Woolacombe Beach in Devon has been voted best beach in the UK. And it also beats beaches in Italy, Greece, Thailand and Costa Rica to be named fourth best beach in Europe and 13th best in the world.
TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards for Beaches also gives second place in the UK to Weymouth Beach in Dorset, also named eighth in Europe. Wales’ Rhossili Bay (below) took third place in the UK and eleventh in Europe.
Also named in Europe’s top 25 were St. Brelade’s Bay Beach in Jersey and Portminster Beach in St Ives, Cornwall, placing 14th and 18th respectively.
Top 10 beaches in the UK:
- Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, Devon
- Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, Dorset
- Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Swansea
- St. Brelade’s Bay Beach, St. Brelade, Jersey
- Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall
- Perranporth Beach, Perranporth, Cornwall
- Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall
- Luskentyre, Isle of Harris
- Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, Dorset
- Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset
James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson, said: “In its third year, these awards recognise the best beaches in the UK and worldwide, based on the reviews and ratings from travellers around the globe.
“The presence of two UK beaches in Europe’s top ten is further proof of what a fantastic tourist draw the UK’s coastline really is.”
Backed by sandy hills and the Woolacombe Downs, Woolacombe Beach boasts a three-mile long stretch of golden sand and rolling, unbroken surf which makes it the ideal hotspot for surfers. The sheer length of the beach means that there is no shortage of sand to sit down and relax on during the busy summer months.
One TripAdvisor reviewer said, “Came here first in 1950. I am still coming here and although there are a lot more people now it is still possibly one of the best beaches in Britain, the clean sand, beach huts for hire, three miles to walk the length and fantastic clifftop walks make this a very special place.”
Patricia Yates, of VisitBritain, said, “With a coastline longer than Brazil’s, Britain abounds with beautiful beaches – from great stretches of golden sand to discrete little coves. It’s fantastic to see this natural beauty recognised by travellers and shows that our coastline can easily compete with some of the world’s most popular beach destinations.
Trevor Stanbury, chairman of the North Devon Marketing Bureau: “It’s fantastic to see North Devon’s wonderful beaches getting the recognition they deserve with a coveted TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award. Woolacombe Beach is already a firm favourite with both locals and travellers alike and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to experience its beauty throughout 2015.”
Cornwall crowned county with most winning beaches
Despite Devon being home to the UK’s number one beach, it was Cornwall that scooped the most number of awards of any county in the UK. Cornwall is home to four winning beaches with Porthminster Beach (above) in St Ives, Perranporth Beach in Perranporth and Fistral Beach in Newquay taking fifth, sixth and seventh place in the UK respectively, while Hayle’s Godrevy Head came 22nd.
Brazil celebrates world win
For the second year running, Baia do Sancho (above) in Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago with UNESCO world heritage status, has been crowned the number one beach in the world. A bay of crystalline water and soft white sand, the beach is surrounded by towering cliffs covered by vegetation that attracts a multitude of exotic wildlife.
Top 10 beaches in Europe
- Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy
- Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
- Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece
- Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, Devon, United Kingdom
- Iztuzu Beach,Dalyan, Turkey
- Fig Tree Bay, Protaras, Cyprus
- Cala Rossa, Favignana, Italy
- Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, Dorset, United Kingdom
- Eggremni Beach, Lefkada Greece
- Playa de Bolonia, Tarifa, Spain
- Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Swansea, Wales
- St. Brelade’s Bay Beach, St Brelade, Jersey
- Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall, UK
Top 10 beaches in the world
- Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
- Grace Bay, Providenciales
- Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Italy
- Playa Paraiso Beach, Cayo Largo, Caribbean
- Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
- Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
- White Beach, Boracay, Philippines
- Flamenco Beach, Culebra, Caribbean
- Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
- Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece
- Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, Devon, UK
See TripAdvisor
