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