The best beach in the UK (if you’re looking for sun)

Frinton-on-Sea, just up the coast from Clacton in Essex, could be your best bet for a paddle in the sunshine this summer.

In our last survey of the best and worst seaside towns, Frinton was one of just nine out of 120 to get the full five stars for its beach.

It got five stars for peace and quiet, and was one of only two towns – along with Portmeirion in Wales – to also get five stars for parking.

Just as importantly, the Essex coast has better weather than anywhere else in the UK for a day at the seaside.

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The sunniest towns in the UK

Frinton is one of the UK’s sunniest, driest towns, with average highs of 21°C in August and water temperatures of around 18°C. Average rainfall in August is just 45mm, and the Essex coast as a whole is the driest part of the UK.

Other beach towns in our annual survey, such as Bamburgh in Northumberland, St Andrews in Scotland, and Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear, have higher destination scores than Frinton’s 75%, but they're unlikely to be as sunny.

Beautiful Bamburgh has average highs of 18°C and a chilly North Sea temperature of 14°C in August.

What’s so special about Frinton-on-Sea?

One person in our survey summed up Frinton-on-Sea as ‘a town by the sea, rather than a seaside resort’. Another approvingly noted that there are ‘no tacky amusement arcades’.

In many ways it hasn’t changed since Edwardian times. There’s still only one pub, and it didn’t get a fish and chip shop until the 1990s. 

Its great charm comes from the broad, pristine sands which back on to the grassy Greensward rather than the more typical ice cream vendors or chip shops of other towns. It’s resisted being overrun by chain stores and still has many independent shops.

However, you might want to bring a picnic, as well as your own entertainment, as it gets two stars for food and drink, and just one for tourist attractions.

If you do want amusement arcades, livelier pubs and chip shops, Clacton-on-Sea is just 20 minutes drive up the coast.

Frinton is the best beach town near London.

The best beach town near you and how likely it is to be sunny

In our survey of the UK’s best seaside towns, we’ve highlighted the best beaches in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Despite being home to the famous Blackpool, North West England has no great beach towns, according to our survey, although the North Wales coast is not far away. 

Bude in Cornwall, Lytham St Annes in Lancashire and Portstewart in Northern Ireland are the rainiest of our highly rated beaches, with Frinton-on-Sea the driest and the warmest.

The highest rated beach towns where you live

Towns are the highest rated by destination score and/or beach rating for each region. Data in centigrade from weather2travel.com, using nearest town for data. A dash "-" means that we didn’t get enough data to provide a score.

Is your beach safe for swimming?

Reports of raw sewage being pumped out near to beaches have put many people off going for a swim this year.

However, there is a way to make sure your beach is safe. You can choose a blue flag beach - such as Frinton - which should be clean and have decent facilities.

Or, alternatively, there's an app that allows you to check the water quality at your local beach.

The best beach towns in Spain

Frinton may be warm for the UK, but it’s nothing compared with towns such as Alicante in Spain, where average highs are 31°C in August, there are 10 hours of sunshine a day, average sea temperatures of 26°C and very little chance of rain (just 13mm, on average, in August).

See which destinations visitors rated as the best beach towns in Spain.

Best and worst sun cream

If you're heading to the beach, then remember to take sun cream with you. In our latest tests, we found a Best Buy that costs just £3.29 – but also some that we warn against buying.

See our guide to the best suncream you can buy.