BEST SANDY BEACHES
Huisinis, Isle of Harris
Harris, 30 miles off the north-west coast of Scotland, has some spectacular scenery, but nothing can quite prepare you for Huisinis. No ice-cream vans, no deckchairs for hire – just a pristine cuticle of white sand at the end of a 15-mile, single-track road on the mountainous north coast. This beach is overlooked by a cluster of crofts and cottages with views across the Atlantic to the uninhabited island of Scarp.
Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire
Cars can't get to this hidden bay, which means only a few dedicated sand-seekers share the scenery here. From the tiny harbour of Stackpole Quay, take the cliff path over dunes, through stone archways and down a steep, wooded descent to the yellow sands of Barafundle. The beach is east-facing and encircled by limestone cliffs, so there's no Atlantic wind here – just an arch of mellow sand and sea.
Downhill, County Derry
The golden sands of Downhill stretch seven miles from Magilligan Point to Mussenden Temple – one of Northern Ireland's most photographed buildings, which teeters on the edge of the cliffs nears Castlerock. Built as a library in 1785, the building bears the inscription: "Tis pleasant, safely to behold from shore/The rolling ship, and hear the tempest roar."
South Beach, Tenby, Pembrokeshire
The velvety sand on all three of Tenby's beaches is the stuff of tropical islands. Of the three, we suggest South Beach: over a mile of yellow sand that spans the shoreline from St Catherine's island to Giltar Point. The blue flag beach is backed by powdery dunes and looks out towards Caldey island. The island is owned and run by Cistercian monks who produce – and sell – their own chocolate, ice-cream, shortbread, yoghurt and perfumes. Boats leave from Tenby harbour (01834 844453, caldey-island.co.uk, adults £11, child £6, family ticket £28), or, at low tide, from a mobile jetty on Castle Beach – but never on a Sunday, when the monks have better things to do.
Holkham Bay, Norfolk
The yellow sands here are mesmerically vast, and when the tide is out, the elements merge together, creating a bewildering, two-dimensional sense of space. Even in bad weather, the four-mile walk along this brooding beach is worth it for the atmosphere. Towards the back of the beach a line of mismatched huts sit in front of a shady pine wood that's perfect for hide and seek. The sand here is powdery, so if you've brought buckets, wend your way across the maze of saltings and shallow lagoons towards the sea. Access to the beach is via Lady Anne's Drive at Holkham village, or along the coast road west of Wells-next-the-Sea.
BEST SETTING
Whiterocks, Portrush, County Antrim
The limestone cliffs here form a labyrinth of caves and arches that stretch from Curran Strand to Dunluce Castle. The knobbly forms that rear out of the sea have been given names such as Shelagh's Head, the Giant's Head, Wishing Arch, Elephant Rock and Lion's Paw. Grassy knolls along the beach provide perfect viewing platforms – a dramatic setting for any picnic.
Minnis Bay, Kent
This is a rural bay in comparison with the nearby resorts of Margate and Broadstairs. By day, there's plenty to keep you occupied, with kite-boarding and windsurfing lessons, seal-watching boat trips and coastal walks. But at dusk, this blue flag beach comes into its own: the sun dips into the sea as, in the distance, 30 wind turbines shimmer in the briny haze.
Bamburgh, Northumberland
This section of Britain's coastline is sombre and strangely exhilarating – no more so than on Bamburgh beach, where the horseshoe-shaped stretch of sand is overlooked by the turrets and towers of Bamburgh Castle. The beach stretches for three miles from the village of Bamburgh to Seahouses and, from the shoreline, there are views of Lindisfarne, Holy Island and the Farne Islands. Although there are no facilities to speak of, its otherworldly drama attracts awestruck tourists year round.
Hunstanton, Norfolk
Affectionately known as "sunny hunny", Hunstanton is the only coastal town in East Anglia to face west. The blue flag beach is a gentle slope of sand backed by red-and-white-striped cliffs. All the sedate pleasures of the British seaside are here: candy floss, doughnuts, donkey rides – even a bandstand. There's also a thriving kite-surfing and buggying community (kitesurfhunstanton.com). Whatever you're up to, at sunset all action stops to watch the sun sink into the sea.
Achmelvich, Highland
Achmelvich is three long miles from the fishing village of Loch Inver on the remote west coast of Scotland. The beach has been awarded a blue flag for 13 consecutive years and, if you manage the single-track drive from the coast road down to the beach, you'll see why. Achmelvich is really a small collection of beaches huddled around rocky bays and headlands. When the time comes to turn your back on these blissful beaches, you'll see Mount Suilven rising almost vertically from the landscape in front of you.
Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula, Glamorgan
Three Cliffs takes its name from the three limestone points at the end of the bay, which are popular with rock climbers. In the distance, you'll see the ruins of Pennard Castle, and the views from here back to the bay make the hike worthwhile. But do keep an eye on the tide – some parts of the beach are likely to be cut off at high tide, and there's no lifeguard.
MOST UNCROWDED
Canford Cliffs Chine, Poole, Dorset
A well-kept secret between Branksome Chine and Flaghead Chine, this fine, blue-flag beach is where the locals go to avoid the crush of tourists in summer. The beach has all the facilities you'll need (toilets, lifeguards, a kiosk etc) but none of the hassle of more developed beaches.
Stone Bay, Broadstairs, Kent
There are seven sandy bays to choose from in Broadstairs and, while most visitors head for the hustle and bustle of Viking Bay, those in the know sneak off to the blue flag beach at Stone Bay. A peaceful arc of sand cradled by chalky cliffs, this is a great place for kids to go rockpooling. Access is via one of two steep flights of steps (the beach is the setting for John Buchan's novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps), or along the promenade from Viking Bay.
West Wittering, West Sussex
The approach to these sands is through gorgeous, open Sussex countrysid and there are acres of neatly mown grass where visitors can park before heading for the beach – all 54 acres of it. The sea here is flecked with wind and kitesurfers (and occasionally surfers when the waves are right) and there are shallow lagoons to dabble in on the sandy flats at low tide. Natural and non-commercialised, the beach has a small cafe, toilets and shower – but that's it in terms of facilities. You can hide behind your own mound of sand and go unnoticed for the entire day.
Frinton on Sea, Essex
There's not so much as an ice-cream kiosk at Frinton, which means that crowds (and litter) are kept to a minimum. The beach is at the end of an elegant esplanade that leads up to tree-lined residential streets and Connaught Avenue, dubbed the Bond Street of East Anglia.
Southwold Denes, Suffolk
This rural, blue flag beach is clean, quiet and secluded. To the south is the mouth of the Blyth river, and to the north is Southwold itself, which means day-trippers can enjoy the quirky arcades and ice-cream in the morning, before retreating to the dunes here. You'll share space with the odd walker, rare wildflowers and sea grasses.
Ainsdale, Merseyside
Ainsdale is between Formby and Southport on the Sefton coast and, although popular, the wide, flat sands manage to absorb as many visitors as they attract, giving beach-goers the salt-sprayed solitude they came for. The beach is backed by tufty dunes (home to the rare natterjack toad) and is divided into zones, keeping picnickers and kitesurfers safely apart.
Lunan Bay, Angus
Lunan Bay, between Arbroath and Montrose, is one of the biggest expanses of sand in Angus. There are hardly any facilities here, but surfers, birdwatchers, fishermen and horseriders love it, as do gemstone hunters. Look for agates and other semi-precious stones in the patches of tiny pebbles spaced out among the sands, especially after a storm. On a grassy bluff overlooking the bay are the ruins of Red Castle, a former royal pleasure palace built in the 1100s.
BEST FOR ACTIVITIES
Watergate Bay, Cornwall
Last year at the Extreme Academy at Watergate Bay, two miles north of Newquay, it was all about stand-up paddleboarding. This year, it has a shared adrenaline rush: dually bodyboarding. This involves two of you clinging onto a double-sized bodyboard with four handles and launching yourselves headfirst into the surf. The academy also offers kitesurfing and traction kiting. And if fancy hats and champers are more your scene, there's a free beach polo match here on 16 September, with public champagne bars and a barbecue.
• Watergate Bay Hotel & Extreme Academy (01637 860 543, watergatebay.co.uk); double bodyboard hire £5 for two hours, £10 per day
Brighton, East Sussex
In recent years there's been a LA-style fitness drive on the beachfront of this notorious hedonists' hangout. Yellowave is a sandy fitness centre on Madeira Drive between Brighton Marina and the pier. As a 2012 Olympics training venue, the centre features six beach volleyball or footvolley courts, which can be turned into two five-a-side beach soccer or rugby pitches or one international-size beach soccer pitch. There's also room for ultimate Frisbee, bouldering, "beachminton" and a play area for kids. Activities are for all ages and abilities and there taster sessions if you're new to sandy team sports.
• 01273 672222, yellowave.co.uk; court hire from £18 per hour
Isle of Tiree, Inner Hebrides
Four hours off the west coast of Scotland north of Glasgow is the Isle of Tiree – a low-lying island surrounded by unrelenting wind and waves. The island was practically tailor-made for watersports and hosts the Tiree Wave Classic, the UK's premier windsurfing competition, every year in early October. Wild Diamond teaches all the basics in windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddleboarding and sandyachting (it also hires out surfing and bodyboarding gear). There are breaks and beaches around the island to suit every activity at every level: ask the locals where to go.
• Burnside Cottage, Cornaig (01879 220399, wilddiamond.co.uk)
Woolacombe, Devon
The three-mile stretch of blue flag beach at Woolacombe is a long-established surfing mecca. This year, H2Outdoor is also offering activity packages including coasteering off Baggy Point, surfing and sea-kayaking over the weekend, or over three days if you're there mid-week.
• 01271 863777, h2outdoor.co.uk; £80 per person for weekdays, £90 weekends. Prices include all safety equipment, wetsuit hire and instruction. Accommodation also available from £45 per person, based on four sharing
Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset
If you can be tempted to leave the spotless sands of Dorset's swankiest peninsula, there's plenty to do in the water. The Water Sports Academy offers everything from windsurfing to kayaks to jet skiing. Alternatively, make like you're in St Tropez by drinking in the views of Poole harbour from the luxury of a skippered catamaran or powerboat. The waters around the blue-flag beach are carefully zoned, and there are lifeguards on duty from May to September. For landlubbers, there's beach-side bicycle hire and crazy golf.
• Banks Road (01202 708283, thewatersportsacademy.com)
BEST FOR SURFING
Polzeath beach, Cornwall
One of Cornwall's finest and cleanest beaches, Polzeath is tucked inside the Camel estuary and is the perfect spot for novice surfers. The Atlantic rollers aren't huge here but they are consistent. There's also a brilliant snack shack, Little Avalon cafe, serving strawberry crushes and Mars bar melts. The Surf's Up Surf School has been operating from the beach for 15 years and has an experienced team of instructors (including a former New Zealand national-level coach, Kelly O'Toole) who are prepared to work with everyone from complete beginners to elite riders. It also offers taster session for kids under seven.
• 21 Trenant Close (01208 862003, surfsupsurfschool.com); taster session £16 for just over an hour, beginner group lesson £26 for two hours, with free use of boards and wetsuits
Llangennith, Gower Peninsula, Glamorgan
This bay regularly offers "4ft corduroy perfection", making it popular with locals and novices alike. Llangennith is at the western end of the Gower Peninsula and stretches for more than three miles, with gorgeous views of the island of Burry Holms. The Welsh Surfing Federation Surf School, which is based here, specialises in teaching absolute beginners seven days a week in the summer. Day-trippers should be aware that there are no lifeguards on duty here and it isn't safe to swim in the big surf as there are undertows. Head to nearby Hillend for your sundowners.
• Welsh Surfing Federation Surf School (01792 386426, wsfsurfschool.co.uk); beginner group lesson £25 for two hours, including boards, wetsuits and boots, and free third-party insurance
Sennen Cove, Cornwall
This blue flag bearer is one of the best places in the UK to surf, thanks to its exposed position just one mile north-east of Land's End. Grassy hills and dunes lead you towards the spotless sands of this west-facing beach (stay for sunset if you can). What's more, there's no localism here: the waves get bigger as you head north up the beach, so the pros and novices can both enjoy their own patch.
• Smart Surf School (01736 871817, smartsurf.co.uk); beginner group lesson £20 for two hours, including equipment
Strathy Bay, Thurso, Highlands
A gorgeous beach with outstanding views of the Pentland Firth, Strathy is on the north coast, west of Thurso. Surfers chase the reliable swell here when it's flat further west. The waters are sparkling and there's a lifeguard – the only hazard is the rocks on the south side. Access to the beach isn't straightforward: if you're in the village, head to the graveyard high on a bluff on the east side of the river. From here, follow the road to the beach.
Saltburn, Cleveland, North Yorkshire
Saltburn has attracted surfers for more than 30 years and, with more than eight miles of breaks to ride, there are more than enough waves to go round (which is a good thing, as it gets packed in summer). Beginners should avoid the towering rock face of Huntcliffe and stick to the beach breaks either side of the Victorian pier.
• Lower Promenade (01287 625321, saltburnsurf.co.uk), beginner group lesson £30 for approximately two hours, all equipment provided
BEST FOR FAMILIES
Ramsgate Main Sands, Ramsgate, Kent
A bustling blue flag bearer, Ramsgate is a good old-fashioned beach resort with lifeguards on patrol, a bay inspector and a ban on dogs in the summer months, which keeps families flocking here. The swanky Royal Harbour (a title bestowed on it by George IV in 1821) and marina (where you can get your fish and chips and ice-creams) is right next door and there are children's rides on the beach itself. Every Tuesday afternoon in August, the Ramsgate Society offers costumed walks of the nearby cliffs and harbour.
• ramsgate-society.org.uk; portoframsgate.co.uk
Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon
This is a golden, rural beach sheltered by low cliffs and lapped by warm waters. Seaward lies Burgh island, where Noël Coward and Agatha Christie partied in the 1920s. At low tide, the island is accessible across a sand spit, but if you want to get across at high tide, you'll need to hitch a lift on the big-wheeled sea-tractor. Who needs donkeys, anyway?
West Beach, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
This is a gently shelving, sandy blue-flag beach surrounded by the bright lights and buzz of a traditional seaside resort. Parents of small children are advised to stop off at the beach patrol office and pick up a colour-coded wristband, to help prevent kids from becoming hopelessly lost when the beach gets crowded in the summer. The annual air show takes place above the beach on 26 and 27 August.
Tunnels Beaches, Ilfracombe, Devon
The once-secret tunnels that lead to this glistening cove were hand-carved through the cliffs by Welsh miners in 1823 and intended to connect Ilfracombe town centre to its secluded coves. The privately owned beach attracts adventurous families who appreciate the safety of the tidal pool, the cleanliness of the beach – no dogs allowed – and the opportunity to hunt for beasties in rockpools. There's a children's play hut (£2 an hour) next to the classy beach cafe overlooking the cove and out towards Lundy Island and south Wales.
• tunnelsbeaches.co.uk; adults £1.95, children 3-15 £1.75, family tickets from £6.50
Central Beach, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire
Cleethorpes is a real bucket-and-spade resort and still flying a blue flag. Drop the grandparents off at the Victorian gardens and waterfall, while you hop on the Lollipop Express for a steam journey along the Victorian promenade. Back on the beach, there's a free Punch and Judy puppet and balloon show at 11.30am on Wednesdays until 1 September.
Burntisland, Fife
This great little beach has been a blue-flag winner for 13 consecutive years. There's crazy golf, bouncy castles and an annual summer fairground nearby, and – if the weather fails – there's a swimming pool with flumes and a wave machine just a short walk from the beach. Alternatively, you can hire out a beach hut at the leisure centre, hunker down and hope it blows over.
• Beacon Leisure Centre, Lammerlaws Road (01592 583383; fifeleisure.org.uk), swimming: adults £2.90, under-17s free over the summer; adults the summer; beach hut hire £8 per day
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
The beach here is famous for its donkeys, which have left a trail of hoofprints in the sand since 1886. Add to that its winter gardens, go-karts, miniature railway and an aquarium with an underwater tunnel, and you've got the makings of a quintessentially British day out. Before you take out your bucket and spade, though, you might like to look at the sand sculpture festival (until 5 September; prices vary from day to day) for inspiration. You'll have to wait a bit longer to visit the Grand Pier – its reopening after a 2008 fire has been delayed.
• visitsomerset.co.uk, grandpier.co.uk, seaquarium.co.uk
BEST FOR SWIMMING
Tyrella, County Down
The wide, flat sands of Tyrella are backed by 25 hectares of mature dunes, making this blue flag beach a great spot for a swim. The beach is patrolled by lifeguards in the summer so you're guaranteed safe bathing in the crystal-clean waters.
Broughty Ferry, Dundee
Tucked beneath an historic castle, this sandy beach is where the residents of Dundee strip off for a safe, clean swim. There is an area specifically marked out for swimmers and lifeguards are present. The water is top quality (a blue flag flies here) and – if you're lucky – you might find a dolphin enjoying the water with you.
Blackpool Sands, Devon
A mile-long sweep of shingle and sand cradled by steep, wooded cliffs, this is one of Devon's finest blue-flag beaches. The real draw for swimmers is the bathing raft that bobs out at sea from July each year. Perfect for practising the perfect dive. There's also the Venus (01803 712648, venuscompany.co.uk), an excellent beach cafe with impeccable eco-credentials.
Ballygally, County Antrim
Majestic scenery comes as standard on the Antrim coast. Here on Ballygally you're also guaranteed safe, clear waters. From the bay looking back to shore, you'll get a fine view of Ballygally Castle hotel (028-2858 1066, hastingshotels.com/ballygally-castle), which dates back to 1625, and the verdant glens beyond.
West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside
This bustling little beach is only 300 metres long, but the sand flats exposed at low tide are sparkling, soft and vast. Lifeguards patrol the beach in the summer and surfers are asked not to come within 100 metres of the tide line, to allow bathers a good stretch of safe water. Take your goggles off for fine views across the Dee towards Snowdonia.
Three Shells Beach, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
This is a great bijou beach within walking distance of the town centre. In the summer, the beach is carefully valeted every day and the water has a Quality Coastal Award for cleanliness. There's even a freshwater shower for after your dip before refuelling with coffee, sandwiches and doughnuts from the Beach cafe right on the seafront. You simply can't miss the cafe at night – the shell-shaped roof is lit up in neon.
