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UK’s Top 10 Beaches As Voted By TripAdvisor Users
-One would not necessarily think of visiting beaches in the United Kingdom, as the UK is not known for its great weather. Surprisingly there are some AMAZING beaches along the coast line. So follow me as we visit the Top 10 beaches voted by the users at TripAdvisor-
So why in hell I decided to write a piece on the top 10 UK beaches? Everyone knows how crazy I am about the beaches in Sardinia, but the other day I was talking to a friend and he said to me “Clelia, a beach is not only good for swimming, it’s much more than that “.
I thought about it, and he’s right. When I think about the perfect beach, the first thought that crosses my mind is “can I swim?!”.. but you have to forgive me, I am half human and half fish!
In addition to that, I have a little secret to confess. After 6 months in Asia, I’m going back to Europe for a few months and while researching for my flight back, I found myself in a very unusual situation… I thought about my time in the UK and damn it, sometimes, no matter how miserable I felt in there, I miss the place that had become my second home for so many years. Yes, despite the weather :).
Check out my latest guide of the best spots in Southern England!
I visited some very interesting locations while living there, but I didn’t give much thought to the beaches. During my “trip down memory lane” moment, I found an article on the Daily Mail online about the top beaches in the UK by Tripadvisor, and I have to admit, not only was I was blown away by the beauty of some of them, but I realized that I totally underestimated them. Mea culpa!
This is my little present to my past years in the UK and I thought it might help you to avoid my mistakes and visit these incredible places whenever you have time (If I ever will be back, I’ll make sure to pay a visit to my favorites on the list, I promise!)
#1 | WOOLACOMBE BEACH
“Liked everything about it….soft sand, clean water, lovely waves and wonderful scenery.”
“Lovely long beach with breath taking views. The kids enjoyed the rock pools and climbing the rocks and the surf was brilliant.”
“A lovely little town with delightful shops and a great beach, lots of little eating places to tempt your palate.”
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Located in North Devon, Woolacombe is one of the most well-maintained beaches along the coast. The beach stretches for miles and offers breath taking views. No wonder it was crowned “Best British Beach” by Coast Magazine in 2012 (and now is N.1 on Tripadvisor!).
Woolacombe is a wide beach sheltered by dunes, cliffs and green hills. There are numerous activities to do along the beach, including surfing, walking along the beach, relax and have a bite to eat at one of the cafe’s or just soak up the sun.
For dog owners, the beach has a separate section for dogs and their owners to run around and have fun in the sun.
The facilities on the beach are great, with excellent parking (free during off season), and numerous shops to pick up those forgotten necessities or refreshments.
Woolacombe is also known for its good surfing waves coming from the Atlantic Ocean. This makes it popular with the local surfers, grab your surfing board and have some fun!
The surfing area is also separated from the swimming area, meaning you can relax in the water without getting in the way. During the peak season there are life guards keeping the swimmers safe as well.
Related Article: Woolacombe Beach for family holidays
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Woolacombe Beach
#2 | WEYMOUTH BEACH
“Absolutely love the seafront here, on a nice day the views are stunning and the coastline impressive. One of the best places in Britain”
“Weymouth Beach is the best Beach in the South if not the UK. Besides being the safest,and the most Panoramic it is also the Cleanest.”
“Three miles of heaven. In wild weather, it is beautiful. In good weather, it is a delight.”
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Located in Weymouth Bay in Dorset, this long beach offers clean sand and waters which is popular for sea bathing.
The beach itself is wide and gently slopes towards the shallow waters, where small waves washes to the shore.
It is adjacent to the town of Weymouth which offers numerous resorts and little restaurants to fill the stomach. During summer season, traditional activities such as donkey rides, funfairs, volleyball and amazing sand sculptures can be enjoyed whilst soaking up the summer sun.
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Weymouth Beach
#3 | RHOSSILI BAY
“In my view Rhossili beach has to be the best in wales. Incredible views from the top. The beach is very clean and the sea sparkling clear. Very Impressive.”
“The beach and the bay at Rhossili is a pure gem, you can walk for miles along the beach, no crowds and the views are out of this world.”
“All year round this place is so breathtaking. I’ve been many places, even places abroad don’t match how special this place is.”
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Located about 10-15 miles into the countryside of Gower, this beautiful beach easily secures his spot as #3 of all beaches in the United Kingdom.
The beach stretches for 3 miles and is backed by sand dunes. At the southern end of the bay, is a tidal island named Worm’s Head. This island can only be accessed during low tide. This is one of my personal favorites, you can reas more on its history and curious facts (including the feature for the Olympic games in 2012) on Wikipedia.
During low tide, numerous ship wrecks can be spotted along the beach. Helvetia being the most prominent when looking north of Rhossili. You gotta love this beach!
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Rhossili Bay
#4 | ST. BRELADE’S BAY BEACH
“Clean sandy beach, sea looked clean surfers loving it. Lots to do on the sea front too. Beach, lunch, dinner sea all within a mile of the sea front.”
“This Bay has a magical calm about it. Small enough that you can see all around. It had a walkway that stretched the length and the sandy beach that was enjoyed by walkers of all ages.”
“Perfect crystal clear water and amazing scenery. I’d recommend to walk up the hills around the bay too, as the view from up there is amazing! “
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Located in Jersey, a small English Island close to the coast of Normandy- France, this beach is simply perfect, with turquoise waters, sandy shores and rock on the sides. It’s also great for family holidays. When the tide is low, the beach opens up and makes it perfect for a stroll or a game of beach football.
There are plenty of small cafe’s and restaurants along the promenade where you can grab a bite to eat or a nice sun downer cocktail.
There are lots of activities to keep the kids busy, as the waters are safe to swim with no hidden currents, lots of sand and great stretches of rocks. I was very impressed with this beach (and remember how picky I am!) and another plus is its location, as the weather is more predictable during the summer months.
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for St. Brelade’s Bay
#5 | PORTHMINSTER BEACH
“Lovely beach very clean even though there are plenty of dogs being walked, cafe and bar great place to sit have a drink and watch the world go by.”
“Porthminster Beach is a piece of heaven in this beautiful part of West Cornwall. Clear waters and a white sandy beach is a must visit”
“This beach is the most amazing beach ever. The sea is turquoise bluey green and so beautiful just to stand and watch. There are a lot of dog walkers on the beach but it is kept so clean.”
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This beautiful beach is located north of St. Ives Bay in Cornwall and is perfect for a getaway. Shops and restaurants are a plenty next to the beach, where you can grab something to eat with stunning view.
The beach is big enough for children to play in the sand building sand castles, while others play a game of football.
Your canine friends are welcomed on the beach to have some fun and experience the ocean too (nice to know for all the dog’s lovers!). Seems like this beach has a little something to offer for everyone!
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Porthminster Beach!
#6 | PERRANPORTH BEACH
“Brilliant dogs welcome all year fantastic coastal path and dunes brilliant pub with great pub grub actually on the beach great place to visit anytime of year.”
“Miles of golden sand and dunes, craggy cliffs and caves to explore, coastal paths, rock pools to fish and paddle in, a swimming pool cut out of rocks…”
“Perranporth Beach is possibly the best beach in the whole world! It has lovely sand, dunes, stepping stones, clean water, great surf, rock pools, and cliffs.”
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Located on the north coast of Cornwall, Perranporth is a dog-friendly beach mostly occupied by holiday goers walking their dogs.
If you are worried about being surrounded by dogs everywhere, do not let this put you down! The beach stretches for 3 miles, offering more than enough sand, rocks pools, dunes and cliffs for all to enjoy.
Facing the Atlantic Ocean, this beach is popular among surfers who comes to enjoy the waves. There are numerous shops close to the beach, including a pub-on-the-beach called The Watering Hole.
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Perranporth Beach!
#7 | FISTRAL BEACH
“It’s my favourite place to go, very relaxing. Amazing views and was very quiet. Would definitely recommend.”
“I highly recommend this beach it has more than just sand! The surf is fantastic! If you are not a surfer you can just relax on the beach. There are rocks you can climb over, rock pools to explore…”
“Worth a visit. Lovely in the summer. Clean all year round. Lovely beach bar on the beach to enjoy food, drink and snacks Enjoyable visit.”
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Located on the north coast of Cornwall, Fistral Beach is known as a “surfers mecca“. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, guarantees consistent swell for the surfers.
Plenty of clean facilities are located along the beach, with the Headland Hotel overlooking the bay.
Great for an outing with the kids, although it takes quite a few steps to reach the beach. Amazing views over the bay and some great restaurants to grab something to eat and drink.
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Fistral Beach!
#8 | LUSKENTYRE BEACH
“Best beach in the world? So beautiful, we walked for miles. It’s very romantic. Can’t wait to return.”
“A truly magical beach, long beach of white sand and crystal blue seas – perfect for a walk even on a stormy day!”
“No matter the weather, this beach glows – and when the sun shines, it is surely heaven…..go at any time of the year, any time of the day…and then go back!”
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Located on the west coast of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This beach is absolutely amazing, no matter the weather (and its maybe not-so-easy access).
Perfect beach for a romantic getaway. It is quite isolated, with amazing views and it’s not unlikely having the whole beach to yourself.
As the sun sets, the colors of the beach changes, creating awe inspiring scenes. Lots to explore on this beach, take your time! 🙂 Oh by he way, I was lucky enough to visit Scotland a few times and, oh my…that place resembles a fairy tale, I can only imagine how incredible this beach might look in real life!
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Luskentyre Beach!
#9 | HENGISTBURY HEAD
“Whether it is Spring , Summer , Autumn or Winter, wet or dry you will always find people at Hengistbury Head. From couples to families it is a place you just fall in love with.”
“Great place to walk, run or cycle, or even take the train! Excellent Nature Centre with loads of information about the area, flora and fauna.”
“Whether it is Spring , Summer , Autumn or Winter, wet or dry you will always find people at Hengistbury Head. From couples to families it is a place you just fall in love with.”
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Hengistbury Head is a sandstone headland forming part of Southbourne. This beach and surrounding areas are considered (and protected) as Ancient Monument.
There has been human activity here since the Upper Paleolithic. Other than the historical importance of the site, this beach offers a wide variety of activities.
Whether you want to jog, cycle or have a quiet walk, this beach has the modern relaxing charm to it.
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Hengistbury Head!
#10 | SANDBANKS BEACH
“Lovely, sandy beach. Very clean with stunning view! Since I relocated it’s my favourite place to go. Simple sitting on the blanket, drinking coffee, listen to the tides- make me feel happy”
“Beautiful beach, lovely long promenade walk, plenty of places to stop for a coffee or ice-cream, loads of things for the kids to do – what’s not to like!”
“We went to the beach on a Winter’s afternoon and had a fabulous walk along it. The beach is very sandy and clean, with stunning views as far as the Isle of Wight.”
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Located between Bournemouth and Poole, the Sandbanks is an Upper Class piece of real estate.
This is noticeable by the grand houses and beautiful views of the harbor, Brown Sea Island and Studland.
Other than the fancy houses, there are nice cafe’s and restaurants as well as a very enjoyable mini-golf and playground area for the kids.
Check Tripadvisor’s Reviews for Sandbanks!
So, do you have any favorite amongst these beaches? Or did TripAdvisor left some gems out of the list? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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Comments
Wow Its really mesmerizing to watch the Beaches in UK. The Beaches are very much to watch and very scenic. Really felt very pleasant and Good. Nice to experience the Blog. Thanks for posting.
I’ve been to about five of those beaches, and I hope to go to many more! Tenby, Aberdovey and Harlech beaches in Wales are also very lovely. If you like rugged, rocky beaches then Southerndown in Wales is amazing too – at least it was until Doctor Who started filming there and made me think that the caves are full of Weeping Angels.
Thanks for adding a few more to the list! It’s incredible if you think about how many great beaches are in the UK, it’s just the weather that makes it difficult to enjoy them to the fullest I guess 🙂
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Voting for Luskentyre! I like its turquoise water and white sand and how wide the beach is. Love the sound of how magical it is during sunsets and I love sunsets! Hope to see this one day.
I Actually have a sweet spot for Luskentyre too! I doubt I’d be ever able to swim in those waters (being so up North) but the scenery is lovely!
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I’d give my vote to Rhossili – mainly because I visited that place during my very first visit to GB 20 years ago. During a conference trip we made radiales around Swansea and Rhossili was the crown jewel. We were amazed how the sheep were browsing the deadly steep cliffsides without falling down and took pictures of the Worms Head. One small minus about the view from the top location – the horizon line is cutting the “head” of the peninsula in not very good height. Should have climbed more down to change the perspective and point the peninsula out. Alas, we had no time.
But anyway it’s still one of my most memorable memories from Wales.
Hey Peeter, I also love Rhossili beach. When checking out these beaches I couldn’t believe how beautiful and scenic some of there were. Rhossili definitely has a surreal aura! Next time I’m in the UK I’ll make sure to pay a visit. Well worth it.
I bet you still remember it after all these years, must have given you quite an impression!