For many tourists, the ideal beach features white sand and turquoise water. But what if you changed the scene and visited a black sand beach with volcanic sand? Something is mesmerizing about it, making the sea appear deeper by contrast. Black sand beaches are scattered across the globe, from the sheer caldera of Santorini in Greece to geothermal springs in the Canary Islands, Hawaii, Tahiti, Japan, and the Caribbean islands.
Here’s a Top 10 Black Sand Beaches Around the World
1. Iceland, Vik à Mýrdal, Reynisfjara
Iceland, with its numerous active volcanoes, boasts the most black sand beaches. The black beaches near the village of Vik are the most famous. Reynisfjara Beach, in particular, is a photographer’s dream: an otherworldly place with black sand, a greyish-blue sea, and towering basalt columns called Reynisdrangar. While not suitable for swimming due to the cold and often inhospitable weather, many come to admire its fantastic landscape.
2. Hawaii, Big Island, Punaluʻu
Punaluʻu Beach features polished black sand, tall palm trees, and rare green sea turtles. While visitors can take photos of the turtles, touching them is strictly prohibited to avoid disturbing the animals.
3. Japan, Shizuoka, Miho-no-Matsubara
The pine grove of Miho-no-Matsubara, one of Japan’s most famous landscapes, stretches seven kilometers along the coast. With 54,000 pine trees, it has been depicted by Japanese artists for centuries with majestic Mount Fuji in the background. Today, it’s a popular spot for windsurfing and diving.
4. Greece, Santorini, Perissa
This dark-as-night beach on the southern shore of Santorini contrasts strikingly with the crystal-clear Aegean Sea. Known for its cleanliness and popularity among divers, it’s also an excellent spot to watch the sunset.
5. Italy, Sicily, Stromboli
Stromboli is a small volcanic island in the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily. With a diameter of just about 4 km, the volcano itself rises nearly a kilometer above sea level. Visitors can enjoy the island’s black sand beaches on a day trip and, unlike other beaches in Italy, can take a handful of volcanic sand as a souvenir.
6. Indonesia, Bali, Lovina Beach
This eight-kilometer beach on the northwest side of Bali offers tranquility without the crowds. Locals play volleyball on the beach, and the relatively few tourists are not overly bothered by vendors. Dolphins frequently visit the shores of Lovina Beach, while another black beach in Bali, Keramas, is more popular with surfers and often more crowded.
7. Tahiti, Papeete, Lafayette
Lafayette Beach is perfect for those who come to Tahiti not to surf but to relax. The shallow, calm ocean and sandy shore with a gentle slope make it ideal for sunbathing and swimming. Just a 10-minute walk from the beach is Venus Point, where it is said that every 120 years, Venus rises, a phenomenon witnessed by Lieutenant James Cook.
8. Spain, Lanzarote, El Lago Verde
El Lago Verde epitomizes the extraterrestrial essence of volcanic Lanzarote. This coal-black beach near the fishing village of El Golfo features a green lake (El Lago Verde) in the center of what was once a caldera, separated from the ocean by low black dunes. The water is salty due to underground connections with the ocean and appears green due to microorganisms. Swimming is prohibited to protect the ecosystem, but the contrast of blue ocean, green lake, and black beach is breathtaking.
9. Martinique, Saint-Pierre, Anse Couleuvre
Tiny Martinique sits atop the active Mount Pelée volcano, resulting in many black sand beaches. One of the most photogenic and secluded beaches is a crescent-shaped cove shaded by coconut palms near the town of Saint-Pierre-de-la-Martinique. Visitors rave about the stunning contrast between the black sand and the blue ocean.
10. Russia, Kamchatka, Khalaktyrsky Beach
Volcanic black sand can be found not only in Italy but also in Russia. Exotic beach lovers can find it near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on Khalaktyrsky Beach, which stretches nearly 30 km. The water is cold even in summer, but many visit Khalaktyrsky Beach to stroll or lounge on the warm sand. Lucky visitors might spot seals and sea lions surfacing from the water.
