The world’s most beautiful beaches have been revealed by ‘beach inspectors’ who have spent three years studying over 1,500 strips of sand.
The experts from new online platform Beach-Inspector.com have been visiting beaches around the globe examining everything from water quality to development and how child friendly they are.
And now they have revealed which are the best in the world for partying, water sports, ‘special ambiance’, ‘classic holiday’ and for simply look stunning – the ‘wow’ beaches.
The professional beach testers of Beach-Inspector.com assess all beaches directly on-site.
They spent one or two days on every beach while also recording their own video footage for each beach and taking up to 100 photos before deciding which coastlines make the cut.
Scroll down to see the winners in the ‘wow category’, from Cornwall to Australia….
Porthcurno Beach in Cornwall in the far south west of England, which boasts white sand surrounded by majestic rocks with lush greenery
Whitehaven Beach in the Australian Whitsunday Islands is only reachable by boat or seaplane but it is worth the journey. The experts say that the white sand of the beach is so fine that it could not even scratch sun glasses
Koh Nang Yuan Beach in Thailand boasts three islands surrounded by turquoise water and connected by two sandbanks
Manda Bay in Kenya, pictured, is often dubbed the jewel in the crown of the Kenyan coastline thanks to its white sand and deep blue waters
Another Kenyan beach, Diani beach, is one of the most famous in Africa. The inspectors say the bright white sand alone is enough to dazzle visitors
Sardinia’s most beautiful beach and tourist magnet, Cala Mariolu, can only be reached by boat. The water is turquoise and the cliffs sit majestically above the white pebble bay
The strong current means swimming is not advised on Playa de Cofete beach in Fuerteventura. But the inspectors say the 11 kilometre stretch is definitely worth a visit
The inspectors say that the view from the water to Pai Plong Beach can almost be described as a jungle feeling. The beach is completely enclosed by steep rocks with magnificent vegetation
Canto de la Playa in Dominican Republic has white sand, countless beautifully curved palm trees and enchanting turquoise water. The beach is especially popular for weddings
The water at Formenteras Playa de ses Illetes in Spain offers more shades of blue than many a colour palette in art lessons, say the experts. They added: ‘Together with the view of the Isla de Espalmador and the endless expanse of the beach, Playa de Ses Illetes is a real beauty’
Trou aux Biches Beach in Mauritius is described as a dream beach through and through and even more beautiful than its tough competition elsewhere on the island by the inspectors
Dolphin Reef Beach in Israel is described as looking like an oasis with tree houses . The inspectors say it would be a real eye-catcher even without its popular dolphins
No beach chairs, sunshades or souvenir vendors, the Semeti Beach on Lombok in Indonesia is described as a barely known and completely natural jewel
Nui Beach in Thailand can be reached quickly from the island of Koh Phi Phi by boat and is described as being a secret beach
Playa de los Muertos on the Costa de Almeria in Spain literally means ‘beach of the dead’. But despite its name is often referred to as one of the most beautiful in the country
Praia de João de Arens in Portugal’s Algarve is a remote and spectacular rock bay meaning not too many tourists come to this picturesque beach
According to the experts, Cala Conta in western Ibiza offers a pure island feeling. It has a view of the island of Illa des Bosc in front of it and the light and fine sand Ibiza is known for, plus bright blue water as far as the eye can see
Playa Punta Uva is one of the best known beaches in Costa Rica. The experts say that the palm trees slope almost to the water and snorkeling in the water is a top experience
Playa de las Conchas in Lanzarote is described as a true natural spectacle thanks to its yellow sand, red rocks and blue sea
The Blue Lagoon beach in Cyprus was made famous when Sir David Attenborough filmed here and legend has it that Greek deities fell in love right on this beach
White and pink sand in a spectacular lagoon with crystal clear turquoise water is why Elafonissi Beach in Crete makes the list