Among the usual exotic locations in places like Brazil, the Mediterranean and Australia, is a traditional British bucket and spade family holiday favourite in Devon
The world's 25 best beaches have been revealed...and one of them is BRITISH.
Among the usual exotic locations in places like Brazil, the Mediterranean and Australia, is a traditional British bucket and spade family holiday favourite in Devon.
It may be more of a bucket and spade kind of place than some of the exotic surfing and sunbathing mecca's on the list, but Woolacombe beach has managed to beat of stiff competition to make it onto the global list, compiled by TripAdvisor.
With it's stunning setting and beautiful golden sands with rolling dunes, Woolacombe has long been a family holiday favourite in Britain.
Making it onto the list of top beaches around the world - and the fourth best beach in Europe - according to the review website, shows it is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Other British beaches to make it into the top ten in Europe, according to Trip Advisor, were Weymouth beach in Dorset and Rhossili Bay, Swansea.
TripAdvisor described Woolacombe beach as a three-mile (4.8km) long stretch of golden sand and rolling, unbroken surf, ideal for surfers and backed by sandy hills.
Spokesman James Kay said: "The presence of two UK beaches in Europe's top 10 is further proof of what a fantastic tourist draw the UK's coastline really is."
Europe's top beach was Rabbit beach at Lampedusa in Italy, with Playa de Ses Illetes in Formentera in the Spanish Balearic Islands in second place and Elafonissi beach in Greece third.
Full list of world's 25 top beaches:
1 Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
2 Grace Bay, Providenciales, Caribbean
3 Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy
4 Playa Paraiso Beach, Cayo Largo, Caribbean
5 Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
6 Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
7 White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
8 Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Caribbean
9 Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
10 Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece
11 Camp's Bay Beach, Camps Bay, South Africa
12 Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India
13 Woolacombe Beach, UK
14 Siesta Key Public Beach, Siesta Key, United States
15 West Bay Beach, West Bay, Honduras
16 Cayo de Agua, Los Roques National Park, Venezuela
17 Playa Manuel Antonio, Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
18 Nai Harn Beach, Rawai, Thailand
19 Sharm El Luli, Marsa Alam, Egypt
20 Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan, Turkey
21 Playa Paraiso, Tulum, Mexico
22 Diani Beach, Kenya
23 Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba, Caribbean
24 Ngapali Beach, Burma/Myanmar
25 Maunganui Beach, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
Here are the top 10 UK beaches:
1. Woolacombe Beach, Devon
2. Weymouth Beach, Dorset
3. Rhossili Bay, Swansea
4. St. Brelade's Bay Beach, Jersey
5. Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall
6. Perranporth Beach, Cornwall
7. Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall
8. Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, Scotland
9. Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, Dorset
10. Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset