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Revealed: The top ten beaches in the world
Time to start planning your next holiday
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Your support makes all the difference.If summer holidays seem like a distant memory, it may be time to remind yourself of the beauty of a beach on a sunny day.
And if you don’t know where to go to make the most of the coast, prepare to be inspired.
Weymouth Beach in Dorset has today been named the best-rated beach in the UK in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards - it’s even made the top ten in Europe too.
The beach beat rivals in Sardinia, Greece and Spain this year, proving that “the UK’s beaches can more than hold their own against destinations with sunnier climes,” according to TripAdvisor spokesperson, Hayley Coleman.
Featuring three miles of sand and traditional British seaside attractions, including donkey rides and Punch and Judy shows, Weymouth Beach climbed up from second place in the UK list last year.
“This is a huge accolade and is recognition of not only the beach but the town,” said Cllr Jason Osborne, Weymouth & Portland Borough Council Tourism and Culture Briefholder.
The accolade of top beach in Europe has been won by La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Spain. As well as being located in the city centre with an impressive 1,500 of white sand, the beach is particularly noteworthy due to its small island in the middle of the bay, Isla Santa Clara.
The island has its own little beach, a lighthouse, picnic tables and bar, and sunbathers can swim out there from La Concha.
Baia do Sancho in Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha (an archipelago with UNESCO world heritage status) has been crowned number one beach in the world, and justifiably too: “The bay of crystalline water and soft white sand coupled with surrounding cliffs teeming with exotic wildlife are what dreams are made of,” according to TripAdvisor.
“For those keen to pay a visit to the world’s number one beach, according to TripAdvisor booking data, the best value time to travel to Baia do Sancho is April, when the average nightly hotel rate on TripAdvisor is £152,” Coleman reveals.
The winners were determined based on both the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor during a 12-month period.
Top 10 beaches in the UK
- Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, Dorset
- Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall
- St. Brelade’s Bay Beach, St Brelade, Jersey
- Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, Scotland
- Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, Devon
- Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall
- Bournemouth Beach, Bournemouth, Dorset
- Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Wales
- Perranporth Beach, Perranporth, Cornwall
- Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, Dorset
Top 10 Beaches in Europe
- La Concha Beach, San Sebastian, Donostia, Spain
- Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece
- La Cote des Basques, Biarritz, France
- Fig Tree Bay, Protaras, Cyprus
- Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy
- Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
- Balos Beach and Lagoon, Kissamos, Crete, Greece
- Kleftiko Beach, Milos, Greece
- Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, United Kingdom
- Playa de Muro Beach, Playa de Muro, Spain
Top 10 Beaches in the World
- Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
- Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
- Eagle Beach, Palm, Eagle Beach, Aruba, Caribbean
- Playa Paraiso, Cayo Largo, Cuba
- Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida, United States
- La Concha Beach, San Sebastian, Donostia, Spain
- Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
- Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India
- Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Greece
- Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands
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