Hunstanton, also known as Sunny Hunny, stretches along Norfolk on England’s east coast. The two-mile long beach lies beneath west-facing striped cliffs that are home to a lighthouse and a fine sunset vantage point. The tide can recede up to a mile offshore, leaving numerous rock pools scattered along the sands. Hunstanton has numerous family-orientated amenities including boat trips to a nearby island inhabited by seals.
Huisinis beach rests on the Isle of Harris, 30 miles north-west of the Scottish mainland. It's reached via a 15-mile hiking track that snakes through glorious Highland scenery, including Loch (lake) Leosavay and Amhuinnsuidhe Castle. The beach itself is a sandy cove surrounded by gray rock and grassy slopes. According to the Guardian, “Nothing can prepare you for Huisinis … a pristine cuticle of white sand.”
The Gower Peninsula, located on the southern Welsh coast, was listed as “an area of outstanding natural beauty” in the U.K.’s 1949 Parliament Act. It's 16 miles long and seven miles wide, and its formidable waves makes it one of the U.K.’s leading surfing spots. Three Cliffs Bay is the area’s leading attraction, a beach surrounded by limestone cliffs and backed by the 800-year old remnants of Pennard Castle.
This seven-mile golden sandy beach was honored with the European-recognized Black Flag Award in 2011. Resting in Derry, Downhill Beach affords spectacular views of the neighboring counties of Antrim and Donegal. It's home to waterfalls, sweeping sand dunes and miles of walking trails as well as the 18th century ruins of Mussenden Temple.
On the southwesterly coast of Wales in the region of Pembrokeshire sits Barafundle Bay. This isolated beach is renowned for its sand dunes, surrounding pine woodland and clear waters. In 2012, it was the winner of the Green Coast and the Rural Seaside awards in recognition of its cleanliness and natural beauty.
According to the Guardian, Woolacombe is one of the best activity beaches in the British Isles. Located in Devon, on England’s southwest coast, the beach is a leading surf venue. The three-mile golden sandy stretch has won the Blue Flag, Premier Seaside Beach and England for Excellence Gold awards and was voted Best British Beach by the Mail on Sunday.
