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