Bizarre and unusual destinations around the world

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Salar de Uyuni, BoliviaLeshan Giant BuddhaGoblin Valley State Park, UtahPanda Inn, Sichuan, ChinaLas Pozas, Xilitla, MexicoPancake Rocks, New ZealandPlain of Jars, LaosJW Marriott Marquis Hotel DubaiMusee des Egouts de Paris, FranceRed Beach, Panjin, ChinaMall of America Ice Castles, Bloomington, Minn.Mont St. Michel, FranceIcehotel, Jukkasjarvi, SwedenDean's Blue Hole, BahamasLower Antelope Canyon, Ariz.Cancun Underwater MuseumPetrified Forest National Park, Ariz.Tarragona, Spain human tower competitionMammoth Cave National Park, KentuckyAlberobello, ItalyIthaa Undersea restaurant, MaldivesPamukkale, TurkeyMadain Salih, Saudi ArabiaRock Islands Southern Lagoon, PalauDarvaza, TurkmenistanSocotra Island, Yemen"Orbit," LondonGreat Blue Hole, BelizeThe Giant's Causeway, Northern IrelandThe Wave, ArizonaHallstatt project, Huizhou, ChinaMt. Kelimutu, IndonesiaMoeraki Boulders, New ZealandChocolate Hills, Bohol, PhilippinesBurj Khalifa, DubaiChapel Bridge, Lucerne, SwitzerlandSkellig Michael island, IrelandGuanajuato mummy museumMakepeace IslandCappadocia, TurkeyGalesnjak IslandPrague Astronomical ClockCastle Combe, BritainIce Castles at Silverthorne, ColoradoChurch of ice and snow, GermanyPozzuoli amphitheater, ItalyJeju Island, South Korea"Tiger and Turtle -- Magic Mountain" sculpture in GermanyWhite Sands National Monument, New MexicoAle's StonesKasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New MexicoOrange County Government Center, New YorkLines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Pampas de Jumana, PeruSpire of Dublin, IrelandGullfoss Falls, IcelandTavarua IslandPuerto-Princesa Subterranean River, PhilippinesAncient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Calif.Remote monasteries of Metéora, GreeceBay of Fundy, CanadaKomodo National Park, IndonesiaPlitvice Lakes National Park, CroatiaChamarel, MauritiusSeattle Gum WallJigokudani Monkey Park, JapanRed Sandy Beach, MaltaAvebury, EnglandFloating market, VietnamPfeiffer Beach, Big SurChiricahua National Monument, Ariz.Peabody hotel, MemphisHôtel de Glace, CanadaSpotted Lake, CanadaDarwin Falls, Death Valley, Calif.Kadir's Tree House, Olympos, TurkeyAngel Falls, VenezuelaHostel Celica, SloveniaWaitomo Glowworm Cave, New ZealandTiger's Nest monastery, BhutanBlack Rock Desert, NevadaLombard Street, San FranciscoRio Tinto, SpainDog Bark Park Inn, IdahoTessellated Pavement, TasmaniaGrand Falls, ArizonaJellyfish Lake, PalauTam Ting caves, LaosHistoric Center of Craco, ItalyMoaning Cavern, Vallecito, Calif.World's largest swimming pool, ChileSpiral Jetty, UtahGlass Beach, Calif.Jumbo Hostel, SwedenWorld's largest hotel suite, LebanonAngola Prison Rodeo, La.Pink Sands Beach, Bahamas

Purple sand

( Pamela Ocampo / October 24, 2012 )

Sand derives its color from minerals that compose it, which vary from place to place. Quartz, often clear or translucent, is commonly the dominant ingredient, lending sand its generally light color. Pfeiffer Beach's purple color comes from manganese garnet deposits found in the surrounding rocks.