THE National Geographic Society has named Lyme Regis’ beaches as among the best in the world.

In a recent list on its website, National Geographic has listed its 21 best beaches in the entire world.

Thanks to the rich variety of pre-historic creatures that can be found on the shore, the beaches surrounding the town have made the cut with the best that the rest of the world has to offer.

It states: “Budding paleontologists and casual shellers love the spiral-shaped ammonites and fossil remains of 180-million-year-old sea creatures found embedded in the rock and sand of England’s Jurassic Coast. The Lyme Regis Museum leads guided fossil walks, and May’s annual fossil festival fetes earth sciences with plays, music, and hands-on exhibits.”

In fact, as well as making the cut as one of the 21 best beaches in the world, Lyme Regis’ beaches are the only ones to make the list in the UK.

Both Monmouth Beach to the west and Charmouth Beach to the east are famous the world over with fossil collectors due to the rich finds on them.

The list divided the beaches in to seven different categories; geologic wonders, soulful solitudes, shell seekers, canine companions, tinted toes, snorklers and dune walkers.

Our sands made the list under the ‘shell seekers’ category.

If you fancy seeing how the best of the rest compare for finding shells, Bowman’s Beach in Florida is recommended on the list as is the aptly-named Shell Beach in Shark Bay in Western Australia.

Beaches from all around the world made the grade for the list, from Cathedrals Beach in Spain to sandy shores in the likes of Mexico, Seychelles, Cook Islands, Iceland, Sardinia and France.

The National Geographic Society is a global non-profit organisation committed to exploring and protecting the planet, with its magazine one of the most respected science publications in the world.

Monmouth Beach was in the headlines last year when a fossil hunter discovered a new species of “fish lizard” and later filmed with Sir David Attenborough.