Our beaches are among the best

Woolacombe Beach was packed last August bank holiday Photo: Tim Ireland/PA Wire

Beach lovers do as well in the west of England as in Spain and Greece, according to a poll of tourists worldwide.

Woolacombe Beach in Devon was fifth in a list of best European beaches, with Porthminster Beach at St Ives in ninth place in the survey by TripAdvisor.

Woolacombe came second and Porthminster third in the list of top 10 UK beaches, which also featured Newquay and Weymouth beaches.

These awards recognise the best beaches in the UK and beyond, according to those that really matter - travellers that have visited these beaches and given them the highest levels of praise.

– TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma Shaw
Woolacombe is good for sandcastles and surfers alike Credit: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Here are the Top 10 UK Beaches

  • 1. Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Swansea
  • 2. WOOLACOMBE BEACH, WOOLACOMBE, DEVON
  • 3. PORTHMINSTER BEACH, ST IVES, CORNWALL
  • 4. Longsands Beach, Tynemouth
  • 5. Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, Dorset
  • 6. FISTRAL BEACH, NEWQUAY, CORNWALL
  • 7. WEYMOUTH BEACH, WEYMOUTH, DORSET
  • 8. Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset
  • 9. Filey Beach, Filey, Yorkshire
  • 10. St Brelade's Bay Beach, Jersey
Porthminster Beach in St Ives made the top ten beaches in Europe Credit: ITV News West Country

These are the best in Europe:

  • 1. Rabbit Beach, Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy
  • 2. Playa de las Catedrales, Ribadeo, Spain
  • 3. Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Swansea, Wales
  • 4. Playa de ses Illetes, Formentera, Majorca, Spain
  • 5. WOOLACOMBE BEACH, WOOLACOMBE, DEVON
  • 6. Elafonissi Beach, Elafonissi, Crete, Greece
  • 7. Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan, Turkey
  • 8. La Pelosa Beach, Stintino, Sardinia, Italy
  • 9. PORTHMINSTER BEACH, ST IVES, CORNWALL
  • 10. St Pauls Bay, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece
Fistral Beach attracts surfers - and fans - from all over the world to Newquay Credit: ITV News West Country