A Kent beach has been named one of the best in the world – rivalling the likes of the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands.

Dungeness Beach is described as “like something from a vanished world” in The Telegraph’s list of the 50 greatest beaches in the world.

Writer Xenia Taliotis says: “The unique landscapes of Dungeness have kept me in their thrall since the first time I visited.

“The UK’s only desert, Dungeness, seems desolate and eerie, like something from a vanished world, yet I have never found it anything but perfectly beautiful.

“Located on the tip of the Romney Marsh peninsula, this huge expanse of shale is interrupted only by an abundance of wildlife, lighthouses and abandoned boats.

“Autumn and winter deliver their own delights, and the melancholy that makes Dungeness magical.”

She also notes that the Old Lighthouse has views that “stretch to eternity”.

Last year, our reporter Rhys Griffiths took a walk along Dungeness and described it as an “other-worldly realm”.

At points, he had the entire beach to himself and was able to “enjoy a few contemplative moments in [the] exquisite solitude.”

The railway is another wonderful feature of Dungeness.

Running for just over 13 miles from Hythe, this ‘mainline in miniature’ sees one-third size steam and diesel locomotives rattle their way along the narrowest of narrow gauge tracks.

Ed Sheeran is one of many to have found inspiration in Dungeness and has held recording sessions in a converted railway carriage which he bought in 2022.

Also on the list of the greatest beaches in the world was Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, a tiny pristine cove with white sand and turquoise waters, and Reynisfjara Black Beach in Iceland.