A Northumberland beach has been named one of the most beautiful in the world, beating off competition from Italy, Thailand, Hawaii and the Philippines.
Bamburgh Beach was named the sixth most eye-catching beach on the planet in a study by luxury travel company Kuoni, that tracked people's eye movements to see which natural landmarks the eye was drawn to.
While most people will know the beach because of the magnificent castle behind it, it's also wonderful for walks at any time of the year, and due to low levels of light pollution, it's a popular spot for aurora hunters on clear winter nights.
Go here for more Northumberland news and updates from Northumberland Live
Last year, a study by Which? crowned Bamburgh as the best beach in the UK, ahead of Tynemouth in second place. However, coming in the top 10 in the world will be a welcome surprise - with only some of the globe's most jaw-dropping ahead of it.
This particular study used a unique way to gather the data, with participants being asked to look at a series of images of 50 of the world’s most famous natural landmarks and their eye movements tracked using AI technology. Then, data on which images drew the eye for the longest was analysed to reveal the most eye-catching natural wonders and beaches.
Kuoni's full list of the top 10 most beautiful beaches around the world is:
- Niyama Private Island Beach, The Maldives
- Al Sufouh Beach, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Bai Sao, Phu Quoc, Vietnam
- Cape Drastis, Corfu, Greece
- Pensacola Beach, Florida, USA
- Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland, UK
- Numana Alta Beach, Italy
- Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand
- Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA
- Boracay White Beach, Philippines
As well as the most beautiful beaches, Kuoni's research rounded up the world's most eye-catching natural wonders. You can see the full list here.
