Published: 20 May 2014
At some point in our lives we've all tried to build a sandcastle on the beach. For most of us, it will have been just for a bit of fun - but some people take it far more seriously!
Sand sculptures and beach artists from around the globe compete every year at the World Championship of Sand Sculpting in singles, doubles and team competition to win the prestigious acclaim of being crowned the best sand sculptor in the world.
It's popularity has grown so much over the years that even online giants eBay commissioned a sand sculptor to create a huge 75 tonne sand sculpture to mark their 10th anniversary.
Professional sand sculptures usually last for quite a while and can withstand weeks of erosion before finally crumbling - which puts to shame all our childhood efforts that only tend to last for a few hours!
Here is our collection of some of the most stunning sand sculptures and beach art from around the world, we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
"World's Tallest Sand Castle" - Copa, Copacabana, Brazil
"Neptune's Sandcastle" - Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
"Lifesize Skoda" - Palm Beach, Sydney, Australia
"The Alchemist" - Sandsation, Berlin, Germany
"Rapunzel's Castle" - Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada
"Castle to the Sun" - Casco, Maine, United States
"Zadanyuk & Varano" - Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada
"Novem Boracay" - Boracay Island, Philippines
"Seven Continents" - Weston-Super-Mare, United Kingdom
"Lair of the Spider Queen" - Melbourne, Australia
