Elizabeth Berrett
When the mercury finally staggers past “cardigan weather” and stays there, you don’t actually need a boarding pass to find the best British beaches. You just need a tank of fuel, a tolerable playlist and, if you’re really organised, a packet of sand-resistant sandwiches. For anyone tempted to give airport queues the swerve and fall back in love with home shores, there’s now a data-backed hit list of sandy greatness to aim for.
Holidu, the search engine for holiday rentals, has gathered over 550,000 Google Reviews for over 650 beaches in the UK, presenting you with the ultimate ranking of the top 10 most breathtaking British beaches to visit this summer!
Below, in reverse rain-dance order, are the beaches that came out on top – from Cornish coves that look suspiciously Caribbean to Scottish bays where the seals get better views than you do. If you’re compiling your own bucket-and-spade list of the best British beaches, start here.
Top 3:
Traeth Mwnt – Cardigan, Wales | 4.9 ★ – 722 reviews 2. Three Cliffs Bay – Gower Peninsula, Wales | 4.9 ★ – 395 reviews 3. Upton Towans Beach – Cornwall, England | 4.9 ★ – 346 reviews
1. Traeth Mwnt – Cardigan, Wales | 4.9 ★ – 722 reviews
Coming out on top of this ranking is Traeth Mwnt beach, located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The cove is owned by the National Trust and remains largely unspoiled by tourists, despite being a popular off-the-beaten-path spot.
Framed by steep green headlands and reached by a stout set of steps, it feels like you’ve stumbled into a secret the sat-nav meant to keep to itself. There are plenty of routes to walk along the cliffs which enclose the beach, including the Ceredigion Heritage Coastal Path. The route leads you around Foel y Mwnt, taking you to the hilltop on which you can overlook the beach.
If you’re a lover of wildlife and nature, position yourself on the headland at the beach and you might be lucky enough to catch a sight of dolphins, basking sharks and porpoises. Not many of the best British beaches can claim a supporting cast straight out of a nature documentary.
2. Three Cliffs Bay – Gower Peninsula, Wales | 4.9 ★ – 395 reviews
Three Cliffs Bay beach offers a wilder experience – picture a spectacular shoreline of sand dunes, salt marsh and limestone cliffs. In second place is another beach which can be found in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and it looks like somebody dropped a fantasy novel onto the Gower and it stuck.
The beach is an important asset for locals and visitors and routinely qualifies for Blue Flag status. Fun fact: this beach actually appears in a music video of the world-famous band Red Hot Chilli Peppers! Dogs are also allowed to enjoy Three Cliffs and the sand is often frequented by horses and their riders galloping along the beach.
When a place is good enough for rock stars, dogs and horses, it’s probably safe to say it belongs on any shortlist of the best British beaches.
3. Upton Towans Beach – Cornwall, England | 4.9 ★ – 346 reviews
Clinching the third spot on the podium is the first of three beaches in Cornwall. Upton Towans beach, also known as Hayle Towans, is a magnificent coast which could rival those found in the Caribbean with its white sand and turquoise blue sea contrast.
Backed by rolling dunes and with a three-mile sweep of sand, it’s a favourite for surfers, swimmers and anyone keen to pretend their commute doesn’t exist. This is a popular surfing destination and also the perfect place to take your children, as they can have fun for hours as they run through the sand dunes and explore the rock pools. You can even bring your dog and jog along the three-mile stretch as you admire the magnificent view of the lighthouse.
Family-friendly, dog-friendly and surf-friendly: Upton Towans quietly ticks off half the reasons people search for the best British beaches in the first place.
4. Mellon Udrigle Beach – Highlands, Scotland | 4.9 ★ – 271 reviews
Mellon Udrigle Beach is the northernmost beach in this ranking today, tucked away up on the northwest coast of Scotland. If it is a remote landscape with few visitors you’re looking for, this beach could well be the best one for you.
Snow-white sand, clear water and a skyline full of mountains make this feel like the Highlands have decided to show off. If you are lucky enough to make the trip on a good weather day, you might even be able to see the island of Skye across the waters. The beach is the regular resting spot of seals who place themselves on the rocks and the location in general boasts unrivalled views of the mountains of the Scottish Highlands in the distance.
It’s wild, windswept and about as far from a crowded resort as you can get without needing a passport.
5. Porthcothan Beach – Cornwall, England | 4.9 ★ – 261 reviews
Porthcothan beach in Cornwall is another southern English beach which has scenery which rivals that of far away, exotic countries. Wide sands, grassy headlands and craggy rock formations make it feel like a film location waiting to happen.
It is dog-friendly, kept clean and tidy, has an ice-cream shop and cafe nearby and you are even allowed to have your own barbecue on the beach. There is plenty to do here, from surfing to long, picturesque walks. If you’re new to surfing but fancy giving it a try, this is the perfect place to do so, as it is regularly patrolled by lifeguards during the summer and local surf schools often use the beach for classes.
With safety cover, proper facilities and those cinematic views, Porthcothan has all the hallmarks of one of the best British beaches for mixed-ability groups – from first-time wave riders to die-hard sunbathers.
6. Caswell Bay Beach – Gower Peninsula, Wales | 4.8 ★ – 545 reviews
Heading back to Wales, Caswell Bay is another irresistible beach which regularly achieves Blue Flag status and will be a hit with visitors of all ages. This is where coastal drama meets convenience – big views, small faff.
Children and dogs can run free along the sandy shoreline and surfers can take to the waves, with a popular surf school even offering lessons all year round. Expect to find rock pools home to wildlife, clean water for swimming and kayaking and much more. There is a beachside shop which stocks all of the essentials required for a day spent on the sand. This beach is also easily accessible by car and public transport and has a lifeguard on duty every day of the week during the summer months.
For families who like their best British beaches served with parking, snacks and a surf lesson on the side, Caswell Bay is hard to argue with.
7. Machir Bay – Isle of Islay, Scotland | 4.9 ★ – 140 reviews
Scotland is home to many islands (over 900 in fact), and these islands are home to some incredible beaches. Machir Bay overlooks the North Atlantic Ocean and is located on the west coast of the Isle of Islay, situated in the Inner Hebrides, and its remote location means that it is more often than not deserted.
Two miles of golden sand, rolling Atlantic waves and virtually no crowds – this is the sort of place people imagine when they talk about getting away from it all. A trip to Islay would not be complete without paying a visit to this raw and epic stretch of sand. This beach is a stunning location to enjoy the sunset, and you might even be able to spot pods of dolphins leaping through the waves. Whilst you’re on the island would be worth your while to visit the nearby Kilchoman Distillery to get a true Scotch whisky experience!
Wild coast, wildlife and whisky: as complete Scottish beach days go, Machir Bay is tough to top.
8. Woolacombe Beach – Devon, England | 4.8 ★ – 32,006 reviews
Next up is a beach which is no stranger to being ranked among the best beaches in the UK, and even the world! Often dubbed a “surfers’ paradise”, Woolacombe is the perfect place to head if you want to catch some waves or sit back and watch from the comfort of the sand as the professionals do it.
The surrounding landscapes belong to the National Trust and provide breathtaking scenery beyond the beach itself. This is the perfect place to go for some bodyboarding, surfing, or simply a day spent sunbathing. There are plenty of facilities on hand for your day trip, including three large car parking areas, a variety of food trucks, and toilets with baby changing facilities. This beach is family-owned and run, which is shown in the family-friendly focus that it has.
If your personal definition of the best British beaches includes decent surf, working loos and something hot in a paper tray, Woolacombe is already waiting for you.
9. Crantock Beach – Cornwall, England | 4.8 ★ – 2,533 reviews
Yet another beach in Cornwall making its way into the top 10, but for very respectable reasons. Crantock is owned by the National Trust, whose members ensure the beach is kept in great condition. Backed by dunes and flanked by the Gannel estuary, it feels both grand and sheltered at the same time.
Grab your bucket and spade and build sandcastles, go for some snorkelling in the sea, or maybe you’d rather try your hand at some dune jumping? Located by the South West Coast Path, making it the perfect pitstop location whilst on your walk. The beach has many amenities such as cafes, toilets and parking, and is also manned by a lifeguard throughout the main summer months.
Easy to reach, hard to leave, and endlessly entertaining for restless kids – Crantock more than earns its place among the best British beaches for classic seaside days out.
10. Man O’War Beach – Dorset, England | 4.8 ★ – 1,465 reviews
Clinching the last spot on our ranking is the famous Man O’War Beach in Dorset. Whilst many of the other beaches mentioned can be considered as under-the-radar locations, this beach is definitely the contrary. Thousands of visitors flock to Man O’War every year for a slice of heaven.
The combined sand and stone beach, paired with crystal clear waters make this beach give the illusion of being on a Portuguese coast rather than southern England! The main attraction, however, is Durdle Door – the fascinating rock formation which juts out into the water.
If you’re the sort who likes your best British beaches served with a world-famous landmark, a steep clifftop walk and the sort of views that break phone cameras, Man O’War should be high on your list.
How the Ranking Was Created
To keep things fair, Holidu’s list isn’t based on a single sunburnt reviewer with an axe to grind about parking fees. Instead, it’s built on a hefty haul of Google data and a simple, transparent method.
We searched the Google Maps database for the word ‘beach’ in all of the coastal provinces of the country. Of the more than 1500 results initially obtained, we manually filtered the bad results. We made a ranking based on Google ratings prioritising beaches with a higher average rating. Beaches with less than 100 ratings have not been considered to ensure the reliability of the scores and popularity of the beaches.
The end result? A crowd-powered shortlist of the best British beaches – north, south, east and west – ready and waiting for your next clear-skied day off.
