Rainer CheungCome summer, everyone’s plans revolve around mainly the same thing — planning one of many beach holidays. With beaches, you’d normally think about swimming, surfing, sandcastles and the not, but for those less enthused about the usual water sports, that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun too.
From natural seaside wonders such as bioluminescence and green sand, to eye-opening man-made visuals like a beach completely made of glass, there’s plenty more to see and explore.
Our only advice is that you might not want to suntan on them – here are some unusual beach holidays you should try in 2019.
Fort Stevens, Oregan, USA
Image credit: TJFlex2
Whether you’re a true Pirates of the Caribbean fan or just an extremely keen about Davy Jones’ Locker, Fort Stevens beach allows you to get up close and personal with a real-life shipwreck. Located along the coastline of Fort Stevens State Park, far north of the state of Oregon, the battered skeleton of the ship rises above the tide and stands tall in the middle of sand dunes and strong winds.
Glass Beach, California, USA
Image credit: Gustavo Gerdel
There’s no hiding the fact that humans don’t always have the best waste disposal methods, though nature always finds a way to amaze us over and over again. Once a dumping ground, this beach has since eroded away at the debris to become a pearlescent gleaming shoreline. It’s now become a famous tourist hotspot — there’s even a celebration called Glass Festival that’s held on Memorial Day weekend.
Hidden Beach, Marieta Islands, Mexico
Image credit: Christian Frausto Bernal
Off the coast of Mexico on Marieta Islands, you’ll find a hidden sandy beach that’s down under. Sure enough, there’s nothing special about the beach itself, if you ignore the fact that it’s pretty damn cool and makes for the perfect gram shot. It’s accessible by swimming through a water tunnel and plays host to a multitude of spectacular marine life. It’s also the only beach on this list where you can enjoy regular beach activities.
Hoshizuna no Hama, Okinawa, Japan
Image credit: Geomr
Okinawa is home to many stunning beaches, but there’s one particular island, Taketomi Jima with a beach called Hoshizuna no Hama which directly translates to Star Sand Beach, and the name is a lot less figurative than you might think. Rather than sand, what you see are actually washed up exoskeletons of tiny protists. If you’re in for a beach holiday to spot these star-shaped creatures and their exoskeletons, it’s best to find them after a typhoon where they pile up on the shore.
Bioluminescent Beaches, Maldives
Image credit: Ali Nishan
Chances are, you’ve probably seen photos of these gorgeous beaches while scrolling through any of your social media platforms before. Chances are, you’ve probably thought it’s too elusive a holiday destination too. Fortunately, such beaches are more common than you’d think. Still, while they can be found in places like Puerto Rico, Australia and New Jersey, the Maldives, in particular, is host to the biggest gathering of this bioluminescent plankton that can be seen on the shore of every island.
Giant’s Causeway Beach, Ireland
Image credit: Lindy Buckley
This beach itself doesn’t even have sand, to begin with. Instead, it’s an area with interlocking basalt columns formed as a result of volcanic fissures. The basalt cliffs are a stellar work of mother nature, and it’s a protected site of the World Heritage alongside the likes of other natural phenomena such as Mount Everest and the Giant Redwoods.
Papakolea Beach, Hawaii
Image credit: Sparkle Motion
As one of the only four beaches in the world that bears a slight resemblance to the Incredible Hulk, it’s not a wonder why people travel great distances just to catch a glimpse of it. The glistening emerald sand is a result of lava cooling in the sea to form olivine crystals. Thanks to its density, the sand doesn’t get washed away by the tide, allowing it to accumulate and form Papakolea Beach’s striking shoreline.
Shell Beach, Shark Bay, Australia
Image credit: Lpm43792
Yet another beach without sand, Shell Beach is covered with billions of, you guessed it, shells. It’s one of only two places on Earth that’s replenished by shells, thanks to the high salt concentration in the water resulting in the high population of the Hamelin Cockle clam. While we’ve generally advised against regular beach activities on most of the beaches in this list, you’ll be glad to know that the hypersaline conditions allow you to float in peace.
Sasaran Beach, Kuala Selangor, Malaysia
Image credit: Rico Lee
Just like Bolivia’s salt flats, Sasaran Beach is better known as the Mirror in the Sky. Accessible only twice a month, the shallow water of this secret island reflects the sky in all its glory and gives you the impression of walking on cloud nine. Apart from the incredible photography opportunities, if you look carefully, you might find baby clams scattered in the sand.
Crosby Beach, England
Image credit: Cattan2011
As you walk along this beach, you might get a haunting feeling that you’re not alone, and for a good reason too. Lined along the coast of Northern Liverpool are over 100 life-sized, life-like cast-iron human figures that make up the exhibition called Another Place by famed sculptor Anthony Gormley. Though somewhat sinister, we’d recommend taking a timelapse as the figures sink into the ocean during high tide before rising again when it recedes.
