Whitehaven Beach is one of the most stunningly beautiful places on Earth. It’s located on the coast of Whitsunday Island, part of the namesake Australian archipelago.

Stretching over 6 kilometers, this beach is covered in pure white silica sand — considered the cleanest in the world. The grains are so fine they can be used for glassmaking or even polishing silver. Because of its extraordinary purity, sand from Whitehaven Beach was even used in the construction of the Hubble Space Telescope’s lens.