India, Dec. 26 -- Papakolea Beach isn't your typical beach. Commonly referred to as "Green Sand Beach," the stretch of shoreline on the Island of Hawaii (the Big Island) is said to be one of only four green-sand beaches in the world. It's also the only one located in the 50 U.S. states. To reach the others, you'll need to book flights to Norway, Guam (a U.S. island territory in Micronesia), and the Galapagos Islands.

But if you ever find yourself in the Ka Lae, or South Point, area in Hawaii's Kau district-the southernmost region of the island-you'll want to make it a point to venture to Papakolea Beach, also called Mahana Beach. Instead of white sand, black sand, or even popcorn sand, the beach has sand with a distinctive green color. ...