Britain's beaches 'rank among the best in the world'

Beach lovers may only need to go as far as Wales and the west of England to find the perfect bit of sand.

Rhossili Bay at Swansea in South Wales was third in a list of best European beaches in a survey of worldwide tourists. Woolacombe Beach in Devon was fifth, with Porthminster Beach at St Ives in ninth place.

Two surfers leave the water and head back across the beach at Woolacombe, North Devon
Two surfers leave the water and head back across the beach at Woolacombe, North Devon Credit: Press Association

Top European beach was Rabbit Beach at Lampedusa in Sicily, with Playa de las Catedrales in Rabadeo in Galicia, Spain, in second place.

Rhossili Bay, a three-mile stretch of white sand on the Gower Peninsula, was first in a list of top UK beaches, with Woolacombe second and Porthminster third.

We are delighted, but not surprised, that Rhossili Bay has been acknowledged by TripAdvisor. We hope that many more visitors continue to enjoy its outstanding natural beauty.

– Councillor David Phillips, leader of the City and County of Swansea

These are the top 10 UK beaches, in the survey by TripAdvisor:

  • Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Swansea
  • Woolacombe Beach, Woolacombe, Devon
  • Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall
  • Longsands Beach, Tynemouth
  • Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, Dorset
  • Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall
  • Weymouth Beach, Weymouth, Dorset
  • Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset
  • Filey Beach, Filey, Yorkshire
  • St Brelade's Bay Beach, Jersey

These were the best in Europe:

  • Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy
  • Playa de las Catedrales, Ribadeo, Spain
  • RHOSSILI BAY, RHOSSILI, SWANSEA, WALES
  • Playa de ses Illetes, Formentera, Majorca, Spain
  • WOOLACOMBE BEACH, WOOLACOMBE, DEVON
  • Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Crete, Greece
  • Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan, Turkey
  • La Pelosa Beach, Stintino, Sardinia, Italy
  • PORTHMINSTER BEACH, ST IVES, CORNWALL
  • St Pauls Bay, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece