As the days get longer and warmer, you may feel a calling to the sea. This is completely normal, and luckily in the UK, you’re literally never more than 70 miles from the coast.
Not all beaches are equal though. You don’t want to waste your bank holiday at a subpar seaside town, so it’s lucky that the experts at travel mag Condé Nast Traveller (CNT) have listed their favourite coastal walks in the UK.
In total, CNT named eight excellent beach spots, none of which are stereotypical, run of the mill choices. For instance, it describes Sandsend in Lythe as ‘a cherished local spot, quietly kept under wraps’. Sandsend is set below the gothic Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire, but far less known than its neighbouring tourist hotspot. Despite that, CNT reckon it’s well worth your time, highlighting its ‘rich history and pretty and petite charms, plus all the right ingredients for a restful coastal break with plenty of seaside walks’.
If you’re not in the north, try Studland Bay in Dorset. It’s no secret that the World UNESCO Heritage site which much of Dorset rests on, the Jurassic Coast, is gorgeous, but CNT says that this beach is particularly good for ‘low-tide foraging’. Expect ‘sea blight, spider crabs, razor clams and cockles’ to cook with, or just to admire.
Heading back up very far north, St Ninian’s Isle in Shetland is not easy to get to, but worth the trip. The sea is as blue as it gets on this side of the channel, and the coast has been largely undisturbed by humans; in fact this coastal walk was only discovered in 1958.
Another island walk recommended by CNT is across Gugh on the Isles of Scilly. Recently named the best island in (or near?) the country, this magical little beach is only accessible at low-tide, so make sure you don’t get trapped. This walk takes you past neolithic caves, ‘Bronze Age cairns and ancient burial sites’. It’s almost like time travelling, except it ends, like all coastal walks must, at a pub.
Also listed are Ynys Gifftan in Wales, Osea Island, which is owned by music producer Nigel Frieda but currently up for sale, fishing village Ravenscar in Scarborough and Erraid in Scotland. Each has its own quirks and, importantly, not very many tourists.
You can have a look at CNT’s full article, including all of its recommendations for where to eat and stay at each of these underrated destinations, here.
The best beaches in the UK, according to Time Out.
Looking for some cracking beaches?
CNT isn’t the only one who can recommend a beach. Here at Time Out, we’ve got our roundup of the best beaches in the UK, and our list of the best beaches in the world if you're looking for sandier shores. We’ve also got a guide for places in the UK that don’t look like the UK, if you want excitement on a budget.
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