Talacre Beach
Situated on the west bank of the Dee estuary as it enters the Irish Sea in North Wales, Talacre Beach is a place of big sky and seemingly endless sands. It’s the sort of beach that sees visitors all the year-round, as it’s warm and inviting in the summer and empty and elemental in the winter.
The Point of Ayr lighthouse, originally built in 1776, still stands guard over the expanse of sand, although at high tide it’s nearly forty yards out to sea. The sand dunes that enclose the beach are home to a colony of natterjack toads, one of Britain’s most rare creatures, whilst the estuary itself plays host to thousands of wintering seabirds.
Tenby
Frequently called the prettiest seaside town in Wales, Tenby boasts three popular stretches of sand, named North Beach, Castle Beach and South Beach. North Beach is a stretch of soft sand that runs up to the harbor and has the famous Goskar Rock at its center. It’s overlooked by cliff-top hotels and guesthouses.
The South Beach is two miles of picture-postcard sand overlooking Caldey Island and backed by dunes, whilst the smaller Castle Beach lies in a cove between Castle Hill and the East Cliff. It’s popular with canoeists, swimmers and even surfers when the breakers are rolling! Tenby is also proud of the numerous awards and accolades it has received for both clean beaches and excellent bathing water.
Bournemouth
This famous South Coast resort combines the best of the traditional seaside town with beautiful scenery and views. There are seven miles of beaches here below a striking line of cliffs. Bournemouth’s natural bay has its own microclimate that delivers some of the warmest seawater anywhere on the shores of the UK. It also offers marvelous views of the Isle of Wight and the Purbecks.
Whilst it can cater to sophisticated tastes, the town has never forgotten that its fame and fortune were founded on its sun, sand and sea air. The length of Bournemouth’s beach and its cliff-top vantage points make it a natural theatre for the popular Bournemouth Air Show staged each August.
Blackpool
Possibly the most famous seaside resort in the UK and even known overseas, Blackpool has been playing host to seaside holidaymakers and trippers for well over a century. But for all the wealth of attractions, illuminations, trams and towers, this Lancashire town’s popularity still centers on its glorious expanse of sand. Whether you visit for a bracing morning dip, an afternoon in a deckchair or to see the stunning sunsets over the Irish Sea, Blackpool really is the ‘pleasure beach’.
Porthcurno
There are few places like Cornwall for blending beautiful beaches with dramatic coastlines and scenery. A perfect combination of all three can be found at Porthcurno Beach, in the west of the county, between Penzance and Land’s End.
With rugged hills to the rear, fine sand and beaches sloping down to clear blue-green waters, Porthcurno is a must for the serious sea swimmer, whilst the stream at the top of the beach provides ideal paddling for youngsters.