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