Located near Ka Lae, at the southernmost point in Hawaii, this hidden spot is reached via an arduous three hour-long hike along sea cliffs. But it’s well worth the trek: the beach is known for its startling green sand, made from grains of a mineral called olivine. The origin? Puu Mahana, a volcano situated above the beach.

Blessed with mind-blowing natural beauty, the tiny, remote Australian state of Tasmania also serves up some oddities, like this beautiful 30-mile stretch of beach on the east coast known for its curious orange-stained granite rocks. The color is derived from the lichens that grow atop the boulders, and believe us, you won’t need a filter when you capture these beauties for posterity.

Also known as Hidden Beach, this magical cave—part of the Marieta Islands, near Puerto Vallarta—is only accessible by swimming or kayaking through a long water tunnel that links the beach to the Pacific Ocean. What’s not to love?

At this memorable beach in MacKerricher State Park, instead of sand you’ll find a thick covering of sea glass. The spot was once used as a dumping ground, but nature has smoothed any unsightliness by wearing away glass bottles to create a magical, multi-hued beach-scape.

In Queensland’s Great Sandy National Park, north of Noosa, you can experience two rare phenomena: traversing the wide ribbon of sand in 4-wheel-drive vehicles, and admiring the “Colored Sands,” cliffs streaked with over 40 different shades of natural chemicals deposited here during the last Ice Age. Aborigines once decorated boomerangs with the colorful deposits.

Not only does this Indian Ocean archipelago offer romantic vacation opportunities galore, it also sports an island that’s home to one of the world’s most spectacular natural sights. The beach on Mudhdhoo Island becomes illuminated at night when bioluminescent phytoplankton are agitated by the surf, creating amazing photo-ops and indelible memories.

Can’t decide which you love better, kicking back on the beach or luxuriating in a hot tub? No need to choose at this curious tourist attraction on the Coromandel Peninsula, where naturally heated mineral water bubbles up from underground hot springs at low tide. Dig a hole in the sand to create your own personal tub, and join the party.

While it perhaps qualifies more as adorable than strange, this sheltered beach near Cape Town makes headlines both for its singular beauty—protected inlets set between huge granite boulders—and its resident colony of friendly African penguins.

Nature in all her weird and wonderful glory is what the Galapagos is all about, and this beach on Rábida Island really goes out of its way to strike awe. The spot is known for its arresting red sand, cliffs and volcanic slopes (the color comes from high levels of iron), but it’s also home to an Ark’s worth of creatures, including a sea lion colony, marine iguanas, and birds galore.