Beach Inspector awards 2018: World's best beaches overlooks New Zealand

The world's most beautiful beaches have been revealed by "beach inspectors" who have spent three years studying over 1,500 strips of sand.

The experts from new online platform Beach-Inspector.com have been visiting beaches around the globe examining everything from water quality to development and how child friendly they are - 120 criteria points in total.

And now they have revealed which are the best in the world for partying, water sports, "special ambiance", a "classic holiday" and for simply looking stunning - the "wow" beaches, writes the Daily Mail

The professional beach testers of Berlin-based Beach-Inspector.com assessed all beaches directly on-site.

They spent one or two days on every beach, recorded their own video footage for each one and took up to 100 photos before deciding which coastlines would make the cut. Kai Michael Schäfer, CEO and co-founder of beach-inspector.com, said: "Our assessment produces clear results, substantiated by facts. Where other providers stick to the evaluation of likes by users, we carried out an objective evaluation."

The winners in the "wow category", include sandy stretches from Cornwall to Australia....

Beach-Inspector best beach awards 2018: Wow factor winners

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Image 1 of 14: Playa de las Conchas is a true natural spectacle. The feeling of standing on the Spanish beach is hard to describe.

Image 2 of 14: 50 shades of blue: The water at Spain's Formenteras Playa de ses Illetes offers more shades of blue than many a colour palette in art lessons.

Image 3 of 14: Playa de los Muertos means "beach of the dead". But we also give a clear recommendation to the living. Playa de los Muertos is regularly named among Spain's most beautiful beach.

Image 4 of 14: Playa Punta Uva is an absolute figurehead for Costa Rica. The palm trees slope almost to the water and snorkeling in the clear water is an experience!

Image 5 of 14: You may not think of the UK first when it comes to beautiful beaches - but that's a mistake and Porthcurno Beach is the best proof!

Image 6 of 14: Although (or because) Praia de João de Arens is a remote and spectacular rock bay, not too many tourists come to this picturesque beach.

Image 7 of 14: Whitehaven Beach is only reachable by boat or seaplane and leaves almost every visitor speechless in the face of its beauty.

Image 8 of 14: Documentary legend David Attenborough filmed here and Greek deities fell in love right on this beach. The mythical Blue Lagoon is still as captivating today.

Image 9 of 14: Untouched nature and no beach chairs, sunshades or souvenir vendors! The Semeti Beach on Lombok is a barely known and completely natural jewel.

Image 10 of 14: Sardinia's most beautiful beach and tourist magnet Cala Mariolu can only be reached by boat. The water is more turquoise than turquoise itself.

Image 11 of 14: Dreamlike sand, dreamlike sea, dreamlike palm trees - Trou aux Biches Beach is a dream beach through and through and even more beautiful than its tough competition on Mauritius.

Image 12 of 14: Cala Conta in western Ibiza offers pure island feeling. With a view of the island of Illa des Bosc in front of it, the light and fine sand Ibiza is known for.

Image 13 of 14: Canto de la Playa has exactly what makes the Caribbean dream for many people: Wonderful white sand, countless beautifully curved palm trees and enchanting turquoise water.

Image 14 of 14: Dolphin Reef Beach looks like an oasis with tree houses and would be a real eye-catcher even without its popular inhabitants.

Image 1 of 14: Playa de las Conchas is a true natural spectacle. The feeling of standing on the Spanish beach is hard to describe.

Surprisingly New Zealand didn't get a single nomination. This may have been due to the lack of Kiwi volunteer inspectors, or the distance from the Berlin-based company.

But not to worry, we've done the hard work for them.

Here is Travel's New Zealand's Best Beach award, as voted for by readers:

We've assembled a panel of beach experts who will wade through readers' submissions and sift them down to a shortlist