A Vancouver Island beach has been named one of the best in the world by the British newspaper The Guardian.

Chesterman Beach in Tofino came in 33rd, and was called one of the world’s best “wild and remote” beaches for its raw and rugged beauty, though the newspaper admits “you could almost pick any beach off the ocean side of Vancouver Island."

Glimpses of orcas, surfers and local carvers are credited as giving the beach its flavour, and the article makes note of the sandspit leading to Frank Island.

“It’s the kind of place where you might see kids pedaling along barefoot with a surfboard under one arm. With a bit of luck and keen eyesight, you might spot orcas out beyond the breakers,” it says.

Chesterman Beach is one of only two Canadian beaches on the list – and both are in British Columbia.

Coming in at number 47, Vancouver’s English Bay was rated one of the best city beaches in the world, with the Guardian calling it a “mecca for families and volleyball players, but it really comes into its own at dusk.”

A bevy of nearby coffee shops as well as iconic Stanley Park also helped English Bay make it on the list.

First place on the list for its “wow factor” was given to Source d’Argent in the Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean.

The list was chosen by contributors to The Guardian. Read the full list here.