Find the nearest Beaches
Planning a trip to the UK and Ireland coast and looking for where the nearest beach is, our beach lists will help you discover the nearest beach to me. Then for each beach, we will answer questions around location, rural or town, sandy or pebble, rockpools, tide times, weather forecast, dog restrictions, bathing water quality, closest beach cafes and provide general information on the beach and its facilities.
When on a beach page use our tools to search nearby UK and Ireland seaside towns and the surrounding coast for things to see and do or places to stay and eat.
If you are looking for an award-winning beach then you can browse our Blue Flag lists or Seaside Award lists.
Finding the right beach in UK and Ireland is easy – simply explore the beach links below, to find the closest hit the jump to my location compass or use the search bar to plan where your next UK and Ireland beach visit should be.
- Pathhead Sands beach is a sandy beach that runs between Ravenscraig Castle in the east and Kirkcaldy Harbour to the west. Facilities at the beach include car parking, picnic tables and grass areas.
- Morfa beach is located about 1km south of Llanon village and the beach is pebble with some sand. Small amount of parking at the end of a single track road by the hotel and restaurant.
- Porthleven beach is next to the harbour and near the village centre. Porthleven beach is separated from the harbour by the granite pier which lies in front of the Porthleven institute and clock tower. When the tide is out it is possible to walk in an easterly direction along Porthleven beach for approximately three miles, past Loe Bar and Penrose Estate. Alternatively, you can walk along the coast path the coast path out of the village with the Porthleven beach below you. At high tide, the beach all but disappears. Excellent surfing location for intermediate to advanced surfers with a natural reef break. Best months is between September and December but you will always get a strong surfing community and on big days news will travel and may get packed. On a calm day a good location for SUP with choices of the protected harbour and the beach front. The beach is a short walk along the harbour to the village centre where you have parking, shops and a selection of cafe and pubs.
- The wide sandy beach at Constantine Bay is defined by the low headlands and rocky islands that head out to sea and is backed by large dunes which have been planted with marram grass to help stabilize them. At low tide you have plenty of rockpools to explore. One of the most popular surfing beaches on this stretch of North Cornwall coast. Car park, toilets, cafe and lifeguards in summer.
- Tresilian Bay beach is a rocky beach with small amounts of sand at low tide, located halfway along the coastal walk from Llantwit Major to St. Donats. The walk along this stretch of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast is very good passing limestone cliffs, caves and small bays like this at Tresilian Bay. No facilities at the bay, with the closest via a coastal walk at Llantwit Major in the east or St Donats to the west.
- Murlough Beach is a wide flat sandy beach with a pebble ridge above high water mark that runs for a length of 6km (5 miles) between Newcastle and Dundrum. The beach is backed by a large sand dune system designated as a National Nature Reserve. There is network of paths and boardwalks through the dunes, woodland and heath. Murlough beach is an excellent area for walking and bird watching due to its spectacular location within the Mournes and Slieve Croob Area of Outstanding Beauty and the Murlough Special Area for Conservation. Facilities include beach cafe, toilets (incl. disabled), car parking, picnic sites (BBQ friendly) and seasonal lifeguards.
- Dunoon West Bay is a sweeping shingle beach backed by a promenade. A little confusing in its name is that the beach faces South into the firth of Clyde.
- Shipload Bay beach is sandy and very hard to get to. Shipload Bay, lies on the northern side of the Hartland peninsular on the coastal footpath. No facilities. We have no dog information for Shipload Bay beach.
- Lulworth Cove is within the Natural World Heritage Coastline. It has a horse shoe beach which is a mix of sand and pebbles. The cove is surrounded by high cliffs (135m, 440ft) and this area of the coast has some of the most fascinating geology in Europe. The Cove is also probably one of England’s most remarkable natural sites and attracts lots of visitors. At the West Lulworth Heritage Centre you have a museum about Lulworth and its coast, the history of the village and souvenirs. Lulworth Cove is part of the Lulworth estate, which has been owned by the same family since the mid 1600s. The Steps at the east end of the beach lead to the Fossil Forest and Mupe Bay with a stunning walk along the cliff top – this footpath is within the MoD restricted area and is only open on weekends and the whole of August. The village of West Lulworth has parking, gift shops, pub, cafes and ice cream outlets. Heritage Centre gives good information about the area and its geology.
- Gott Bay is Tiree’s longest sandy beach, approx 2.5 miles from end to end. The horseshoe shape to it makes it ideal for wind based watersports with a wide range of wind directions. A sandy East facing beach shallow slope making safe conditions, although a few rocks in the middle. The sand is compact with a large flat area when the tide is out making Gott Bay good for kite buggying and sand yachting.
- This sandy beach links the Shetland mainland to St Ninians Isle. The 500 metre stretch of sand is the UKs largest active tombolo – a deposition landform in which an island is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such as a spit or bar. It is well worth a look around St Ninians Isle as you have some great vies, a wide range of seabirds and some archaeological finds. You have a car parking area next to the beach with picnic tables along with a cafe in nearby Bigton.
- Brekon Sands beach is a white sandy beach protected by a rock headland on the North of Yell. The beach is backed by grass covered sand dunes. Some nice walks around the headland.