascape.
