The UK may be blanketed in snow and the idea of taking a seaside dip preposterous to all but the most hardened wild swimmers, but that doesn't mean you can't dream of lying on a beautiful sunny beach.
While the UK has a lot of stunning coastline, mid-December isn't the perfect time to visit them, unless you have a particular love of bleak, windswept vistas.
Luckily if you're after a dose of wanderlust, Cult Beauty has delivered with a new ranking of the world's top 20 most beautiful beaches, based on factors including social media appeal and content opportunities.
The study found that Venice Beach, California is the most beautiful beach in the world with the highest number of Instagram posts and over 5.4 million articles online containing the world beautiful.
Its wide stretch of sand is lined with palm trees and an iconic boardwalk, while stunning mountain views add to the impressive setting.
The Main Beach on Byron Bay, Australia came second on the list, having inspired 3.1million Instagram posts and 5.41million articles containing the word 'beautiful'.
The beach is an iconic one, having come to represent the ultimate example of Australia sun, sea and surf.
Looking out to the horizon you can see Julian Rocks, a marine reserve popular with divers, while surfers and body boarders populate the usually impressive surf closer to the beach.
Once you're bored of sunning yourself or gazing dreamily at the beach's lifeguards, the town itself is bustling and has plenty of great restaurants and bars.
Third on the list is El Nido in Palawan, Philippines, with 1.2 million posts on Instagram and 3.95million articles referring to its beauty.
If you are looking for somewhere truly remarkable and arguably unlike any other beach in the world, then this may be the perfect spot.
Tropical green-blue waters lap onto dazzlingly white sand beaches and beneath enchanting coastal coves.
In El Nido you don't have to settle for a beachfront hotel as there is a cottage on stilts which takes guests eager to snorkel in the orchid-walled lagoon.
Here are the 20 most beautiful beaches in the world, according to Instagram and news article mentions.
- Venice Beach, California, United States (4,300,000 Instagram posts and 5,410,000 articles containing the word 'beautiful')
- Main Beach, Byron Bay, Australia (3,100,100 and 6,920,000)
- El Nido, Palawan, Philippines (1,200,000 and 3,950,000)
- Panama City Beach, Florida, United States (911,000 and 4,380,000)
- Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia (1,800,000 and 2,230,000)
- Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe, Thailand (126,000 and 3,180,000)
- Bandon, Oregon, United States (33,500 and 1,830,000)
- Long Beach, Phu Quoc, Vietnam (35,000 and 1,540,000)
- Los Roques, Venezuela (606,000 and 330,000)
- Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand (41,800 and 988,000)
- The Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands (1,000 and 1,040,000)
- Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi, Thailand (420,000 and 342,000)
- Tulum, Mexico (452,000 and 276,000)
- Jeffreys Bay, South Africa (94,000 and 847,000)
- Unawatuna, Sri Lanka (224,000 and 619,000)
- Rarotonga, Cook Islands (50 and 959,000)
- Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (414 and 733,000)
- Crane Beach, Barbados (29,800 and 624,000)
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Boulders Beach, Cape Town (142,000 and 440,000)
- Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia (215,000 and 322,000)
You can find out more on cultbeauty.co.uk.
