From the red beaches in Malta, to the black sands of La Palma, the pink shores of the Bahamas and the glittery seas of the Maldives, these are some of the best and most colourful beaches sure to brighten up any Instagram feed and make it onto any bucket list…

- Ramla Bay, Malta
The reddish-golden sandy beach of The Ramla Bay in the north of the island of Gozo, combined with the luscious green landscapes offers a beautiful display of colours. The Ramla Bay is a historical place, where Roman ruins are buried in the sand, as well as the ‘Cave of the Kalypso’, which lies on the Western part of the Bay.
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- Glittering Beaches in the Maldives
This isn’t technically a colourful beach but a glow in the dark ocean. After the sunset, the beautiful beaches of Mudhoo, Vaadhoo and Rangali in the Maldives light up into glittering beaches. A chemical reaction between the Phytoplankton, the microorganisms in the sea, and the oxygen from the waves, creates a natural shimmer on the Maldivian shores.
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- Pink Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas
The Harbour Island in the Bahamas is known for its Pink Sand Beach, located on the eastern side of the island and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The pink colour of the sand comes from microscopic coral insects, the foraminifera, which have a light pink/red shell and give the beach its unusual colour.

- Puerto Naos, La Palma, Spain
This colourful beach, the Puerto Naos is located on the West coast of La Palma, Canary Islands, and is the longest beach at 600 meters. Due to the Volcanic origin of La Palma, the Puerto Noas boasts beautiful black lava sand, as well as a glimmer of green from olive dust.

- Whitehaven Beach, Australia
The Whitehaven Beach is part of the Whitsunday Islands National Park, an archipelago in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. The gorgeous white sand, made up of 99 per cent quartz, next to the clear blue water and beautiful green hills offer a stunning array of colours for holiday goers.

- Shell Beach, Australia
The Shell Beach, in the UNESCO World Heritage Shark Bay, lies along 60km of coastlines which consists entirely of shells, and is one of only two shell beaches in the world. Millions of small shells and the deep blue sea make this beach so special for all those who visit – but make sure you don’t forget your flip flops!

- Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii, United States
Hawaii is the island of volcanoes which results in dramatic deep red and black shorelines. Red Sand Beach is a dramatic and beautiful hidden cove unlike any other. The ocean outside the cove is almost always a deep, almost surreal Kool-Aid blue, and rages relentlessly against the dramatic and rugged coastline.
The crescent-shaped beach is cut deep into the Ka’uiki Head cinder cone, whose rust-red lava cinder cliffs supply the beach with its red sand. These cliffs of loose crumbly cinders tower almost vertically, yet somehow remain intact to impressive heights.

- Anse Lazio, Seychelles
Anse Lazio is located in the north of Seychelles’ island Praslin, the second largest island of the inner Seychelles. The beach is particularly known for its combination of turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and red granite cliffs that spread across the sandy beach. It also famously served as a backdrop for the Bacardi Advert.

- Red Beach, Santorini, Greece
The stunning red cliff rising directly behind the beach and the fine black-red gravel make the Red Beach on the island of Santorini one of the most extraordinary beaches in the world. Located 11km south of Fira and within easy walking distance of the neighbouring bay of Akrotiri, this beach is a must-see when visiting Santorini.
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- Pfeiffer Beach, California, USA
For those who love sunsets, the Pfeiffer Beach shimmers in a pale violet as the last rays of sunlight of the day light up the crystals in the sand. As the beach is not signposted on Highway 1, observers are offered the chance to view this natural spectacle without a crowd.
Top 10 colourful beaches selected by lastminute.com.


These look beautiful! I could do with being on a beach right now – I’m craving the seaside!
Oh my goodness, aren’t they all stunning? I had no idea Malta (Gozo) had such beautiful beaches! All that made me want to do is pack a bag and find a beach somewhere! Hurry up, summer!
Oh that picture of the Maldives beach! I so want to go there just to see that!
Oh my wow!!! I cannot believe how beautiful these beaches are. Whitehaven Bay took my breath away! 🙂
I’d be so happy at any of them
All so beautiful – I have visited the Bahamas and seen the pink sand, it is stunning. Kaz
All of these look incredible, I’ve definitely got beach envy. Love the sound/look of the shell beach, how cool.
Ah these photos are beautiful. I sooo want to visit Santorini Cx