From Blue to Glowing: Discover Nature's Craziest Beach Sands

7. The Fiery Red Sands of Kaihalulu Beach, Hawaii

Hidden on Maui, Hawaii's eastern shore, Tucked away on the pages of a fantasy book, is a treasure. More usually known as Red Sand Beach, Kaihalulu Beach provides guests with a window into a universe in which the very ground seems to radiate an inner fire. Renowned for its distinctive and strikingly red sand, this little crescent-shaped cove has become one of Hawaii's most sought-after natural beauties. The unique colour of Kaihalulu Beach is derived from the volcanic past of the Hawaiian Islands, more especially from the composition of the high cinder cone cliffs encircling and protecting the bay. Mostly comprised of iron-rich volcanic rock, these cliffs reflect the heritage of the great geological activity that created the Hawaiian archipelago millions of years ago. The iron-rich granite progressively breaks down into fine particles accumulating along the seashore as the unrelenting forces of wind and water erode these cliffs. The outcome is a beach whose sands, depending on the light and moisture conditions, range from deep maroon to brilliant crimson, and it seems to smother with an inner glow. Challenging our notions of what a beach should look like, the visual feast created by the contrast between the fiery red sand and the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean is startling and captivating. Fresh material is continuously being eroded from the nearby cliffs, therefore the process producing and preserving the red sand is continuous. The beach is therefore always renewing since the tides and ocean currents help to disseminate the red sand throughout the coast. This also emphasises, nevertheless, the delicate character of this special ecosystem since the existence of the beach depends on the fine equilibrium between erosion and deposition. For those who visit, the sand's somewhat magnetic character—which results from its iron-rich composition—adds still another level of appeal.