Actress Penelope Cruz has been named the 'Sexiest Woman Alive' by Esquire magazine.

Living up to the title, the Spanish star poses in just a plunging black bathing suit with her hair over her shoulders, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Cruz, who has two children with actor and husband Javier Bardem, has become the 11th woman to be given the title by the magazine.

Scarlett Johansson won the accolade for the second time last year. Other previous honourees include Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Rihanna and Charlize Theron.

The `Vicky Cristina Barcelona` actress told the magazine that she had "an attraction to drama" in her teens and 20s, but "could not be less interested now".

Cruz prefers to keep mum about her personal life as she declined to comment about her husband and kids.

`That is for us,` she said.