UK Beaches

Whilst most of the British spend copious amounts of money every year to head off to the beaches of foreign climes, they really do tend to forget how pristine and inviting the seaside can be in their own country.   

Most of the best beaches in the country have already been converted into a tourist resort and this commenced back in Victorian times. There are numerous seaside resorts along every coast of the UK and following a number of years of neglectful decline, more money is being pumped into these areas to help them claim back some of their older charm. 

The biggest resorts, with good stretches of sandy beach, can be found in Blackpool, Lancashire; Brighton and Hove, East Sussex; Margate, Kent; Southend-on-Sea, Essex; Skegness, Lincolnshire; Torquay and Paignton, Devon and Bournemouth in Dorset.  

The southwest of England tends to be regarded as the part of the UK that has the most appealing beaches in the whole country and the mildest climate. This is definitely true and the beaches around the county of Cornwall, in particular, are absolutely breathtaking. Head for the northern coast of the county where you will find Perranporth: a stunningly sandy beach where surfing is extremely popular. 

Farther along the same coast you will come across the town of Newquay. There are several excellent beaches here and this is the most popular surfing destination in the whole of Europe. In fact, Newquay has held the worldwide surfing championships on several occasions in the past. 

Some of the most surprising beaches can be found in a part of the country that is never even remotely considered for beach weather - Western Scotland. The coasts off the west coast of this country has some hidden gems of beaches that are just waiting to be discovered: gorgeous lengths of golden sandy beaches that are lapped by azure-blue seas that would seem more synonymous with the Mediterranean.  

Sea temperatures can be very nippy around the inshore waters of the United Kingdom, so if you decide to take a dip in May, you really have been warned. The seas in the south (especially around the southwest peninsula and South Wales) tend to be the most inviting, but will not reach an ideal bathing temperature until very late summer - around August into early September. Even then, the sea will take some getting used to.