Whether you want a beach made from billions of pearly shells, a shore that glows in the dark (yes, really) or discover the 'mirror' beach that's taking over social media, we’ve scoured the globe to bring you the world’s most spectacular strands. From fly-and-flop breaks to oceanside adventures, the planet's best beaches have a lot to offer. 

The Sunshine State is blessed with beautiful beaches galore – but even with such fierce competition, Clearwater, on the Gulf of Mexico, is consistently ranked among the best. That's no wonder, when you consider its gleaming white sands, sky-blue waters and pretty fishing pier.

Mũi Né is a beach lover's dream, offering the perfect blend of activity and relaxation. This southeastern Vietnamese hotspot is home to a strip of luxury (and still affordable) resorts with private beach access, just like Paradise Beach Resort pictured here. 

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One of the most unique things you'll come across in Mũi Né is its bowl-shaped fishing boats which bob along in shallower parts of the sea. Head over to the fishing village to see them in action or keep your eye out for these colourful blobs dotted across the beaches.

Its laid-back beach restaurants and gentle waters mean Clearwater is a hit with families – but there are plenty of activities for adrenaline junkies too. If you've a head for heights, try parasailing (an extra-special experience at the golden hour), or make a splash and rent some jet-skis.

These giant boulders, at Koekohe Beach on New Zealand’s South Island, are a staggering 56 million years old. Over time the powerful ocean has eroded them into weird and wonderful spherical shapes ­– if dragons were real, you might imagine their eggs looked like this.

Visit at low tide, when you’ll get the best view of the boulders, some of which are up to 10 feet (3m) in diameter. If that coincides with sunset or sunrise, even better. 

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If it's proper boots-on-the-ground adventure that you're after, San Josef Bay delivers. It's located on wild Vancouver Island and it's reached via a mellow hike of about 1.6 miles (2.6km). You'll be met with a sweep of Champagne-coloured sand, craggy rocks sprouting trees and panoramas over the blue bay. It's the perfect spot for a picnic with a view.

No beach bucket list would be complete without the Maldives, with its reef-ringed islands and turquoise, bath-like waters. Angaga Island – home to the Angaga Island Resort and Spa – is found in the South Ari Atoll, a 25-minute seaplane ride from capital Malé. 

The sea here is so warm you can dive as deep as 65 feet (20m) without needing a wetsuit. If diving’s not your thing, you only have to wade a short distance into the sea to see clownfish – dunk your head underwater and you’ll hear the crunching sound as they nibble on coral. They may be dainty, but they’re noisy eaters. 

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Here in the Maldives, the beaches can be even more remarkable after dark. From June to December, a lucky few might spot the sand appearing to glow like the starry night sky. The tiny pinpoints of electric blue light are emitted by miniscule crustaceans.

For a hot tub with a difference, pack your spade and head to Hot Water Beach, on North Island’s Coromandel Peninsula. Dig yourself a hole as the tide turns in, lie back and let the hot springs bubble up through the sand. The water is surprisingly hot, but the lapping waves of the incoming tide will cool it.

For a beach with a difference, head to otherworldly Jökulsárlón, a vast glacial lagoon in Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park. Here black volcanic sand descends into blue-green water, dotted with glassy icebergs. 

By night, watch the mesmerising Northern Lights dance over the lagoon. The best time to see them is between September and mid-April, when it’s darkest. For a prediction on when and where they’ll appear, it’s worth checking the Aurora Forecast.

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This Cuban bolthole is popular with tourists on excursions from Havana, and it's very easy to see the appeal. The crystal-white sand is plugged with palms and dotted with goal posts for beach football. Sunbathing is the favoured activity here, but you can also take to the gentle waters on a kayak. There's a chilled-out restaurant for refreshments, too.

Two spectacular worlds merge at Langkawi’s Datai Bay. To the fore, there’s a mile-long (1.6km), half-moon-shaped stretch of white-sand beach, perched on the Andaman Sea. Behind lies a vast, 10-million-year-old rainforest, so unique it’s been designated a UNESCO Geopark. It's also home to The Datai Langkawi (pictured), a sumptuous five-star resort with rooms tucked into the trees or perched right on the beach. 

When you get tired of gazing out to sea and snorkelling around the coral reefs, take a guided hike into the rainforest. It’s home to dusky leaf monkeys, flying lemurs, macaques and squirrels. 

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Ranking among Italy's most popular strands, Rabbit Beach, or Spiaggia dei Conigli, is a delicate arch of sand hemmed in by rugged rock formations. It's accessible by boat, or a laid-back hike, and most beachgoers choose to take a dip, or bask beneath a colourful parasol. Despite the name, you'll not find rabbits here, though there are some other special residents: loggerhead sea turtles nest on these shores, with peak season during the summer.

China’s Red Beach, in the Liaohe River Delta, provides an eye popping feast of crimson colour. The fiery red display is in fact a blanket of seepweed, which envelops this coastal wetland and turns a fiery red between August and October. Explore it via the 6,500-foot (1,981m) jetty that meanders through the marsh.

With its pink-tinged sand, Crete’s Elafonissi Beach is the stuff of fairy tales. The pink-hued particles are in fact coral, which has been smashed into miniscule pieces by the power of the sea.

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Backpackers flock to South Africa’s Wild Coast, in the Eastern Cape. And anyone hiking on Qolora Beach is likely to find themselves in the company of herds of Xhosa cattle, which have grazed the area for centuries. Their sheer size and great horns may make them look menacing, but they’re docile, dignified beasts.

Glinting in the Atlantic ocean, some 211 miles (340km) off the Brazilian coast, is Fernando de Noronha. And it’s here that you’ll find the famed Baia do Sancho. With its silky sands, dolphin-filled water and azure sea, it has been voted the best beach in the world on several occasions. Better still, it's part of a 21-island archipelago.

The waters teem with lemon and reef sharks, anemones, parrotfish, turtles and ghostly wrecks. The word unspoiled is overused, but these islands really are just that. Visitors numbers per day are limited and only Fernando de Noronha has accommodation.

With its domed ceiling, natural skylight and pocket of sand, Benagil Cave, in Portugal’s Algarve, is truly spectacular. A few brave bathers swim round from Benagil Beach next door, but for a safer option take one of the organised tours operating from nearby Carvoeiro. They’ll also take you inside several other caves dotted along the coast.

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With its jet-black volcanic sand, moss-covered rocks and crystal waters, Punalu'u Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island certainly packs a visual punch. The volcanic sand gets fiery hot under the baking sun, so seek shade under the coconut palms lining the shore.

Hawaiian green sea turtles and endangered Hawksbill turtles bask along the water’s edge, while spinner dolphins and humpback whales can be spotted at sea.

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This 37-mile (60km) stretch of coast in Western Australia's Shark Bay is made up of billions of tiny cockle shells, shimmering in the sunlight. Incredibly, they’re heaped up to 32 feet (10m) deep.

The crystalline water is shallow, but salty. Make sure you take shoes for wearing on the beach ­– they may look pretty, but these pearly little numbers can be sharp.

Porthcurno's calm, shallow waters are a favoured family destination. After a day at the beach, you can wend your way up the steps to the Minack, an open-air theatre carved high into the granite cliffs. Plays, musicals and opera run throughout the summer. 

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One of the most unique strands in the USA, Glass Beach is a stone's throw from California's Fort Bragg. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, it was common for rubbish to be dumped in the sea – but the ocean turned this trash into treasure, spitting out perfect glass pebbles onto the shore. Now the top pastime here is to hunt for glittering stones in shades from crimson to sapphire – just be sure to replace your finds and leave no trace behind.

With its limestone cliffs plunging into emerald sea, Phra Nang Beach in Krabi is truly awe-inspiring. The fact it’s only accessible by boat makes it all the more special. Rent a kayak from nearby Railay Beach West, then take a 30-minute paddle through cave tunnels to reach this alluring cove.

The beach's Princess Cave is also a must-see. You might be surprised to find it full of phallic-shaped carvings, regularly left by fishermen as offerings to a goddess in the hope she’d give them safe passage.

Ras al Jinz, on the easternmost point of the Arabian Peninsula, is renowned for various species of nesting turtles. Every year, thousands of these endangered sea giants migrate from the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and Somalia to lay their eggs on Oman’s shores.

Ras al Jinz Turtle Reserve runs dawn and evening turtle nesting tours. The best time to visit is between May and September, when you’ll see turtles digging their sandy nests and laying eggs. If you’re lucky, you might spot some hatchlings. 

The turquoise waters look positively Caribbean, but would-be bathers will get a chilly shock at Luskentyre Beach, on Scotland's Isle of Harris – the water temperature here drops as low as 6°C (43°F). This is the beach for crowd dodgers, though: your only company is likely to be the fabulous bird life, including velvet scoters, eider ducks and the Slavonian grebe.

When you tire of ogling the beach, hike into the heather-clad hills of Harris inland, where eagles fly. Wilderness Scotland offer a seven-night High Points of the Outer Hebrides walking tour.

This incredible beach, located just outside of Mitoyo, has become a new favourite among Instagrammers, thanks to its 'mirror' effect. Providing the perfect photo op, Chichibugahama Beach has its own Instagram account, where you can see some of the best shots taken in front of the mirroring tide pools. After a fun photoshoot, don't forget to take a dip into the waters – the sandy beach is a popular spot for swimming too. 

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