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.
Porthcothan Beach
Cornwall
Portland Harbour Sandsfoot Castle Beach
Dorset
Watergate Bay
Cornwall
Newquay Porth Beach
Cornwall
Rhossili North Beach
Swansea
Marloes Sands
Pembrokeshire
Woolacombe Village Beach
Devon
Leasowe Bay
Merseyside
Llantwit Major Beach
Vale of Glamorgan
Saunton Sands
Devon
Silverknowes Beach
City of Edinburgh
Holkham Gap
Norfolk
Coppet Hall Beach
Pembrokeshire
Portstewart Strand Beach
Londonderry
Saltburn Beach
North Yorkshire
Barmouth Beach
Gwynedd
Swanlake Bay
Pembrokeshire
Llanddwyn Beach
Isle of Anglesey
Broadstairs Stone Bay
Kent
Studland Knoll House Beach
Dorset
Lantic Bay
Cornwall
Formby Lifeboat Road Beach
Merseyside
Treyarnon Bay
Cornwall
Gwithian Beach
Cornwall
Gwynver beach
Cornwall
Tintagel Beach
Cornwall
Tenby Castle Beach
Pembrokeshire
Holywell Bay
Cornwall
Newquay Fistral Beach
Cornwall
Sea Palling Beach
Norfolk
Porthcurno Beach
Cornwall
Sandsend Beach
North Yorkshire
Perranporth Penhale Sands
Cornwall
Pendower Carne Beach
Cornwall
Pease Bay
Scottish Borders
Skinningrove Beach
North Yorkshire
Mwnt Beach
Ceredigion
Mill Bay
Devon
St Brelade's Beach
Jersey
Porthmeor Beach
Cornwall
Porthminster Beach
Cornwall
Lunan Bay
Angus
Sango Sands
Highland
Ventnor Beach
Isle of Wight
Achmelvich Beach
Highland
Cuckmere Haven Beach
East Sussex
Cruden Bay
Aberdeenshire
Beer Beach
Devon
Bude Summerleaze Beach
Cornwall
Compton Bay
Isle of Wight
Weymouth Central Beach
Dorset
Bamburgh Castle Beach
Northumberland
Blackpool Sands
Devon
Beaumaris Beach
Isle of Anglesey
Cayton Bay
North Yorkshire
Alnmouth Beach
Northumberland
Bigbury-on-Sea South Beach
Devon
Felixstowe North Beach
Suffolk
Durdle Door West Beach
Dorset
Broadstairs Botany Bay
Kent
Wells Beach
Norfolk
Bournemouth Alum Chine
Dorset
Bournemouth Hengistbury Head Beach
Dorset
Dunwich Beach
Suffolk
Bournemouth Pier Beach
Dorset
West Wittering Beach
West Sussex
Gairloch Beach
Highland
Yellowcraig Beach
East Lothian
Monifieth Beach
Angus
Withernsea Beach
East Riding of Yorkshire
Moggs Eye Beach
Lincolnshire
Brodick Bay
North Ayrshire
Skegness Beach
Lincolnshire
Pevensey Bay
East Sussex
Port Soif Beach
Guernsey
Felpham Beach
West Sussex
Clarach South Beach
Ceredigion
Ogmore Central Beach
Vale of Glamorgan
Kessingland Beach
Suffolk
Aberdyfi Beach
Gwynedd
Westgate West Bay
Kent
Scarborough North Bay
North Yorkshire
Aberporth Beach
Ceredigion
Southwick Beach
West Sussex
Southerndown Beach
Vale of Glamorgan
Seaford Bay Beach
East Sussex
St Annes South Beach
Lancashire
Tregonhawke Beach
Cornwall
Tregantle Cliffs Beach
Cornwall
Torbay Crawley Woods Beach
Swansea
Thornwick Bay
East Riding of Yorkshire
Teignmouth Holcombe Beach
Devon
Margate Westbrook Bay
Kent
Swanage South Beach
Dorset
Westhaven Beach
Angus
Barry Island Whitmore Bay
Vale of Glamorgan
Stokes Bay
Hampshire
Ynyslas Beach
Ceredigion
Broad Sands
East Lothian
Hoylake Red Rocks Beach
Merseyside
St. Andrews East Sands
Fife
The Sands of Breckon Beach
Shetland Islands
Tynemouth Short Sands
Tyne and Wear
Sandy Haven Beach
Pembrokeshire
Amroth Beach
Pembrokeshire
Aberafan Margam Sands
Neath Port Talbot
Easington Beach
County Durham
Flamborough North Landing Beach
East Riding of Yorkshire
Fleetwood Beach
Lancashire
Folkestone Warren Beach
Kent
Red Point
Highland
Gullane Beach
East Lothian
Harlech Beach
Gwynedd
Hastings Pelham Beach
East Sussex
Dunbar Belhaven Beach
East Lothian
Cullen Bay
Moray
Cresswell Beach
Northumberland
Broad Haven South Beach
Pembrokeshire
Burnham Yacht Club Beach
Somerset
Cambois North Beach
Northumberland
Carrick Beach
Dumfries and Galloway
Clacton Pier Beach
Essex
Cleethorpes Beach
Lincolnshire
Cleveleys Beach
Lancashire
Clovelly Beach
Devon
Cocklawburn Beach
Northumberland
Colwyn Bay Rhos Beach
Conwy
Heacham South Beach
Norfolk
Highcliffe Beach
Dorset
North Berwick West Beach
East Lothian
Porlock Weir Beach
Somerset
Porthcawl Newton Bay
Bridgend
Porthmeor Cove
Cornwall
Mothecombe Beach
Devon
Prestatyn Barkby Beach
Denbighshire
Ramsgate Sands
Kent
Runswick Bay
North Yorkshire
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea North Beach
Northumberland
Caister Point
Norfolk
Marsden Beach
Tyne and Wear
Instow Beach
Devon
Kames Bay
Argyll and Bute
Kennack Sands
Cornwall
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
Salcombe South Sands
Devon