If the news of the royal engagement hasn’t been enough to cheer you up on this chilly, dreary Monday, then maybe the thought of some winter sun will warm your cockles.
Travel website FlightNetwork has just released its ranking of the world’s 50 best beaches and the photos alone are enough to have booking an impromptu flight before you remember that you're already in your overdraft and haven't even got through Christmas yet. Oops.
The ranking is based on the opinions of 632 of the world's most expert travel journalists, agents and bloggers, who gave their views on which beaches should be included. FlightNetwork called it, "truly the most up to date and definitive list in the world and will help your readership decide their winter holidays in the coming months," Metro reported.
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Destinations in Africa, Europe, North and South America, Asia and "everywhere in between" were ranked on five criteria, including their remoteness, average annual temperature, their untouched beauty, annual days of sunshine and the quality of their sand and water.
The US has the greatest number of beaches on the list on the top 50 ranking, with six, but only one is on the mainland – the rest are in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Here are the top 10 beaches in the world, according to travel experts.
10. Trunk Bay, US Virgin Islands
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 7/10; Sand and water quality: 10/10; Annual days of sunshine: 140 Average annual temp.: 27C
9. Hidden Beach, Mexico
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 10/10; Sand and water quality: 8/10; Annual days of sunshine: 299; Average annual temp.: 25C
8. Hyams Beach, Australia
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 8/10; Sand and water quality: 9/10; Annual days of sunshine: 251; Average annual temp.: 17C
7. Playa Paraiso, Mexico
Sheer untouched beauty: 9/10; Remoteness: 8/10; Sand and water quality: 10/10; Annual days of sunshine: 290; Average annual temp.: 20C
6. Baia Dos Porcos, Brazil
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 10/10; Sand and water quality: 9/10; Annual days of sunshine: 258; Average annual temp.: 27C
5. Navagio Beach, Greece
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 8/10; Sand and water quality: 8/10; Annual days of sunshine: 275; Average annual temp.: 19C
4. Pink Sands Beach, Bahamas
Sheer untouched beauty: 8/10; Remoteness: 8/10; Sand and water quality: 10/10; Annual days of sunshine: 223; Average annual temp.: 28C
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3. Anse Lazio, Seychelles
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 7/10; Sand and water quality: 9/10; Annual days of sunshine: 226; Average annual temp.: 29C
2. Whitehaven Beach, Australia
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 10/10; Sand and water quality: 10/10; Annual days of sunshine: 292; Average annual temp.: 27C
1. Grace Bay (Turks and Caicos)
Sheer untouched beauty: 10/10; Remoteness: 8/10; Sand and water quality: 10/10; Annual days of sunshine: 319; Average annual temp.: 29C
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