What makes a beach one of the best? For some people, it's all about getting away from it all - fabulous scenery, long walks and plenty of peace and quiet. For others, the golden sands of a bustling seaside resort where the kids can build sandcastles and the grown-ups can slap on a "Kiss me quick" hat before hitting the shops and amusements are what they're looking for. And other people want great surf, or somewhere to go rockpooling, or even just a beach that's easy to access.
There's no "one size fits all" apprach to what makes a beach one of the best. Everyone has their own opinion. Which is why our own "best beaches" list isn't our opinion.
We've started by checking the various lists of best beaches published by national newspapers and travel websites. To that, we've added the ratings given by our own visitors. So no one person makes the choice, but everybody's voice can be heard.
What about you? What are your favourite beaches? You can give us your own ratings on every beach page by clicking on the "rate this beach" button at the top right. The more you rate, the more we know.
This list of beaches is collated from a combination of lists published in the national media and ratings from our own users.
Rhossili North Beach
Swansea
Marloes Sands
Pembrokeshire
Woolacombe Village Beach
Devon
Llantwit Major Beach
Vale of Glamorgan
Saunton Sands
Devon
Holkham Gap
Norfolk
Saltburn Beach
North Yorkshire
Portstewart Strand Beach
Londonderry
Silverknowes Beach
City of Edinburgh
Barmouth Beach
Gwynedd
Broadstairs Stone Bay
Kent
Gwynver beach
Cornwall
Studland Knoll House Beach
Dorset
Llanddwyn Beach
Isle of Anglesey
Swanlake Bay
Pembrokeshire
Lantic Bay
Cornwall
Treyarnon Bay
Cornwall
Holywell Bay
Cornwall
Ventnor Beach
Isle of Wight
Tenby Castle Beach
Pembrokeshire
Tintagel Beach
Cornwall
Lunan Bay
Angus
Sango Sands
Highland
Sea Palling Beach
Norfolk
Porthcurno Beach
Cornwall
Perranporth Penhale Sands
Cornwall
Pendower Carne Beach
Cornwall
Pease Bay
Scottish Borders
Newquay Fistral Beach
Cornwall
Mwnt Beach
Ceredigion
Mill Bay
Devon
Porthmeor Beach
Cornwall
Sandsend Beach
North Yorkshire
Porthminster Beach
Cornwall
Gwithian Beach
Cornwall
Watergate Bay
Cornwall
Bournemouth Hengistbury Head Beach
Dorset
Cuckmere Haven Beach
East Sussex
Cruden Bay
Aberdeenshire
Coppet Hall Beach
Pembrokeshire
Compton Bay
Isle of Wight
Weymouth Central Beach
Dorset
Cayton Bay
North Yorkshire
Bigbury-on-Sea South Beach
Devon
Blackpool Sands
Devon
Bude Summerleaze Beach
Cornwall
Broadstairs Botany Bay
Kent
Beer Beach
Devon
Beaumaris Beach
Isle of Anglesey
Achmelvich Beach
Highland
Bournemouth Alum Chine
Dorset
Wells Beach
Norfolk
Bournemouth Pier Beach
Dorset
West Wittering Beach
West Sussex
Felixstowe North Beach
Suffolk
Bamburgh Castle Beach
Northumberland
Durdle Door West Beach
Dorset
Formby Lifeboat Road Beach
Merseyside
Dunwich Beach
Suffolk
Alnmouth Beach
Northumberland
Skinningrove Beach
North Yorkshire
Yellowcraig Beach
East Lothian
Gairloch Beach
Highland
Moggs Eye Beach
Lincolnshire
Monifieth Beach
Angus
Withernsea Beach
East Riding of Yorkshire
Pevensey Bay
East Sussex
Skegness Beach
Lincolnshire
Port Soif Beach
Guernsey
Aberdyfi Beach
Gwynedd
Ogmore Central Beach
Vale of Glamorgan
Westgate West Bay
Kent
Scarborough North Bay
North Yorkshire
Broad Sands
East Lothian
Teignmouth Holcombe Beach
Devon
Trearddur Bay
Isle of Anglesey
Thornwick Bay
East Riding of Yorkshire
Southerndown Beach
Vale of Glamorgan
Tregantle Cliffs Beach
Cornwall
Tregonhawke Beach
Cornwall
Margate Westbrook Bay
Kent
Westhaven Beach
Angus
Swanage South Beach
Dorset
Barry Island Whitmore Bay
Vale of Glamorgan
Stokes Bay
Hampshire
Hoylake Red Rocks Beach
Merseyside
The Sands of Breckon Beach
Shetland Islands
St. Andrews East Sands
Fife
Amroth Beach
Pembrokeshire
Flamborough North Landing Beach
East Riding of Yorkshire
Folkestone Warren Beach
Kent
Red Point
Highland
Harlech Beach
Gwynedd
Hastings Pelham Beach
East Sussex
Heacham South Beach
Norfolk
Highcliffe Beach
Dorset
Hornsea Beach
East Riding of Yorkshire
Felpham Beach
West Sussex
Dunbar Belhaven Beach
East Lothian
Broad Haven South Beach
Pembrokeshire
Burnham Yacht Club Beach
Somerset
Caister Point
Norfolk
Carrick Beach
Dumfries and Galloway
Clacton Pier Beach
Essex
Cleethorpes Beach
Lincolnshire
Cleveleys Beach
Lancashire
Colwyn Bay Rhos Beach
Conwy
Cullen Bay
Moray
Instow Beach
Devon
Kames Bay
Argyll and Bute
Kennack Sands
Cornwall
Porlock Weir Beach
Somerset
Porthmeor Cove
Cornwall
Kessingland Beach
Suffolk
Prestatyn Barkby Beach
Denbighshire
Ramsgate Sands
Kent
Runswick Bay
North Yorkshire
North Berwick West Beach
East Lothian
Nethertown Beach
Cumbria
Littlehampton Coastguard Station Beach
West Sussex
Littlestone Beach
Kent
Llanelli Beach
Carmarthenshire
Porth Tyn Beach
Isle of Anglesey
Llangrannog Beach
Ceredigion
Lydstep Beach
Pembrokeshire
Mablethorpe Town Beach
Lincolnshire
Marsden Beach
Tyne and Wear
Mothecombe Beach
Devon
Salcombe South Sands
Devon