A day stretched out on golden sand, a good book in hand, with the sun beaming down and the sound of the waves crashing nearby would bring a smile to just about everyone. But which brings the most joy?

London-based travel agency has used an intriguing method to rank the world's happiest coastlines, using AWS facial recognition technology to scan thousands of photos. The world's happiest beaches had the highest number of smiles online. dominated the podium, with two of its beaches among the top three.

Sitges Beach, just 25 miles from, took the top spot with a near-perfect "beach happiness score" of 98.42.

Known for its golden sand, scenic palm-lined promenade, 300 days of sunshine and lively mix of restaurants and bars, Sitges is a favourite among both locals and tourists. Just 40 minutes from Barcelona, it is one of the best day-trip destinations to escape the chaos of the capital.

The second "happiest beach" in Spain is found on the picturesque northwest coast It ranked third worldwide, just behind in Albufeira, Portugal.

According to Travel Editor Grace Beard: "If Mars had a beach, it would look like Praia da Falesia at sunset.

"I spent two weeks beach-hopping Algarve and it became a ritual to end each day with a stroll on this four-mile stretch of sand, which in certain lights took on the same orangey-red shade as the limestone cliffs that run behind it."

The secluded gem of Cala Pregonda in northern, hwhichtook 11th place, rounded out Spain's top three most joyful beaches. Famous for its reddish-golden sand and crystal-clear waters, it rounds out Spain's top three most joyful beaches.

In total, Portugal claims five positions in the top 30. , meanwhile, took the crown for the most appearances, with eight entries in the ranking.

The UK also made a surprise impact, with and Scotland featuring in the Top 30. Rhossili Bay and Caswell Bay in Wales achieved impressive fourth and fifth places, while , Scotland, secured 26th place.

Overall, Europe dominates the top 30, claiming an impressive 24 places. The continent has a great deal to smile about.

• Sitges Beach, Spain

• Praia da Falésia, Portugal

• Port de Soller Beach, Spain

• Rhossili Bay, Wales

• Caswell Bay, Wales

• Plage des Sablettes, France

• Praia Dona Ana, Portugal

• Praia do Vale de Centeanes, Portugal

• Elafonisi Beach, Greece

• Ai Helis, Greece

• Cala Pregonda, Spain

• Playa Delfines, México

• Praia do Paraíso, Portugal

• Las Pocitas Beach, Peru

• Mongonissi Beach, Greece

• Cannon Beach, USA

• Agios Georgios Pagon, Greece

• Myrtos Beach, Greece

• Keem Bay, Ireland

• Glyfada Beach, Greece

• Siesta Key Beach, USA

• Pescoluse (Maldive del Salento), Italy

• Kalamitsi, Greece

• Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka

• Kaputas Beach, Türkiye

• Troon Beach, Scotland

• Porto Katsiki, Greece

• Santa Giulia, France

• Praia do Camilo, Portugal

• Hyams Beach, Australia