UK's best and worst seaside towns: the full list Find out how your favourite coastal town fared in our table below. Show full table. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by email. Latest News In Which? Travel update: all countries removed from red traffic light list — where can I go on holiday? Where can I get a cheap day 2 lateral flow test for travel?
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When beach fun is over, Sheringham High Street is full of quirky shops with a seaside flavour while kids will love battling the wave machine at The Splash Swimming Pool. Why you would love it : If a relaxed, totally laidback holiday is your idea of bliss, then Wells-next-the-Sea is for you. A huge expanse of golden sand is rimmed with colourful beach huts and backed by sand dunes and pine forests while local nature reserves such as Blakeney are a haven for bird watchers.
Relax on the beach before taking a boat to Bawdsey Island, home to a secret WWII facility and where radar was invented. From this, unpredictable water jets catch out the unwary. Why you would love it : Start a visit to Southwold at its museum housed in a tiny cottage and get a real sense of the quirky charm of this east coast seaside town. Why you would love it : Newbiggin-by-the-Sea has become famous in recent years for its revamped beach. The town has a seaside golf course and is a haven for birdwatchers.
Why you would love it : Saltburn-by-the-Sea is proud of being the first purpose-built railway resort town in the world and much of its Victorian splendour can still be enjoyed, including the pier. The town sits on a hill overlooking long stretches of sandy beach. Why you would love it : Cullercoats is a sandy bay and beach flanked by two piers, making it a safe environment for family fun at the seaside. Why you would love it : South Shields is just a short distance from Newcastle making this resort a popular weekend destination for locals.
South Shields has a long seafront complete with attractions for all ages. These include a steam railway and boating lake. Why you would love it : Tynemouth is a hidden and often overlooked gem just a short distance from Newcastle city centre. Travel here by metro and admire the beautiful Victorian station with its weekend market.
Longsands Beach is a long stretch of golden sand overlooked by Tynemouth Priory and Castle. Why you would love it : The main attraction at Whitley Bay is its award-winning beach. In the summer it comes alive with families enjoying paddling in the shallows, building sandcastles and tucking into their picnics. Why you would love it : This must be one of the most iconic seaside resorts in Britain.
It is brimming with bucket and spade fun while Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Tower are full of attractions whatever your age. A new arrival is the Comedy Carpet, it would take you hours to read all the jokes. Every year they get more elaborate. Why you would love it : Lytham St Annes gives you a quiet contrast to the bright lights of Blackpool just along the coast.
Try your hand at mini-links golf before enjoying the attractions on Lytham St Annes Pier. Be sure to visit Lytham Hall, a beautiful Georgian house set in many acres of parkland. Its long, flat promenade is ideal for strolling, jogging and cycling. Why you would love it : Crosby Beach just outside Liverpool is a long stretch of sand gently lapped by the ocean. It is the perfect spot for outdoor enthusiasts who can swim in the sea, walk the coastal path or enjoy part of the National Cycle Path.
Why you would love it : New Brighton is a fascinating mix of old and new with beaches that sweep around the bay between 19th-century fortifications. Children can have hours of exciting fun acting out pirate adventures. Why you would love it : Southport is a classic British seaside resort with many miles of coastline and family-friendly beaches perfect for swimming and sunbathing. Southport Pier is one of the longest in England and the perfect spot for a bracing walk in the sea air.
Why you would love it : The bustling resort of Brighton with gentler Hove lying alongside has drawn visitors from London and the south-east since the Prince Regent made the area fashionable. Several excellent seafront hotels are well located just off the beach. Explore the newly rebuilt pier, splash in the clean sea water or enjoy an open-air concert in the Victorian bandstand. On a clear day, you might catch a glimpse of France. Why you would love it : Hastings is a popular seaside resort where the old meets the new.
Visit the interactive visitor centre on the newly rebuilt pier before strolling along the promenade to Old Hastings with its tall, wooden net sheds and colourful fishing boats. Why you would love it : As a former member of the Cinque Ports, Seaford, as its name suggests, has always had a close relationship with the sea.
Take a self-guided heritage trail through the town or visit the museum housed in an old Martello Tower. Why you would love it : Southsea is a seafront district of Portsmouth that is always buzzing with life yet manages to retain a local atmosphere.
With its entertainment and shopping selections, Gunwharf Quays is busy day and evening while the beach and promenade are dominated by Southsea Castle. Sandy beaches flank the harbour and terminal while attractions for all ages include ice and bowling rinks, a funfair and a canoe lake.
Why you would love it : Sitting in a sheltered bay on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, Sandown enjoys a long sandy beach perfect for bucket and spade holidays and all the traditional fun of a seaside pier. Why you would love it : Despite being a popular seaside resort, Shanklin still manages to retain the sleepy quality of a 18th-century village.
Shanklin is steeped in history while its family-friendly beach features pristine golden sands and a huge choice of watersport activities. Why you would love it : St Helens is the perfect base for exploring the east coast of the Isle of Wight. Charming homes cluster around its village green said to be one of the largest in the UK. Explore the ruins of Old St Helens Church, destroyed by a wave in the 18th-century or picnic among the sand dunes that line the beach.
Why you would love it : Thanks to its unique micro-climate, Ventnor was once a famous Victorian health resort. The spectacular Cascade Gardens cascade down the cliff towards the harbour.
Why you would love it : Charles Dickens connections, seven sandy beaches and retro ice cream parlours are just some of the charms of this traditional seaside resort. Why you would love it : Holidaymakers have flocked to Folkestone since the days of Queen Victoria and there is plenty of Victorian architecture to admire in the town. Why you would love it : Herne Bay is made up of two miles of coastline, featuring both sandy and shingle beaches and like many Kentish resort towns was a popular Victorian holiday destination.
Its long pier has been restored to offer plenty of traditional fun for all ages. Why you would love it : With the construction of the Turner Art Gallery and the reopening of Dreamland, Margate has become the hip place to be where a real seaside atmosphere blends in with beautiful historic buildings and a vibrant foodie scene.
The underground Shell Grotto was discovered in but no one knows why or when it was built. Sometime in the last 3, years is the best guess. Why you would love it : Ramsgate reached its heydey in the late Victorian period but recent years have seen much of its 19th and early 20th-century architecture restored to full splendour. Ramsgate has a long sandy beach and museums dedicated to both nautical history and the computer.
Why you would love it : Whitstable, home to the British oyster, sits near where the Thames Estuary meets the sea and has a Dickensian charm all of its own.
A busy working fishing port is flanked by shingle beaches, wood-covered inns and quirky beach huts. Whitstable is known for its eclectic choice of fish restaurants. This attractive old fishing town lies on the far southwestern shore. An enchanting arrival point, Stromness has a picturesque waterfront with a procession of tiny sandstone jetties and slate roofs nestling below the green hill of Brinkies Brae.
Unlike Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney , Stromness still hugs the shoreline. Its one and only street is a narrow, winding affair still paved with great flagstones and fed by a tight network of alleyways. Come in May for the barnstorming four-day Orkney Folk Festival. Once you've finished up in Stromness, take the passenger ferry across to Hoy. Best for bed and breakfast: Burnside Farm Bed and Breakfast.
Best on a budget: Stromness Hotel. Llandudno ticks all the boxes of a great British seaside destination. There are long sandy beaches, grand Victorian facades, a two-mile stretch of promenade, and more than its fair share of chic hotels and good restaurants.
Old-style trams and cable cars climb up to the ft summit — from here there are stunning views of the Snowdonia mountain range and countless trails along which to enjoy bracing walks. Not only is Llandudno a fun seaside resort, but you can explore its ancient history at the Great Orme Ancient Mines. A Bronze Age settlement developed around what are now the Great Orme Copper Mines, and you can explore the area via the tramway.
Best for a little luxury: St George's Hotel. Best on a budget: The Post House. This little town on the North Devon coast is synonymous with its picturesque working harbour. Verity , a striking 66ft bronze-clad sculpture by Damian Hirst, stands guard on the quayside.
Beyond the Lantern Hill headland the iconic twin chimneys of the Landmark Theatre are another sign of change in the sea air of Ilfracombe. That said, there are plenty of traditional pubs that can still be found on historic Fore Street and Broad Street. We can help! Try our new tailor-made trips service and enjoy a fully personalised itinerary designed just for you.
Best for great views: Wildercombe House. Best on a budget: Royal Britannia Hotel. Located on the edge of the New Forest , Barton-on-Sea offers stunning coastal walks and a fascinating glimpse into prehistoric marine life. Barton Clay has particularly rich pickings. Some fossils date as far back as 40 million years, and budding palaeontologists can search for preserved shark teeth, fish bones and gastropod shells.
On a clear day, the iconic chalk Needles and St Catherine's Lighthouse can just be seen in the distance. Considering which UK seaside resort to visit next? Best for views of the coastline: The Barn. Best for a little luxury: Chewton Glen Hotel.
When the sun shines there are few happier places to be than the former royal resort of Weymouth. George III was a big fan — he pretty much followed the British craze of sea bathing. It's worth a visit for the fine sandy beach alone, but Weymouth's biggest joy is its Old Harbour. Here you can while away hours watching the boats from one of the quayside pubs. Come in July for the Dorset Seafood Festival when the quays are lined with dozens of stalls selling all manner of fishy delights.
Just south of the town lies Portland Harbour, and a long causeway links Weymouth to the Isle of Portland. There's an eighteen-mile bank of pebbles known as Chesil Beach, running northwest towards the fishing port of West Bay, and is another top seaside spot. Best for boutique hotel: The Roundhouse. Best on a budget: The Redcliff. Often nicknamed 'Padstein' for its association with celebrity chef Rick Stein, Padstow is North Cornwall's principal fishing town.
With this comes some of the country's best seafood restaurants four of which are owned by Stein and a jam-packed harbour full of boats. It's all about simple pleasures here: spend your morning on one of the many pretty beaches nearby, and after lunch try your hand at crabbing.
Crabbing lines can be bought from a number of shops around the harbour. Just don't forget to return the little creatures to the water afterwards! But the beach fun doesn't end here; the tours continues on to the good beaches around Polzeath. Best for bed and breakfast: Treweens. Best for a little luxury: The Old Custom House. Its deep, cliff-edged harbour is filled with fishing boats and circled by multicoloured houses, with the few excellent restaurants in town — including the highly acclaimed Scorrybreac — serving up the catch of the day.
Portree is now also host to the Skye Live festival, which annually hosts a vibrant line-up of local and international bands and DJs. Best for boutique hotel: Bosville Hotel. Best on a budget: Portree Pod. Britain's 30 best seaside towns. Continue reading to find out more about Southwold, Suffolk 3.
Porthmadog, Gwynedd 4. Whitstable, Kent 5. Aberystwyth, Ceredigion 6. Shanklin, the Isle of Wight 7. Hastings, East Sussex 8. Pittenweem, Fife 9. Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire It is here that many of the nation's concepts of traditional seaside activities originated; donkey rides, Punch and Judy shows, fun fairs and the 'pleasure palace'.
These were places of entertainment bringing the music-hall to the seaside. Little changed over the following century with only wealthy British families holidaying abroad.
In the late s the outlook for British seaside resorts became increasingly bleak as competition from cheap foreign holidays with guaranteed sunshine arrived. Given the choice of a rainy week in Bognor or 7 days of beach weather in Benidorm the British public voted with their feet.
Many of Britain's seaside towns have been in terminal decline since the s. For some it seems recover is a long way off, for example Skegness or Barrow-in-Furness.
Even once mighty Blackpool is now ranked as one of the most deprived areas in England. But all is not lost.
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