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