Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Iceland — The Most Dramatic Beach You’ll Ever See

Iceland’s Reynisfjara is everything a conventional tropical beach is not — jet-black volcanic sand, roaring Atlantic surf, towering hexagonal basalt columns, and sea stacks stabbing out of the ocean like something from a Norse myth. The contrast between the black shore, the dark cliffs, and the frothy white waves creates one of the most visually striking landscapes anywhere on Earth. Fair warning: the sneaker waves here are legendarily dangerous, so appreciate the beauty from a respectful distance.

Mnemba Atoll, Zanzibar — The Sandbar That Disappears at High Tide

Off the northeast tip of Zanzibar lies Mnemba Atoll, a tiny private island surrounded by a necklace of blindingly white sandbars that partially vanish beneath the Indian Ocean when the tide comes in. The warm, shallow water around it is so clear and calm it’s basically a giant natural swimming pool teeming with sea turtles and tropical fish. This is the kind of place where people book a two-week vacation and suddenly realize they never want to go home.