Papagayo Beach, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain 11 Apr 2026

A beach born from fire rarely does so subtly, yet Papagayo Beach manages exactly that. The shoreline we see today rests on the southern edge of Lanzarote, one of Spain"s Canary Islands. Tropical fantasy? More like volcanic precision. Millions of years ago, this land rose in successive layers of basalt and ash thrust upward by submarine eruptions.

© Gavin Hellier/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Where is this hidden waterfall?
11 Apr 2024Dragon waterfall, Venezuela
11 Apr 2025Tulips, Netherlands

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Puffins pucker up
Autumn in Georgia
23 Dec 2023Festivus
27 Sep 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
16 Nov 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
14 Oct 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
Angel of the sea
4 Jul 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
14 Jun 2024Peggys Cove Lighthouse, Canada
Don’t look down!
Our forgotten forests
3 May 2024The Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA
Check out The Magic City of Miami
Waterborne wizardry
7 Jun 2025Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland
20 Mar 2026Spring equinox
Where did you drop the fish, son?
Man-made, meandering Lake Powell
A world within a world
27 Jul 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
3 Feb 2024Carnival of Venice
A beacon in the golden light
3 Nov 2025World Jellyfish Day
Whats so funny?
25 Dec 2024Merry Christmas!
Alps of the sea
3 Nov 2024International Day for Biosphere Reserves
30 Sep 2025Koala in the Great Otway National Park, Australia
What returned to this city 500 years ago?
22 Mar 2026World Water Day