We've all gazed longingly at images of white-sand beaches, swaying palms and crystalline oceans. But not everything is always as it seems in those holiday brochures. From clever photography angles to over-zealous editing, there are plenty of tricks that will make you believe you're going to paradise, when in reality it's all a little bit disappointing. Here are some of the world's beaches where the pictures don't quite match real life...

One of the world's most well-known beaches, Ipanema is a hive of activity on Rio's shores. With gorgeous mountain views, a leafy boardwalk and wonderful white sand, it's the perfect place to spend a sunny day in Brazil. Or is it?

As long as you don't mind rubbing sweaty shoulders with everyone else in town, it's just fine. Though you can find some quieter, more spacious stretches of sand further along the coast, away from the big city, at Prainha.

This spectacular stretch of sand can be found on the island of Sardinia, just off the coast of Italy. The white sand and surrounding blue ocean make it a truly idyllic location. But its sands aren't always so pristine...

Come summer, hundreds of people swarm on this stretch, bringing parasols, beach towels and wind breaks with them, setting up camp for a day in the sun. You'll have to arrive early to get a spot near the unbelievably clear water.

Look up any list of the world's best beaches and you'll find glorious aerial photos of Whitehaven, just like this one. The swirls of sand beneath the ocean, created by the currents, make this a mesmerising location from above.

But from ground level, the whole experience is somewhat underwhelming. It just looks like any other beach, really. If you do want to be awed you'd better take to the skies instead. 

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Lapped by the Indian Ocean, Diani beach looks like the sand of dreams, all bright white with traditional fishing boats bobbing in the distance. This is one of Kenya's premier beach resorts, after all.

Diani doesn't always look so pristine. The ocean regularly washes up seaweed that dries out on the sand and ruins that picture-perfect stretch of whiteness. This, plus the hordes of hawkers trying to sell you everything from Maasai blankets to coconuts make this beach thoroughly disappointing.

This pink sand beach isn't some sci-fi movie set. Elafonisi, on the southwest coast of the Greek island of Crete, is known the world over for its pink-tinged sands. But if you're hoping for views like this, you might want a reality check...

Sadly, most photos of Elafonisi are saturated to accentuate that pink colour, which is a result of the coral and shells washed up here. It's still a beautiful beach regardless, and when the tide is out you can walk across a sandbar to a small chapel.

Regularly lauded as one of the world's finest beaches, Kuta has been a favourite haunt for visitors and locals alike on this Indonesian island. The wide stretch of soft sand is the perfect place to catch some rays and have a truly relaxing break, and no doubt brochures with pictures like this have sold many a holiday.

Kuta has become a victim of its own success, though, and is now one of Bali's most polluted and dirtiest beaches. Litter was found strewn right across the sands here in February 2019, as rubbish from nearby resorts was blown onto the beach after high winds and heavy rains. This didn't seem to stop the tourists, though, as many continued to sun themselves among the trash.

With the Namib Desert running right out to Namibia's coastline, these must be some of the biggest beaches in the world. The undulating yellow sand contrasting with the deep blue of the Atlantic is an enthralling sight, best viewed from a scenic flight over the coast. You'll spot seals basking on the sand and shipwrecks engulfed by nature, if you're lucky...

It pays to be prepared for disappointment, as Namibia's location on the Atlantic coast guarantees it some pretty strong winds and incredibly varied weather. A sunny morning can quickly turn into a cloudy afternoon, and most days a thick fog rolls in off the ocean completely distorting views of the coastline.

Bondi is Sydney's most famous beach and a surfer's paradise. It's on the front of many a postcard and brochure, selling this seaside city as a beautiful, cosmopolitan holiday destination. But don't expect it to always look like this...

In Australia's summer months, between November and February, the beaches in Sydney get overrun with visitors – even more so than this. Finding a spot on the sand can prove tricky, so if you're really keen you'll have to arrive early.

This beautiful stretch of sand can be found on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales – a national park lauded for its gorgeous landscapes and plentiful wildlife. But sunny days like this are hard to come by in Wales...

That azure ocean quickly turns dark once the clouds roll in, and with more than a third of the year seeing rainfall in Wales, it's likely this will be your view than that bright, sunny scene.

This picturesque beach is one of Greece's most famous, thanks to the hulk of a shipwreck that's seemingly sinking into its sands. The MV Panagiotis freightliner ran aground here in the 1980s and now gives this cove a Cast Away kind of vibe. But don't expect to be stranded here alone...

With this kind of fame comes crowds, and Navagio is rarely found empty these days, except perhaps in the depths of winter. Boat trips from the surrounding areas stop off here for picnics and to allow visitors to explore the wreckage, and so your hopes of playing the lone survivor will be well and truly crushed. Check out more of the world's most beautiful shipwrecks too.

The sight of penguins on a beach might seem odd, but in South Africa, these flightless birds have made a home just outside the centre of Cape Town. There are hundreds of them, but it's not always the Attenborough-style documentary scene you might hope for...

The penguins live along the coast and spend some of their time sheltering from the sun in the surrounding bushes. This means that you might not see the hordes that many photos depict, and instead just witness a few waddling birds going about their business on the sand. They're still adorable, though, so don't let that put you off.

This beach in Iceland is famous for its striking black sand and the glassy chunks of ice scattered across its surface. The glacial lagoon is a popular stop for visitors exploring Vatnajökull National Park, and brochure photos often depict scenes like this, with the sun setting behind the ice creating an ethereal landscape.

But sadly, the reality is very different. Clever photography by professionals makes this beach look far more enticing than it is. On a cloudy day – of which there are many in Iceland – the reality is very different.

Mumbai's well-to-do Juhu area has a buzzing beach, where families and even Bollywood stars come to celebrate the sunset with games of cricket and classic South Indian snacks on the sand. But it's not always this beautiful...

The water is filthy and swimming is not recommended – it's one of the most polluted beaches in the world – and after heavy rains and storms, rubbish from the city's 18 million residents washes up on the shore. A tragic, sobering sight, Juhu Beach is a clear example of how humans are devastating the Earth's coastlines.

Scotland's remote islands have a swathe of glorious beaches, with white sand and oceans clear enough to make you believe you're in the Caribbean. But let's face it, Scotland isn't a country known for fantastic weather...

Come to Luskentyre and you're more likely to be faced with this rather drab view than anything quite so idyllic. There's more than just beaches to see on Harris, so check out our guide to the island.

On the coast of California, near Fort Bragg, Glass Beach is a popular tourist attraction. The colourful little pebbles that sit among the sand here might look pretty, but the story behind them isn't so positive...

These pebbles are in fact sea glass, and they're a result of human waste being discarded in the ocean. It starts out as entire glass bottles thrown into the sea, and over time they break and erode to form small pebbles and are washed up among the sand. Another example of how we're changing the face of our coastlines with careless practices.

Papkolea Beach in Hawaii is otherworldly, or so the brochures depict. The green colour seen here isn't moss, but green olivine crystals that come from a cinder cone volcano nearby. Mixed in with the sand, it makes it look as if the beach is emerald in colour.

In reality, though, the colour isn't nearly as vibrant. Over-edited photographs with ramped-up saturation levels are the cause of disappointment for many a visitor to these shores.

The city of Brighton is known as one of Britain's quirkiest places, with a large student population and a creative scene to rival London. Its pebble beach is a glorious place in summer, with views out to the horizon and the somewhat haunting shell of the West Pier, which burned down in 2003. But don't expect it to be this quiet on a beautiful summer's day...

There won't be a spare deck chair in sight, as this is the go-to beach destination for Londoners when the sun's out, and locals flock to the shores too. The beach bars and cafés under the promenade backing the beach get full very quickly, so expect to queue a while for those ice creams, and be vigilant around the pesky seagulls that will no doubt want a spot of your lunch. Sadly, the popularity of this beach is also damaging it, as when the crowds have gone, all too often beer cans and picnic leftovers are discarded right on the pebbles by careless visitors. 

The Caribbean is the ultimate beach destination. The many islands strewn across the sea here have glorious, pristine coastlines ripe for sun worshippers. Not to mention the strikingly turquoise ocean, filled with marine life and colourful coral. Grand Turk, part of the Turks and Caicos, is one of the highlights here, and there may be no better sight than the seemingly endless horizon, blending into a bright blue sky beyond the beach.

That is, until a great big cruise ship comes and blocks the view. On Grand Turk, the cruise terminal is right on the beach and ships dock at a pontoon that leads straight onto the sand. It sounds ideal for passengers, who have a short walk to get to the sunbeds, but for the rest of us, it's certainly spoiling the view. Here are 50 experiences you didn't know you could have in the Caribbean (besides heading to the beach)

Dubrovnik is on many a travellers' bucket list thanks to its starring role in Game of Thrones, the pretty cobblestone streets and its impressive city walls from which you can get glorious views. This coastal city has some stretches of sand too, which occasionally look like this. 

 

But visit in the height of summer and you might have to face trial by combat to find a spot for your towel. Overtourism has been a big problem in Croatia in the last few years, and particularly in Dubrovnik where huge cruise ships dock, thronging the city with visitors by day. 

 

Movie fans will recognise this sandy crescent as the very stretch Leonardo DiCaprio lost his mind on in the film The Beach. Its bright-white sands and towering karst cliffs are an otherworldly sight, worthy of any beach bucket (and spade) list.

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But thanks to its worldwide fame, it has now been ruined by overtourism. So much so, that Thai authorities have banned access to the island entirely to try and restore the damaged corals and marine habitats. There's no reopening date yet but it's thought there will be a cap of 2,000 people a day, less than half the 5,000 reportedly visiting before the closure. There are hundreds of absolutely stunning beaches across Thailand's many islands though, so don't feel too disheartened – another (and probably quieter) paradise is just around the corner. 

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