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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.

Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos has been named one of the world's best beaches
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Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos has been named one of the world's best beachesCredit: Alamy
I visited last year - and I get the hype, with its stunning sunsets
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I visited last year - and I get the hype, with its stunning sunsets

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.

Grace Bay Beach, which often tops best beach lists, is everything you'd imagine from an exotic beach.

Also making the top list was Varadero Beach in Cuba
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Also making the top list was Varadero Beach in CubaCredit: Kara Godfrey
It was just as beautiful, with both islands
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It was just as beautiful, with both islandsCredit: Kara Godfrey

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.

Best beaches in the world revealed and two in the UK make the list

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.

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 love the seclusion of Crackington Haven
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I love the seclusion of Crackington HavenCredit: Kara Godfrey
I was one of the many surfers who know about the hidden beach
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I was one of the many surfers who know about the hidden beachCredit: Kara Godfrey
I also love Palm Bay Beach in Margate - having lived near it for two years
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I also love Palm Bay Beach in Margate - having lived near it for two yearsCredit: Kara Godfrey - The Sun

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.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

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.

The World's 50 Best Beaches

The World's Best Beaches consulted more than 750 judges including travel journalists, influencers, and beach ambassadors to rank the beaches.

  1. Lucky Bay, Australia
  2. Source D'Argent, Seychelles
  3. Hidden, Philippines
  4. Whitehaven, Australia
  5. One Foot, Cook Islands
  6. Trunk, US Virgin Islands
  7. Honopu, Hawaii
  8. Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
  9. Navagio Beach, Greece
  10. Balandra, Mexico
  11. Cala Goloritze, Italy
  12. Pipe Creek, Bahamas
  13. Pink, Indonesia
  14. Grace, Turks & Caicos
  15. Gardner, Ecuador
  16. Mcway, California
  17. Turquoise, Australia
  18. Le Morne, Mauritius
  19. Sancho, Brazil
  20. Seven Mile, Cayman Islands
  21. Lanikai, Hawaii
  22. Maya, Thailand
  23. Moro, Spain
  24. Kelingking, Indonesia
  25. Meads, Anguilla
  26. Flamenco, Puerto Rico
  27. Arena, Dominican Republic
  28. Little Hellfire, Australia
  29. Lazio, Seychelles
  30. Vaeroy, Norway
  31. Horseshoe, Bermuda
  32. Myrtos, Greece
  33. Hidden, Mexico
  34. Grand Anse, Grenada
  35. Xpu Ha, Mexico
  36. San Josef, Canada
  37. Matira, French Polynesia
  38. Capriccioli, Italy
  39. Pasjaca, Croatia
  40. Boulders, South Africa
  41. Salines, Martinique
  42. Champagne, Vanuatu
  43. Marinha, Portugal
  44. Balos, Greece
  45. Achmelvich, Scotland
  46. Kaputas, Turkey
  47. Radhangar, India
  48. Varadero, Cuba
  49. Piha, New Zealand
  50. Pink Sand, Bahamas 

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