This Black Sand Beach Will Make You Feel Like You’re On Another Planet

When you think of beaches, you probably think of brilliant golden sand, or even a rocky shore, depending on where you came from. The prettiest beaches are full of stunning white sand. However, have you ever come across a black sand beach?

If you haven’t, you’re in luck. Hawaii is home to two beaches that are covered in black sand. However, if you’re not a fan of driving for hours on end and fighting with other tourists to get a space on the beach, you’ll want to avoid the most popular one, Waianapanapa. Thankfully, there’s another beach out there just as beautiful, with a chance to see wildlife when you go snorkeling.

If you want to learn more about this beach and feel like you’re alone on another planet, then you’ll have to keep reading.

Where Is the Black Sand Beach?

The Black Sand Beach, also known as Oneuli Beach, is located in Hawaii. It’s in Makena State Park on Maui. The word oneuli means “dark sands.”

It’s a difficult little beach to find, and the road to get to the beach is unpaved. But it’s well worth a visit for those who take the time to look for it. The difficulty of finding the beach does make it quite peaceful for those who find it, as it’s rarely packed.

What Makes the Sand Black?

As you may know, Hawaii’s islands formed from volcanos and lava. The hard, black lava along the island’s edges and under the water gets broken up by the ocean. Over time, the lava breaks up into tiny little pieces and becomes the sand on the beach.

If you’re an inexperienced swimmer, you might want to avoid this beach. The rocks in front of the tide are slippery and the currents are a lot stronger than they appear. The surf is pretty rough as well, meaning you’re likely to be pushed up against those rocks if you aren’t paying attention.

Animals and Plants Near This Black Sand Beach

One notable plant in the area is the Kiawe tree. These trees are impressive works of nature, wild and untamed alongside the ocean. Unfortunately, hidden underneath their beauty is a bit of danger.

Though it’s normal to want to walk around beaches barefoot and sink your toes in the sand, you might want to bring shoes to this beach. These trees produce nasty thorns that can sink deep into your feet.

These sharp thorns, along with the hot sand and sharp lava rocks on the edge of the water mean you probably want to invest in good water shoes before visiting the beach.

But it’s not all bad. Just off of the coast is the perfect spot to snorkel. Tangled among the coral, you’ll find all sorts of animals. If you’re lucky, you may come across green sea turtles. They’re known to visit the beach and the coral reef nearby. Eels, sea urchins, dolphins, parrotfish, and snappers are some of the other animals you’ll find near the reefs.

Just be careful not to damage any of the coral during your exploration. Stay above the reef, only use shallow kicks, and float when you’re tired instead of trying to touch the ground.

Tide pools in the area also hold some delightful creatures. crabs, shrimp, anemones, hawkfish, and blennies are just some of the animals you might stumble upon when peering into one of these pools of water.

Is There More Than One Black Sand Beach?

Despite the name, at a glance, the sand isn’t actually all that black. There are some flecks of black sand that are intermingled with the usual sand from white seashells. What the mix creates is a salt-and-pepper or dusty gray look. Sometimes, there’s also a bit of red.

Hawaii is full of other unique sand beaches as well. There’s Waianapanapa, which is a truly black-sand beach. There’s also Kaihalulu, which is a red-sand beach worth checking out as well.

Oneuli and Waianapanapa are the only two black sand beaches in Hawaii, but not in the world. There are many beaches across the globe with beautiful black sand.

Some other black sand beaches include:

• Miho Beach in Japan
• Los Gigantes Beach in Spain
• Reynisfjara in Iceland
• Black Sand Basin in Wyoming

Some of these beaches, like the ones in Hawaii, come from lava. Others come from basalt or a mix of dark-colored minerals and rocks.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/ReDunnLev