Travel & Experiences

Offbeat Traveler: Purple sands of Big Sur’s Pfeiffer Beach

A car drives through the adjacent Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The park features redwoods, wildlife and a 61-room lodge.

A car drives through the adjacent Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The park features redwoods, wildlife and a 61-room lodge.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Share

Offbeat Traveler is heading to the coast this summer. In celebration of the season, we’re bringing you colorful beaches around the world -- destinations where the sand is not your typical yellow or beige.

We start with Pfeiffer Beach in Los Padres National Forest along California’s Central Coast, where the impressive scenery alone makes it worth a visit. The beach’s purple sand, however, makes it unusual.

-- Jason La

Read more: Sea glass supplants sand at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, Calif.

Travel & Experiences

More From the Los Angeles Times