The UK has been crowned the top hotspot for the best dog-friendly beaches in the word.
Dogs are, to state the obvious, popular in the UK. A third of households in the country own one after a boom in sales during the coronavirus lockdown.
It is therefore not surprising that our island nation and its many hundreds of miles of coastline has plenty of beaches that are perfect for those with a dog.
A new study analysing beaches across the world via metrics such as Google ratings and reviews, water quality, cleanliness, average summer temperatures and the number of pet-friendly hotels and restaurants in the area, has attempted to find the best.
At the top of the global rankings is Del Mar Dog beach in California, which was recognised for its crystal clear water, balmy average temperature and 664 dog friendly venues nearby.
As the name suggests, the beach specifically caters to dogs and has a memorial garden dedicated to fallen pooches.
The dog friendliest beach in the UK Long Sands Beach in Newcastle, which bucks the general trend of coastal areas from the South taking the top ten spots.
Its water is considered very clean, number of dog friendly hotels significant and its average water temperature not too peaky.
A spokesman said of Long Sands: "Located on England’s North East coast, this dog-friendly beach is another perfect place to walk your dog."
The beach, which in part does have some seasonal restrictions on dogs, is a much-painted and photographed spot which was also picked as a location in 2005 sports film Goal.
Harlyn Bay Beach near Newquay takes second place, thanks to a high cleanliness score (7/10) and 107 dog-friendly hotels nearby.
Rounding off the top three is Mexico Towans Beach, located near Penzance and rated 4.8 out of 5 stars, this beach offers 71 pet-friendly hotels in the nearby area.
The UK and the US dominate the global ranking of the best dog-friendly beaches. Take a look at the top 10 list below:
