There is something exotic and sexy about black sand beaches – especially those that are on cool and breezy tropical islands. Many of the sunny Caribbean destinations in this part of the world have world famous white and pink sandy beaches. But do you know that there are several black sand beaches in the Caribbean that have memorable historic pasts?
Black sand beaches are primarily found on volcanic islands or islands with volcanoes in close proximity. Black sand largely consists of dark coloured volcanic rock, minerals and lava fragments. Previous lava flows that came into contact with the ocean would have turned into black fragments that settled on the ocean floor. Over time, these fragments were pulverised into a fine sand, which then formed or covered beaches around several Caribbean islands.
1. Saint Pierre Beach – Martinique
In 1902, the Mont Pelee volcano erupted and completed destroyed the city of St. Pierre in Martinique. The eruption killed all 30,000 people who were living in the path of the lava flow except for three, one of whom was a prisoner. Today, the historic black sand beach in Saint Pierre, is a gorgeous bay with a view of the Mont Pelee volcano sitting quietly in the background.
2. Woodlands Beach — Montserrat
When the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted in 1995, it destroyed most of Montserrat and displaced almost all of the island’s population. However, the remaining population has since rebuilt key areas of the island. Woodlands Beach is one of the black sand beaches on Montserrat that is an ever present reminder of the active volcano on the island.
3. Rosalie Beach – Dominica
With views of the majestic Atlantic Ocean, Rosalie Beach adjoins the Rosalie Bay River. Today, the beach is a popular turtle nesting ground and is home to the Rosalie Bay Beach Resort. This beach, along with the black sand beaches on the island, are subtle reminders of Dominica’s nine active volcanoes. The last eruption on Dominica was in the time of Columbus, and the most recent eruption was a steam eruption in 1997.
