The world’s weirdest beaches – Three things spring to mind when someone says ‘beach’: sun, sea and designer swimwear. I bet now, in your mind you are picturing white sands, blue skies, rolling waves and a gentle, alluring breeze… sorry, where were we! Back to beaches. Ladies and gentlemen, after reading this post we are sure you will never think of beaches in the same way before – as we bring to you, the world’s strangest beaches.

Cow Beach, Goa, India

Forget your bikini diet; you’re bound to look skinny next to the heifers that visit this sandy spot. Quite literally, cattle flock by the hundreds to this beach, and so do tourists. So, pinch your nose and dodge the cowpat, catching some rays with your beefy friends is the way it goes here!

Maho Beach, St Maarten, Caribbean

Is it a bird, is it a plane..?! Acting as the runway for Princess Juliana International Airport, Maho Beach is the only place you’ll see jumbo jets diving to land literally metres above your head. The beach bar has a speaker that broadcasts transmissions between the pilots and air traffic control.

Green Papakolea Beach, Hawaii

Believe it or not, there are such things as green beaches! There are only two beaches in the world that are green; one on the western Pacific island, Guam, and the other on Hawaii, known as Green Papakolea Beach. They’re green because olivine crystals line the shore, which gives the illusion of a grass verge.

Hot Water Beach, New Zealand

If you’re on your travels and in need of a nice, hot relaxing bath, don’t go to your hotel, but head to the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand. Underneath the sand there are numerous hot springs which filter up through the surface. When the tide is low, get digging and make your own hot water pool. All that’s missing is the bubble bath.

Barking Sand Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

This beach kind of just does what it says on the tin. It barks like a dog. Kind of. When rubbed, the grains of sand produce a dog-like sound. Woof!

Crosby Beach, Merseyside, England

On first impressions, this beach can easily be mistaken for a crowded nudist hot spot (rather them than us, given the UKs temperatures!). However, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that the 100 life-like human figures facing nostalgically out to sea are in fact made from cast iron. This is called ‘Another Place’, an art exhibition from sculptor Anthony Gormley – whose own naked body is the cast for the figures. The figures become submerged at high tide, and spookily reappear as the tide ebbs and flows.

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