Whether it's sunny shores in warmer climes or harsh, rugged coasts hugged by icy waters, some of the world's most beautiful towns and villages are located by the sea. From fishing villages in North America to clifftop towns in Europe, these places have one thing in common – they're all jaw-droppingly stunning.

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A coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, Agios Nikolaos enjoys an enviable location overlooking Mirabello Bay. A narrow channel separates the perfectly formed harbour from Voulismeni Lake, whose shore is lined with restaurants, tavernas and cafés.

The gorgeous town is a popular seaside resort, too, and its waters host everything from small fishing boats to luxurious mega-yachts. 

Dramatically perched on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, Positano is a postcard-perfect town. Its stony streets – which wind down to the crisp Mediterranean Sea – are lined with flowering lemon, orange and olive trees, not to mention stunning architecture.

In true Italian fashion, they're also host to an avalanche of alluring restaurants, boutiques and chic hotels.

This fishing village in North Devon, once owned by royalty, consists of cobbled streets sloping towards the sea, and donkeys and sledges in lieu of cars. As unique as it is pretty, the adorable village has played muse for the painter William Turner and writer Charles Dickens over the centuries.

Nicknamed the jewel of the Maine coast, Camden is a quintessential seaside town with a charming harbour, an old lighthouse, jagged rock bays and the promise of sunset cruises. Normally, visitors enjoy hiking up nearby Mount Battie or indulging in the town’s many coastal restaurants.

The little hamlet of Ahrenshoop is beautifully located on a peninsula between the Baltic Sea and the bodden (wetlands). Its harbour has traditional fishing huts and elsewhere thatched fishermen's houses sit back from the sand dunes.

As well as a scenic setting, the village has plenty of culture to offer. Unsurprisingly it’s attracted many artists over the years with its light and landscapes – its school of painting was founded in 1894 and features an art museum.

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The colourful port town and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg is a photographer’s dream destination. It's notable for the 48 blocks of perfectly preserved wooden homes and its original layout that's remained unchanged since the 1800s.

Thanks to its natural harbour and coastal location, seafood is king here, so it's hardly a surprise that the town is dotted with countless seafood restaurants. It's also home to rum distilleries – a remnant of the rum-running trade that once flourished here.

It's well known that Greece is blessed with ample natural and man-made beauty. But it’s hard to think of a view that more succinctly sums up the country’s gorgeousness than the blue domes of Santorini.

The most famous white-washed buildings are in Oia, a clifftop town perched by the Aegean Sea, whose azure hue perfectly matches those rooftops.

The main village on the Isle of Skye, in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, is relatively young (around 200 years) for a fishing hub. The gateway to the charms of the isle, Portree itself is as pretty as a picture, its colourful homes dotting the shoreline.

In recent years, Portree has also earned a reputation as a foodie destination, thanks to its abundance of elegant restaurants, gastropubs and bistros, including world-renowned spot The Three Chimneys. 

Set amid rocky coastal cliffs, Manarola is one of the five fishing villages that make up the breathtaking Cinque Terre in northwestern Italy. Easily the most recognisable of all five, this cliffside town has homes in shades of pastel blue, pink, yellow and orange – legend says that the houses were painted brightly so that returning fishermen could spot their homes more easily. 

Sunset is the most spectacular time here, when the dipping sun washes the houses in hues of gold for a few dramatic minutes.

Cudillero is an idyllic fishing village in Asturias that's managed to retain its timeless charm. According to legend, the town was founded by the Vikings, and fishing has historically been its main industry.

A delight to look at, Cudillero is at its best when viewed from the bay, with its colourful houses towering over either side of the small port.

The quaint town of Hamnøy sits on Moskenes, an island at the southern end of the Lofoten Archipelago in Norway, known for its dramatic scenery. Thought to be the oldest fishing village in the area, Hamnøy is also considered one of the most beautiful, due to the brightly painted traditional homes.

The short Arctic winter days here make for a moody setting, while the night sky is often illuminated by the Northern Lights dancing above. 

The town of Mahone Bay, set on the picture-perfect south shore of Nova Scotia, was first settled by the French in the 17th century. The British later gave it the name we know today, and the town has remained a quaint community attracting artisans and entrepreneurs.

While the Three Churches of Mahone Bay, all built in the late-19th and early-20th centuries in different architectural styles, are a highlight, the town hosts wholesome gatherings like the Scarecrow Festival and Antiques Fair most years too. 

On Malta's southeast coast you'll find the fishing village of Marsaxlokk (pronounced marsa-schlock). Unlike most of Malta, it's virtually untouched by developers, so visitors are sure to see a typical and traditional scene here, with the village's fleet of traditional luzzu boats lulling in the harbour's waters.

The spot has a steady supply of fresh seafood, too, and the catches of the day are served up at the myriad restaurants lining a seafront promenade. 

The romantic coastal town of Rockport in Massachusetts, located on Cape Ann, is surrounded by beautiful beaches and is home to Motif Number 1 – a red fishing shack often cited as the most-painted building in America. The town’s Main Street has everything from quirky art galleries to a pottery studio and gift stores, but one of its most famous shops is Tuck’s Candies with its delicious saltwater taffy.

Enjoying a location on Australia's Sunshine Coast, the charming town of Noosa Heads is a top spot for shoppers, foodies and beach bums alike. The crowning jewel is Noosa Main Beach, a broad sandy stretch that's popular with beginner surfers. Away from the waves, Hastings Street is packed with little cafés, boutiques and galleries. 

Now check out the UK's prettiest small towns and villages, ranked

Famously the home of British explorer Captain Cook, this stunning fishing village on the North Yorkshire coast has plenty more to boast about. Cute, white-washed cottages cling to the craggy cliffs that edge a pretty harbour and beach, while its maze of lanes and cobbled alleys are truly charming.

Today, Staithes is home to a thriving creative community, which is evident in its galleries and workshops.

Located halfway between Hamilton city and St George's, Flatts Village is one of Bermuda's most chilled-out spots. The sleepy fishing village is home to colourful pastel-hued houses dotting the coast, picturesque fishing areas and beautiful landscapes dominated by palm trees.

One of the first British settlements on the island, Flatts also has an interesting literary connection. Mark Twain was a fan of the island and the village and often came to stay with friends up until his death in 1910.

Charming Port Fairy, a long-serving fishing port along the Great Ocean Road, is one for architecture buffs. The spot wears its history on its sleeve and 19th-century cottages and impressive Georgian-style merchants' houses can be found within the town's limits.

It's known for having one of the world's finest golf courses too. 

Located on Spain's Costa Brava, Cadaqués is probably most famous as Salvador Dalí's summer holiday destination. An easygoing village, it boasts whitewashed houses that sparkle against the cobalt sea and its pebble beaches.

The bohemian vibe synonymous with Dalí and his contemporaries, like Federico García Lorca, is still very much alive in the town's vibrant cultural life. Typically, there are countless fairs, parades and festivals taking place throughout the year, including the International Music Festival and the Cultural Week of Cadaqués.

A hodgepodge of rainbow houses make up Ittoqqortoormiit, a remote settlement often tipped as the edge of the world. This little village sits on Greenland’s eastern coast, hugged by snow-crowned mountains and surrounded by sea ice (which the 350-odd residents use for hunting).

Helicopter is the only route in or out of this Arctic outpost for most of the year, though a ship comes bi-annually to drop off supplies.

It’s not hard to see why Honfleur’s picturesque harbour, lined with narrow slate-fronted houses dating back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, was beloved by impressionist painters including Claude Monet. Situated in northern France’s Calvados region, this pretty-as-a-picture port is brought to life by the street markets, cafés and restaurants nestled in its labyrinthine streets.

This charming Irish town, once named Queenstown, might be known for its colourful row houses and the ornate St Colman's Cathedral dominating the skyline. But its main claim to fame is that it was the Titanic's last port of call in 1912, before her journey over the Atlantic.

Today, the former White Star Line ticket office has been turned into Titanic Experience, an interactive museum telling the story of the Titanic's fatal journey. The town is also notable in history as the departure point for 2.5 million Irish people who emigrated to North America at the turn of the 20th century.

This medieval walled town in Pembrokeshire was a favourite bathing spot for the Victorians and Georgians and its popularity has endured. From its maze of cobbled streets and bustling little harbour to the pastel-coloured houses along its promenade and beautiful beaches, Dinbych y Pysgod (as it’s called in Welsh) has seaside charm by the bucketful. 

One of the oldest fishing villages on the West Coast of South Africa, Paternoster instantly charms with its white-washed fishermen's cottages and the remarkable coastline of jagged cliffs, white boulders and pristine sand. It's a significant location for the West Coast lobster industry with a lobster-canning factory nearby, while the local fishermen focus on small-scale angling and crayfish netting.

It's no surprise, then, that it's lauded as the best chips and crayfish destination on the West Coast.

The beautiful village of Percé has a stunning setting at the east end of the Gaspé Peninsula. A popular summer resort, there is plenty to entertain in the centre, but the real draw here has to be its proximity to some natural wonders.

Tens of thousands of northern gannets flock around Bonaventure Island, just off the coast of Percé and there's also the striking arch of Percé Rock, a towering, 1,420-foot (433m) long monolith rising from the ocean.

Perched on a hillside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira's Marina da Quinta Grande is a picture-perfect town. The white-washed, terracotta roofed-houses are beautifully arranged on a slope that leads down to a quaint harbour.

Located near the eastern tip of the island, it's close to Ponta de São Lourenço, a nature reserve with several footpaths leading to scenic viewpoints.

Evoking the atmosphere of a Greek island, this much-less travelled but equally exquisite Tunisian town of Sidi Bou Said is a delightful name to have at the tip of your tongue. Its buildings are as milky-white and cobalt blue as the sea and sky, and it's not hard to see why the town has long attracted artists. 

Bobbing on the harbour waters of the pretty port of Neuharlingersiel are brightly coloured boats, known as cutters – one of many charming sights in this fishing town in Lower Saxony. From here, travellers often hop on a ferry to the nearby East Frisian Islands, a chain of isles in the UNESCO-listed Wadden Sea and a popular holiday destination thanks to their sandy shores and rich traditions.

One of Iceland's most charming towns, quaint Húsavík is located in the island's northern reaches. A fishing village with just over 2,000 residents, the town has become a centre for whale watching in Iceland due to the large variety of whale species frequently entering the bay.

One of the town's most notable features is its colourful wooden church Húsavíkurkirkja, but more recently it's garnered attention as one of the key locations in Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

The town of Procida spans the whole island from which it gets its name. It’s the Bay of Naples’ smallest and sweetest island, avoiding the clamour of tourists that normally flock to neighbouring islands, such as Capri.

Littering the seaside are houses drenched in dazzling shades of pink, blue, yellow and more, their peeling paintwork adding to the effortless Italian charm.

 Río Grande was founded in 1921 as an agricultural and shepherding colony, although today it is better known as the 'national capital of trout'. It is famous among fishermen the world over for the quality and size of the brown trout caught in the area.

The fishing preserves can be found along the Río Grande River, and offer visitors excellent accommodation options and expert guides as well as a chance to sample the local gastronomy. 

Henri Matisse once said: “There is no sky as blue as the one in Collioure.” He was one of a number of artists seduced by the beauty of this charming Catalan coastal town – Derain, Chagall and Picasso are among the many who immortalised it on canvas.  

Visit the colourful Le Mouré district, whose vibrantly painted houses feature an array of intriguing decorative details, and you’ll get an idea why they fell so hard for the place. The village’s beaches, surrounded by a landscape of cliffs and lush greenery, are another delight.

The capital of Chile’s Chiloe Province, Castro is famous for its brightly coloured stilt houses as well as the yellow and pink hued San Francisco church, which is UNESCO listed. Visitors can browse the town’s celebrated crafts market and enjoy the area’s outstanding natural beauty.

Known as the Pearl of the Pacific, Mazatlán was once the favoured resort of film stars like John Wayne and Gary Cooper, before it suffered a dip in fortunes in the 1970s and 80s when an influx of package tourists somewhat diluted its charm.

Thankfully, the recent restoration of Mazatlán's historic core, with its 'tropical Neoclassical' architecture and an influx of creative types, has restored its allure. Visitors can enjoy a number of refurbished museums and theatres or just chill out on the 12.5 miles (20km) of sandy beaches.