The 10 Most Bizarre, Weird and Surprising Beaches on Earth

1. Black Sand Beach of Vik, Iceland

Located next to the Katla Volcano, this beach features a beautiful black sand caused by the hot lava that flowed into the ocean. There are also several stunning, jagged, basalt sea stacks and is populated by puffins. 

 2. Bowling Ball Beach, California

This unique stone orbs in Schooner Gulch State Park look very mysterious when you see them for the first time. At low tide, visitors can see these spherical objects known to geologists as “concretions” eroded out of the Cenozoic mudstone. 

 3. Glass Beach, California

Located near Fort Bragg in California, the Glass Beach is popular for its surreal looking shoreline filled with smooth pieces of glass. Created by years of dumping garbage into an area near the coastline, everything was pushed over the cliffs into the ocean. The beach gets many tourists and there’s a Glass Festival held annually on Memorial Day Weekend. 

 4. Hidden Beach, Marietas Islands, Mexico

There´s a hidden sandy turquoise beach in the Marietas Islands in Mexico called Playa del Amor which was once a bomb site. The bombs are believed to have created holes in the rocky landscape creating this beach and many caves. 

 5. Hot Water Beach, New Zealand

Hot Water Beach on the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand is characterized by tourists digging holes on the sand and soaking in their personal hot springs. The underground hot water (64°C) filters through the sand which can then be used to enjoy as a hot spring. 

 6. Maho Beach, St. Maarten

Looking for a great place for plane spotting, the Maho Beach is famous for literally being very close to the Princess Juliana International Airport. Planes arriving fly very low over tourists giving the opportunity to watch closely, but be careful to not get caught in a jet blast. 

 7. Pink Sands Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas

Romantic pale pink beaches are found in the Harbour Islands. Composed of bits of coral, broken shells, minute rocks, and calcium carbonate, this pale pink and gets its color from microscopic shelled animals called Foraminifera that is found in the shore. 

 8. Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii

Punaluu Beach is famous for its black sand made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean. Besides this bizarre looking black beach, tourists are also attracted to this destination to watch the Hawaiian green sea turtles. 

 9. Shell Beach, Australia

Shell Beach is not a sand beach, it is covered by trillions of tiny bleached white shells. All of these shells come from the Hamelin Cockle, very numerous species living near the area. Shell beach is one of only two shell beaches in the world. 

 10. Zlatni Rat Beach, Croatia

This unique shape-shifting beach on Croatia called Zlatni Rat (“Golden Horn”), is a white narrow beach that shifts with the changes in tide. With currents and wind, the beach can extend out like a tongue for 634 meters long.

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10 Magnificent Fairy Tale Castles from Around the World!

This a list of some of the most beautiful and impressive castles still standing today that look as if they were taken from a fairy tale book. Alcazar of Segovia, Spain

Coming in first in our list of 10 magnificent fairytale-like castles from around the world, we have Alcazar of Segovia, a unique palace located at the top of the Guadarrama Mountains. Built on Roman foundations, it was used as a royal palace, a royal artillery college, state prison and also as a military academy! Bobolice Castle, Poland

The Royal Castle Bobolice is one of the most beautiful fortresses on the Eagles’ Nests trail. It has born witness to a stormy history and has been the object of an extraordinary metamorphosis. During the last 13 years, this fairy tale looking castle was meticulously reconstructed, so that its prosperity could be seen once more in its full splendor. Bouzov Castle, Czech Republic

The Bouzov Castle is one of the most visited castles in the Czech Republic and a magnificent fortress that has never gone to ruin in all of its histories. It was built on a hill in Moravia, Czech Republic, as a Gothic stronghold in the early 14th century. This fairytale castle is a great tourist attraction in the Czech Republic, offering various tours and even an exhibition of Dragons and Dragonslayers, devoted to life-sized fairytale dragons and the knights who fought them! Cochem Castle, Germany

It is generally assumed that Cochem Castle was built around the year 1000 by the palatinate count Ezzo, son, and successor to palatinate count Hermann Pusilius. The castle had a long and colorful history until French King Louis XIV had his troops obliterate it in 1689. The castle remained a colorful stone ruin for 180 years until wealthy Berlin businessman Louis Ravené decided to buy the ruins and rebuild the castle in 1868.! Corvin Castle, Romania

The Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyad Castle, was built during the 14th century and is considered as one of the most impressive medieval constructions in Romania. This beautiful fairytale castle features a sumptuous Knights' Hall, an impressive drawbridge, high buttresses and inner courtyards, all resplendent with medieval art. Glücksburg Castle, Germany

Glücksburg Castle is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and has been used occasionally by the Danish Kings. Nicknamed the Wasserschloss ('water castle') owing to its position in the middle of a lake, it is one of the most important Renaissance castles in northern Europe. The castle was built from 1582 to 1587 by Nikolaus Karie for John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, at the site of a former monastery. Hohenzollern Castle, Germany

Hohenzollern Castle is situated at the summit of a Swabian hill overlooking the small town of Hechingen in Germany. While its foundations are a millennium old, the castle has been assaulted, torn down, built, and rebuilt, falling twice in furious bombardments from catapults, archers, and swordsmen. This idyllic castle looks like it was taken straight out of a fairy tale, with its tall towers and seven successive gates! Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Neuschwanstein castle is located in Bavaria in Germany and was built in the 19th century for King Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as the “Fairytale King”. Today Neuschwanstein, "the castle of the fairy-tale king", is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe, visited every year by 1.4 million people! Ooidonk Castle, Belgium

Located on the Lys River in Belgium, Ooidonk is a remarkable example of Flemish Renaissance castle built in the 13-14th century by the Lords of Nevele. The castle was completely destroyed by the troops of Maximillian of Austria in 1491, but it was reconstructed in 1501. The castle was burnt again in 1579 during the religious wars and was rebuilt in the Flemish-Spanish style you see today. Wernigerode Castle, Germany

Wernigerode Castle (Schloss Wernigerode) is a stunning sight built during the 12th century that may make some feel as if they have been transported into a fairytale world. The castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance fortress, in the 16th century and then rebuilt in the baroque style as a romantic castle residence during the 17th century.

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The 10 Most Alien, Bizarre and Mysterious Places on Earth

10. Nine Hells of Beppu, Japan

The Japanese island Kyushu holds what is called the Nine Hells. The Nine Hells of Beppu is popular amount those in Japan, but almost unknown to foreigners. This is a beautiful spot to visit if traveling to this specific area. The oddity of this attraction is that they are natural ponds that are all of the different colors. 9. Pools of Pamukkale, Turkey

These terraced pools were formed by earthquakes which fractured the earth. These earthquakes created hot springs that are rich in calcium carbonate minerals. This terrace of pools overlaps each other and is a sight to see. It is possible to see them, but going there has been forbidden. 8. The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan

This never-ending flame is a sight to experience. At first glance, it looks like a peek behind the black gates of Mordor in the Lord of the rings, it was accidentally made by geologists back in 1971, it was then believed to be a large oil and gas field. The scientists decided to set up a drilling rig to have access to the gas reserve but something went terribly wrong. 7. Nazca Lines, Peru

These lines in the Nazca Desert have created thousands of years ago. These are best seen from the sky since they can depict animals, people, and other various items that the Nazca people considered important. Seeing them can bring wonder and amazement. 6. Mir Mine, Russia

Mir Mine is a 1,720 feet deep man-made hole. This diamond mine is a great treasure to experience if the time is given. It is a former open pit diamond mine that is now inactive, located in Mirny, Eastern Siberia, Russia. 5. Mount Roraima, South America

This remarkable tabletop mountain with sheer 400-meter high cliffs on all sides includes the triple border point of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. The mountain has held a special significance for the indigenous people of the region, and a very important position that is central to many of their myths and legends. 4. Island of the Dolls, Mexico

On a dark and creepy island in the canals of Xochimilco near Mexico City sits what might be the world’s strangest and scariest tourist attraction ever. The Island of the Dolls was dedicated to the lost soul of a poor little girl who met her fate too soon. 3. Devils Tower, Wyoming

Devils Tower National Monument, which looms more than 1,200 feet above Wyoming’s eastern plains and the Belle Fourche River, is a one-of-a-kind natural wonder. 2. Bermuda Triangle, North Atlantic Ocean

Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, this is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean with its apexes in the vicinities of Bermuda, Miami, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. It covers roughly 500,000 square miles. A number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances in this region. 1. Socotra, Indian Ocean

Experts have described Socotra as “the most alien-looking place on Earth“. It is one of the most isolated landforms on Earth that is not of volcanic origin also considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. Socotra has over 40,000 inhabitants.

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