Every year, something extraordinary happens on the black sands of Monterrico Beach (Guatemala). Hundreds of tiny sea turtles emerge from their nests and scramble toward the ocean in one of nature's most emotional spectacles. This Pacific coast beach in Guatemala is best known for its role as a critical nesting ground for leatherback, olive ridley, and hawksbill sea turtles. The long volcanic shoreline stretches for miles, backed by swaying coconut palms and bordered by a network of mangrove lagoons. The contrast of the deep black sand against a fiery Pacific sunset is the kind of image that stays with you long after the trip ends. Before today's survey, were you aware of Monterrico Beach?

Karekare Beach earned global fame when it appeared in Jane Campion's Oscar-winning film 'The Piano', and one look at this brooding, magnificent stretch of New Zealand coastline makes it obvious why filmmakers fell in love with it. Located about 45 minutes west of Auckland on the Waitakere Ranges coast, Karekare is the kind of beach that makes you feel genuinely small in the best possible way. The black sand here is framed by towering, forested cliffs and wild surf that rolls in from the Tasman Sea with impressive force. Swimming is only recommended in patrolled areas during summer months, as rip currents can be deceptively strong. If you have seen the seen the movie 'The Piano', do you recall seeing the Karekare Beach background?

The Philippines gets most of its beach fame from powdery white atolls and crystal lagoons, so stumbling upon Santo Domingo Beach on Luzon Island feels like discovering a hidden chapter in a travel guide that most people skipped. The volcanic black sand here creates a visual contrast so bold it almost looks digitally enhanced in photographs. Located in Albay province in the Bicol region, Santo Domingo Beach sits within sight of the perfectly cone-shaped Mayon Volcano, one of the most active and picturesque volcanoes in the world. On clear days, the mountain's symmetrical peak looms over the dark shoreline in a combination that is almost impossibly photogenic. Would you be intimidated to visit this beach because of the possible danger from the nearby Mayon Volcano?

Alarm clocks at 5 a.m. are rarely welcome, but at Lovina Beach (Bali, Indonesia), that early wake-up call leads to something genuinely magical. Just offshore, spinner and bottlenose dolphins leap and play in the calm waters of the Bali Sea at sunrise, and local fishermen offer small boat tours to get you close enough to watch the show in real time. Lovina sits on Bali's quieter northern coast, far removed from the busy resort scene of Seminyak and Kuta in the south. The black volcanic sand here is fine and dark, stretching for several kilometers in a gentle arc backed by coconut palms and low-rise guesthouses. Have you ever wished to visit Indonesia?