The ultimate seaside guide: FIFTY incredible British beaches, from captivating Cornish coves to wonderous Welsh bays and powder-soft sands in Scotland
- This glorious gallery will take you to the four corners of the UK
- Amazing rock formations, dazzling dunes and pretty promenades all feature
- READ MORE: A driver’s-eye view of one of the world’s greatest railway journeys
The summer holidays are here and paradise awaits for Britons – right on their doorstep.
Here we reveal 50 spellbinding beaches found around the UK’s spectacular coastline, from Northern Irish havens to captivating Cornish coves and wonderous Welsh bays, and from English tracts of sand that look like they belong in the Maldives to Scottish sands that spellbind in equal measure.
Scroll down for the ultimate round up of Blighty’s beautiful beaches…
ENGLAND
DURDLE DOOR, JURASSIC COAST, DORSET: Adjacent to this incredible limestone arch is an expansive pebble and shingle beach. And there are several caves at the base of the chalk cliffs here, notes Visit Dorset. Learn more about the area on a fascinating New Scientist Discovery Tour. For more information visit www.newscientist.com/tours/science-jurassic-coast-devon-dorset/
MAN O’WAR BEACH, JURASSIC COAST, DORSET: A set of steps links the beach at Durdle Door with this picturesque gem on the other side of the dividing ridgeline
PORTHMINSTER BEACH (NEAR) AND ST IVES HARBOUR BEACH (FAR), ST IVES, CORNWALL: Writing on Tripadvisor, ‘debbiet’ describes Porthminster Beach as ‘a beautiful sheltered bay with turquoise clear water and clean, white, fine sand’, while ‘Linda F’ says St Ives Harbour Beach is ‘a beautiful, picturesque place to visit’
PORTHMEOR BEACH, ST IVES: This half-mile stretch of sandy beach offers ‘clear water… soft sand, and amazing views all round’, according to a Tripadvisor review by ‘Daniel’
HOLYWELL BAY, NEAR NEWQUAY, CORNWALL: The National Trust says that this spot is ‘a classic north Cornish beach with a sweep of golden sand and a towering dune system’, while Tripadvisor reviewers describe it as ‘beautiful’ and ‘unspoilt’ with ‘clear waters’
STONE BAY, BROADSTAIRS, KENT: A lesser-known beach on the Kentish coast, Stone Bay is popular with families and is known for rock-pooling, according to Visit Kent
BAMBURGH CASTLE BEACH, NORTHUMBERLAND: This destination is described by The Beach Guide as ‘a perfect place to go for long, wind-swept walks at any time of year’ with views of the ‘breathtaking’ Bamburgh Castle ‘dominating the skyline behind the beach’
BIGBURY-ON-SEA BEACH, DEVON: Bigbury-on-Sea beach connects Burgh Island with the mainland during low tides, with visitors able to travel between the two on a hydraulic tractor during high tides
LONG SANDS BEACH, TYNEMOUTH, NORTH TYNESIDE: This strip of sand is described by The Beach Guide as ‘a stunning stretch of golden sand’ and as well as bucket-and-spade aficionados, it attracts surfers – it has previously hosted the British National Surfing Championship
CUCKMERE HAVEN, EAST SUSSEX: This beach near the town of Seaford, offers ‘stunning views of the Seven Sisters cliffs’, according to Google reviewer Andrew Thomas, who adds that it ‘doesn’t seem to get too busy even during the summer season’
CAMBER SANDS, EAST SUSSEX: In a review on Tripadvisor, ‘MRS D’ describes this stretch of coastline as a ‘gorgeous sandy beach’ which is ‘child and dog friendly’ while ‘Penguinsleeps’ adds that it is ‘very clean’ with ‘awesome waves’ and a ‘very aware and attentive lifeguard’
FISTRAL BEACH, CORNWALL: Dubbed ‘the home of British surfing’ by the official Fistral Beach website, this long stretch of sandy beach hosts a range of events throughout the year, including the renowned Boardmasters Surf & Music Festival
OLD HUNSTANTON BEACH, NORFOLK: In reviews on Tripadvisor, ‘sallyann300’ describes this sandy beach as ‘lovely and clean’ while ‘JTJD’ recommends looking out for ‘the amazing striated rock colours in the cliff wall and the shipwreck [above] that you can get close to at low tide’
WEST WITTERING, WEST SUSSEX: This ‘natural and unspoilt sandy beach’ offers ‘the highest water quality and excellent facilities’ with ‘wonderful’ views of Chichester Harbour, according to the West Wittering website
BLACKPOOL SANDS, DEVON: This shingle beach, near the village of Stoke Fleming, is favoured for its ‘clear blue waters’ and ‘surrounding scenery of cliffs, woodland and fields’, according to reviews on Tripadvisor
COMPTON BAY, ISLE OF WIGHT: This is one of the island’s ‘best-kept secrets’, says Visit Isle of Wight, which adds that it offers ‘a two-mile stretch of contrasting golden and dark sands with rolling seas, tumbling multi-coloured sandstone cliffs, and the white chalk cliffs at Freshwater in the distance’
CHESIL BEACH, PORTLAND, DORSET: Chesil Beach, part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, is a stunning 18-mile-long shingle barrier beach that isn’t just one of Dorset’s most iconic landmarks, but also one of Britain’s
HAYLE BEACH, CORNWALL: This strip of sand on the north coast of Cornwall does a passable impression of the world-famous Whitehaven Beach in Australia’s Whitsundays archipelago, where water and sand mix to produce a mesmerising blend of colours
BLACKPOOL BEACH, LANCASHIRE: This long and sandy beach is ‘Northern England’s riposte to Brighton Beach’ says Lonely Planet, which describes it as ‘the ‘best beach for seaside action’ with ‘one of England’s most famous amusement strips’
PERPITCH BEACH, ST MARTINS, ISLES OF SCILLY: This scintillating sandy crescent – on the far end of the less-visited island of St Martin’s, off the coast of Cornwall – offers white sand and turquoise waters
POLDHU COVE, LIZARD PENINSULA, CORNWALL: This eye-catching beach is located on the beautiful Lizard Heritage Coast and sits below the site where, in December 1901, Guglielmo Marconi sent the first ever transatlantic radio transmission, the National Trust notes
BEDRUTHAN BEACH, NEAR PADSTOW, CORNWALL: This photogenic beach features dramatic rock stacks and is surely one of Cornwall’s most spectacular slices of coastline. Recent rockfalls damaged the cliffside steps leading to the beach and access is currently closed. However, it makes for an arresting sight from the safety of the clifftop path above. Visit the National Trust for more information
GREEN PORTH BEACH, TRESCO, SCILLY ISLES: This perfectly formed crescent-shaped beach sits in a sheltered bay on the eastern coast of Tresco, notes cornwall-beaches.co.uk, which adds that low dunes to the rear provide shelter from south-westerly breezes
KYNANCE COVE, THE LIZARD, NEAR HELSTON, CORNWALL: The National Trust notes that here ‘turquoise seas meet a white sandy beach interspersed with colourful serpentine rock stacks’. It’s a slice of Cornwall that’s a match for anything the tropics have to offer
MAWGAN PORTH BEACH, NORTH COAST OF CORNWALL: Love the beach at Newquay but don’t love the crowds quite as much? Then head four miles north to this beauty, which offers similarly scintillating golden sands
SCOTLAND
ST NINIAN’S BEACH, THE SHETLAND ISLANDS: Watch as St Ninian’s Isle and its sandy tombolo get ‘bathed in a warm golden light’ during the sunset, says Visit Scotland
BALEPHUIL BAY, TIREE ISLAND, INNER HEBRIDES: Balephuil Bay on the Isle of Tiree offers white-shell beaches and turquoise waters. Image courtesy of Creative Commons
LUNAN BAY, ANGUS: Visit Scotland describes Lunan Bay, set on the Angus coastline, as ‘a hidden gem known for its pristine sandy beach and breathtaking coastal scenery’
GRUINARD BAY, ROSS AND CROMARTY, WEST SCOTLAND: ‘Nestled on the west coast of Scotland, Gruinard Bay is a hidden gem renowned for its mesmerising sunsets,’ Visit Scotland says
THE ISLE OF COLL, INNER HEBRIDES: Visit Scotland declares the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides a ‘must-visit snorkelling destination’, saying: ‘With its pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters, this island offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore its underwater wonders’
WALES
BROAD HAVEN SOUTH BEACH, PEMBROKE: Here you’ll find golden sand backed by dunes, as noted by the Pembrokeshire Coast website – plus ‘an intriguing limestone stack, known as Church Rock, just offshore
MARLOES SANDS, NEAR MARLOES VILLAGE, PEMBROKESHIRE: This beach has multiple plus points – it’s an epic tract of golden sand that Tripadvisor users say is uncrowded, great for dog walking, and with water that’s super for swimming. Plus, notes Visit Pembrokeshire, it’s a ‘geologist’s dream’, thanks to ‘interesting rock formations’ in the cliffs that form the backdrop
CHURCH DOORS COVE (RIGHT) AND SHRINKLE HAVEN BEACH (LEFT), NEAR MANORBIER VILLAGE, PEMBROKESHIRE: These riveting beaches are reached from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and sets of cliffside steps – and it’s possible during low tides to walk around the rock formation separating them. Visitors can also walk from one to the other through one of the ‘church door’ gaps that make this section of coastline so unique
MANORBIER BEACH, SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE COAST: This captivating gem is lorded over by a fascinating medieval castle
LANGLAND BAY, GOWER PENINSULA: For the energetic, this beach offers superb water sports opportunities, notes Visit Wales, and for the less energetic, there are rock pools to explore, sunsets to admire and promenade cafes to loll in
THREE CLIFFS BAY BEACH, GOWER PENINSULA, SWANSEA: This epic beach has rock pools, a stream running through it and three jagged cliffs that give the location its name jutting dramatically into the vast expanse of sand. And what’s more, according to the FlyDriveExplore blog – ‘it’s rarely busy’
TENBY NORTH BEACH, PEMBROKESHIRE: One of the most photographed sights in Wales, Tenby North Beach is ‘a superb, sheltered, sandy beach with the pinnacle of Goskar rock sticking out of the sand in the middle’, as described by Visit Pembrokeshire
RHOSSILI BAY BEACH, SWANSEA: This spellbinding strip of sand is a veritable gong-magnet, having attracted a host of awards over the years, including ‘Britain’s Best Beach’ more than once in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards
WHITESANDS BEACH, PEMBROKESHIRE: Whitesands Beach has fine white sand, top surfing waves and is positioned in a ‘magnificent setting’, declares Visit Wales, which adds: ‘[It’s] ideal for sandcastle building, paddling and swimming [and] popular with… windsurfers, kayakers, divers and anglers’
BARAFUNDLE BAY, PEMBROKESHIRE: ‘”Wow” is probably the best way to describe this beach’, trumpets Visit Pembrokeshire. The picture above certainly backs up this stance
LLANDDWYN BEACH, ANGLESEY ISLAND: This Blue Flag beach is described by Visit Wales as ‘an ideal picnic site during fine weather but also an exhilarating place when the winter winds blow’, with the tourism site adding that ‘its rolling dunes, large rock outcrops and mixture of historic buildings makes it an ideal place for an afternoon of exploration’
CEFN SIDAN BEACH, PEMBREY COUNTRY PARK, PEMBREY, CARMARTHENSHIRE: An epic eight-mile California-esque stretch of sand described by Visit Wales as ‘one of the treasures of the Pembrey Country Park’
BARMOUTH BEACH, GWYNEDD: This Blue Flag beach boasts a one-mile promenade and is never overcrowded, according to Tripadvisor, which says it has ‘that vintage seaside atmosphere of candy floss and donkey rides’
TRAETH CRIGYLL, RHOSNEIGR, ISLAND OF ANGLESEY: The seaside village of Rhosneigr on the island of Anglesey is the winner of the Green Coast seaside award, Visit Anglesey notes, and is blessed with two inviting beaches – Traeth Crigyll (pictured) and Traeth Llydan. Tripadvisor user Rachel Emma Budgen described the former as a ‘little piece of heaven on Earth’
MWNT BEACH, CARDIGAN BAY: Visit Wales reveals that families flock here on sunny days ‘to enjoy the hidden cove’s golden sand and rolling waves’. The bonus in this location? It’s a top spot for spotting dolphins
NORTHERN IRELAND
WHITE PARK BAY, NEAR BALLYCASTLE, COUNTY ANTRIM: ‘This spectacular sandy beach forms a white arc between two headlands on the North Antrim Coast,’ says Discover Northern Ireland, adding that it’s backed by grasslands ‘carpeted in rare plants, including many orchids’
WHITEROCKS BEACH, PORTRUSH, COUNTY ANTRIM: Tripadvisor user ‘Oli G’ declared this stretch of sand a ‘piece of magic’. It lies just off the Causeway Coastal Route, an 313km (195mile) driving route that wends along the coast from Belfast to Derry
DOWNHILL STRAND, NEAR CASTLEROCK, COUNTY DERRY: Part of the railway line from Derry to the town of Coleraine cuts along this picturesque beach. A testament to the views it offers, travel writer Michael Palin once described the train route as ‘one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world’
CUSHENDUN BEACH, CUSHENDUN, COUNTY ANTRIM: This pretty beach is found in the village of Cushendun, a place ‘steeped in character and folklore’ according to the National Trust. The village’s dramatic sea caves were used as a filming location in the hit series Game of Thrones
PORTSTEWART STRAND, PORTSTEWART, COUNTY DERRY: ‘It is an ideal place for lazy picnics, surfing and long walks into the sand dunes, where wild pansy flowers dance in the breeze and common blue and dark green fritillary butterflies abound.’ So says the Northern Ireland tourist board of this stunning two-mile (3km) stretch of sand
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