Where Are The Best Beaches in The UK

In 2009, over seventy UK beaches were awarded the Blue Flag award for cleanliness and litter free shorelines. Throughout the country there are clean, fine beaches, many ideal for family swimming or surfing and a variety of watersports.

The south of England proudly boasts the Sandbanks Peninsula in Poole as well as Alum Chine in nearby Bournemouth. Further to the southwest, in Torbay, Devon, Oddicombe and Meadfoot beach have won the Blue Flag Award as have several other beaches in the area. This part of England is affectionately known as the English Riviera as it has higher year round temperatures than anywhere else in the UK.

Further west, on Devon's beautiful South Hams, the beaches at Bigbury-on-Sea, Challaborough and Blackpool Sands currently have Blue Flags and, in the north of the county, which is famous for its surfing beaches, Woolacombe Sands and Westward Ho! are proud to have won the award.

Cornwall has long been known for its stunning beaches and Blue Flags are proudly flown at Gyllyngvase, Marazion, Carbis Bay, Porthmeor, Polzeath, Porthtowan, Portminster and Sennen Cove.

The northeast of the UK boasts huge expanses of beach, many with excellent sand dune systems. In East Yorkshire the beaches at Bridlington, Hornsea and Withernsea are clean and safe and are an excellent diversion for families who have enjoyed walking on the Yorkshire Moors. Whitby Beach and Scarborough North Bay are two further beaches worthy of attention.

Still on the east coast, in East Anglia the beaches at Sheringham, Mundesley and Cromer have clean shorelines and provide safe bathing. The picturesque county of Suffolk has Felixstowe South and Lowestoft which offer safe and clean beaches for families. Just to the north in Lincolnshire, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Cleethorpes Central and Sutton on Sea have excellent tidy beaches proudly flying the Blue Flag.

Hampshire's Hayling Island West and Central Beaches are fine assets to this stunning county and family holidays can be enjoyed here throughout the summer. Just off the south coast, the Isle of Wight, with a good record of summer sunshine, boasts Sandown and Ventnor beaches as the jewels in the island's crown.

Kent's Blue Flag beaches include Broadstairs, Tankerton, Ramsgate Main Sands, Westgate, Margate as well as a host of others. Most of these superb beaches are within easy driving distance of London and can be enjoyed by day trippers.

Scotland has vast expanses of fine sandy beaches which are clean and safe for swimmers. There are St Andrews East Sands, Leven East Beach, Elie Harbour, Aberdour Silver Sands and a number of others along the hundreds of miles of Scottish coastline.

Northern Ireland has excellent beaches too such as Murlough and Downhill as well as Coleraine. The area is becoming more and more popular with tourists who are lured by the fine scenery as well as the stunning coastline.

In the far west of Wales lies Tenby which has long been a tourist hotspot and is a particular family favourite. The beaches in the area are clean and stunningly beautiful. The Pembrokeshire coastline has been designated a national park and it is apparent why when you see the clean vast expanse of the sands at Broadhaven and Newgale with uninterrupted views across the Irish Sea.

Article by Simply Beach
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