The coloured sand cliffs give Rainbow Beach its name. The cliff face, exposed along the southern end of the beach, displays more than seventy distinct colours — deep ochre, brick red, pale cream, and almost-white — arranged in horizontal bands that have been compressed and tilted by geological movement over thousands of years.
The cliffs are best seen from the beach at low tide, when you can walk close to the base. They are easiest to reach by walking south from town along the beach, or by 4WD. The colours are most vivid in the morning or on overcast days; direct midday sun washes them out.