WHAT makes a good beach - golden sands, bright blue waters, and amazing views?
I've been lucky enough to visit not one, but two beaches considered to be the best in the world.
Recently revealed by TripAdvisor, the best beach in the world for 2024 was Praia da Falesia in Portugal.
However, also making the top 10 were Grace Bay Beach on the island of Turks and Caicos (coming in at no.5) and Varadero Beach in Cuba (coming in 10th place).
I've been lucky to visit both of them - and can see why they'd make the list.
New Year's Day swimmers take chilly early morning dip to welcome 2023
Grace Bay Beach, which often tops best beach lists, is everything you'd imagine from an exotic beach.
Soft white sands stretch for miles, with very few tourists if you get up early enough.
Lined with hotel resorts, wait until the evening and you'll get pink sunsets too.
While the waters can be warm in the summer months, the seas can also be rough with it advised to avoid certain areas.
And Varadero Beach, in Cuba is just as beautiful but felt quieter, thanks to the wider bank of sand.
While also full of resorts and cafes, you could easily find a stretch of sand lined with palm trees and tropical bushes to make it feel like you were the only one there.
Despite these two amazing beaches, there are two I prefer in the UK, which might come as a surprise to many.
I often find a beautiful beach resort abroad is pretty to look at - but I'd rather visit a beach with something to do.
One of those is Crackington Haven, in Cornwall.
While it may not have the same white sands as a Caribbean island, the tiny beach is sheltered by two towering hills.
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It's often overlooked by other nearby beaches in Bude, so there are never too many crowds either.
Not only is it loved by surfers - so there is always something to watch - it has just the one pub with friendly owners when you need some fish and chips on the seafront, as well as a beach bar for an ice cream.
I've visited a number of times over the summer - and even during the colder months, is a cosy place to hunker down with the locals.
In a similar vein, another one of my favourite beaches is closer to home, being Palm Bay Beach in Margate.
Once again it's the local atmosphere that makes it - you'll always be bumping into families and avid swimmers heading to the nearby lido.
And it's much quieter than the Main Sands in town, so it's locals you'll see so you won't be fighting for a spot.
Of course I was biased, after living a short walk from it for nearly two years.
I often walked up and down the stretch, being greeted by dogs and chilly swimmers popping out of the beach sauna.
While they might not have the same sunny climate as the others, there's definitely more to the beach than the glaring sun.
In the mean time, here are some other UK beaches you can still visit in the winter.
And here's a beach in the UK that has the warmest waters.
