Forget Bondi - this New Zealand beach was named among the best in the world!

An Auckland beach has been named one of the best in the world, beating famous sandy spots in Australia, Brazil and beyond.

Karekare Beach on Auckland's west coast took second place in a list of the 25 best beaches in the world chosen by Passport Magazine, a gay travel publication.

The picturesque black sand beach was famously featured in Jane Campion's The Piano and was the only Kiwi beach named on the list.

"Karekare might be a movie star, but it wears its fame and beauty effortlessly," judges wrote.

"Adding to the drama is the jaggedness of the coast, the fine dark sand, the rough-hewn peaks, the alluring Karekare Falls just moments away, and, most of all, the overpowering elements, the impression of being out at the edge of the world."

The top spot was taken by L'Espiguette Beach, Aigues-Mortes in the French Riviera, while Panama's Bocas Del Toro came in third.

Passport Magazine's 25 best beaches in the world:

1. L'Espiguette Beach, Aigues-Mortes, France
2. Karekare Beach, Auckland, New Zealand
3. Bocas Del Toro, Panama
4. Matira Beach, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
5. Buzios, Brazil
6. Cape Town, South Africa
7. Varadero Beach, Cuba
8. Knip Beach, Curacao
9. China Beach, Danang, Vietnam
10. Glass Beach, California, US
11. Es Cavallet Beach, Ibiza, Spain
12. Hanalei Bay Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
13. Bells Beach, Melbourne, Australia
14. Temaw Beach, Moorea, Tahiti
15. Elia Beach, Mykonos, Greece
16. Kaneohe Bay Sandbar, Oahu, Hawaii
17. Barafundle Bay, Wales
18. Herring Cove, Massachusetts, US
19. Punta Del Este, Uruguay
20. Ipanema Beach, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
21. Il Buco, Ostia, Italy
22. Silver Strand State beach, California, US
23. Tel Aviv, Israel
24. Dune Beach, Torre Del Lago, Italy
25. Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire

- nzherald.co.nz