Have You Visited a Pink Sand Beach? Here Are 25 You’ll Love

For millions around the world, sun-filled beaches abutting water so blue it nearly blends into the sky are some of the most sought-after natural settings for getaways. Feeling soft sand between our toes as palm fronds provide shade is pure relaxation for many of us.

Nature’s ability to dazzle goes one step further when it adds new colors into the mix. And it does just that with vivid pink-sand beaches hugging the shores of turquoise blue seas. These special settings are rare — only about a few dozen are found worldwide. Where can you find these radiant destinations? Take a look at the world’s prettiest pink sand beaches.

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Location: Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda

Best time of year to visit: May through October

Stay at: The Reefs Resort & Club

Why Horseshow Bay Beach is one of the best: One of the most-photographed pink beaches in the world, Horseshoe Bay Beach can be found on the south coast of Bermuda, located off the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. in the Atlantic Ocean. The beach’s pink hue is made of crushed coral and is one of the brightest, but as the No. 8 best beach of any color in the world, according to TripAdvisor, you may have to eke out space to capture that perfect Instagram shot.

Location: Crete, Greece

Best time of year to visit: June through October

Stay at: Elafonisi Resort

Why Elafonisi Beach is one of the best: You’ll find more room for picturesque photos in the large 1.5-square-mile stretch of Crete’s Elafonisi Beach. Nestling the cerulean-blue Mediterranean Sea for a backdrop of pastel colors that feels otherworldly, Elafonisi Beach’s color comes from the thousands of broken seashells topping the sand. Its home, Elafonisi Island, can be reached by foot from Crete due to a stretch of shallow water between the two islands.

Location: Chania, Crete

Best time of year to visit: June through October

Stay at: Balos Beach Hotel

Why Balos Beach is one of the best: Hop in a car and travel two hours north, and you’ll discover Crete’s lesser-known (but also stunning) Balos Beach. While most tourists head straight to Elafonisi, you can find a more rustic beach surrounded by a seashell-filled lagoon. With both pink and white sand and blue waters that darken in depth, Balos is layer upon layer of color and one of the most photographed places in the world.

Location: Komodo, Indonesia

Best time of year to visit: April through November

Stay at: Komodo Resort

Why Pink Beach is one of the best: Home to the infamous Komodo dragon (said to be the inspiration of Godzilla), Komodo National Park is where you’ll find more than 4,000 dragons. But that’s not all that brings visitors to this rugged island. Its bright-pink beach meshes coral-colored sand with aquamarine waters and gets its color from a microorganism that creates the pink in the sand. Nearby Padar Island, also part of the national park, has an additional pink sand beach.