A little known UK beach has been named as one of the best in the world.
Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk was judged to be the 12th best beach in Europe, in new rankings from Tripadvisor.
While lesser known than neighbouring beach Great Yarmouth, the three mile sandy stretch was the backdrop to the Richard Curtis film, ‘Yesterday’, has hosted famous faces like Ed Sheeran and Danny Boyle, and has been lavished with praise in online reviews.
It scored highly in rankings that were produced by analysing the tens of millions of reviews submitted by global travellers over the past 12-months, looking at the quality and quantity of ratings for beach experiences.
Gorleston is known as being one the best spots in Norfolk for a holiday, particularly if water sports are your thing, with the area having great windsurfing, surfing and bodyboarding opportunities.
It also offers lovely green cliffs, beautiful lawns, bowling greens, tennis courts and a trim trail on the cliff top where views of the beach, harbour, pier and wind turbines can be enjoyed.
This little seaside town has increased in popularity in recent years thanks to the installation of picturesque, pastel beach huts.
They're a great spot for an idyllic English seaside town photoshoot, and have proved just as popular with the locals as they have been with the tourists.
Gorleston has received thousands of positive reviews on Tripadvisor, where it has earned four-and-a-half-stars.
"Sometimes we don’t even get out the car, just get a bag of chips, pick a great parking spot with incredible views and watch the waves crash against the side of the pier during a storm," one person wrote.
"On fairer days we like to fish from the pier and/or walk the dogs on the beach, there are cafes nearby that are very reasonably priced, public toilets that are cleaned regularly and plenty of places to purchase hot drinks or ice cream.
"We will continue to visit this special little place for many years to come."
Another wrote simply: "Beautiful beach. Town close by. Long promenade. A true little gem. Worth a visit."
Weymouth, located on the heart of the Jurassic Coast, climbed five spots this year to secure 14th place in Tripadvisor's European beach rankings.
The beach is lined by impressive Georgian houses and is a popular destination for sea bathing, having been frequented by King George III during times of illness.
It is followed by surf hot-spot Fistral Beach, Newquay, which re-entered the list this year at number 22 after missing out on a spot in 2022.
Bournemouth beach is another re-entry for this year coming in at number 24, in no small part due to its sweeping expanse of sand and reputation for getting the best of the British sunshine in the summer.
