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Join Which? TravelUK’s best seaside towns
Resorts and towns on the North Sea top our biggest ever survey of 135 destinations
The famous seaside towns and resorts of Devon, Cornwall and the south coast may grab the headlines and the crowds but, according to our survey, you'll have a better time next to the North Sea.
Our top three seaside towns, in our biggest national seaside survey ever, are all in the north of England or Scotland. And all offer something the south coast can't: space. Beautiful Bamburgh in Northumberland came out top again, closely followed by Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear, and St Andrews in Fife.
Even if you don't want to travel north because you're worried about leaving the sun behind, North Sea options were still rated better than more famous counterparts on the English Riviera. Aldeburgh, in Suffolk, and Frinton-on-Sea, in Essex, both made the top 10.
The holidaymakers who took part in our survey made almost 12,000 visits to the seaside between them last year, visiting 135 cities, towns and villages, including famous names such as Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth. Wherever you live, we’ve got the lowdown on a beach near you.
The UK's best seaside town
Bamburgh
Once again, tiny Bamburgh reigns supreme as the top-rated seaside town in the country.
It clinched five stars for its spectacular beach and scenery – as well as four stars for peace and quiet.
84%
1
out of 135 seaside towns ranked
UK seaside towns compared: the full list
Find out how your favourite coastal town fared in our table below.
| Seaside town | Destination score | Average hotel price | Beach | Seafront / pier | Food and drink | Tourist attractions | Scenery | Shopping | Peace and quiet | Parking | Value for money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to unlock for free Get instant access to these results, plus more reviews and advice by Which? experts, when you sign up for a free account Unlock tableAlready have an account? | 84% | £140 | |||||||||
| 82% | £129 | ||||||||||
| 81% | £145 | ||||||||||
| 80% | £182 | ||||||||||
| 80% | £144 | ||||||||||
| 80% | £94 | ||||||||||
| 80% | £211 | ||||||||||
| 79% | £107 | - | - | ||||||||
| 78% | £95 | ||||||||||
| 78% | £159 | ||||||||||
| 77% | £139 | ||||||||||
| 77% | £148 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 77% | £85 | ||||||||||
| 77% | £124 | ||||||||||
| 76% | £145 | ||||||||||
| 76% | £98 | ||||||||||
| 76% | £125 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £109 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £166 | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| 75% | £100 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £123 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £159 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £159 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £100 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £179 | - | |||||||||
| 75% | £149 | ||||||||||
| 75% | £81 | ||||||||||
| 74% | £115 | ||||||||||
| 74% | £129 | ||||||||||
| 74% | £79 | ||||||||||
| 74% | £94 | ||||||||||
| 73% | £99 | ||||||||||
| 73% | £114 | ||||||||||
| 73% | £159 | ||||||||||
| 73% | £112 | ||||||||||
| 73% | £132 | - | |||||||||
| 73% | £203 | ||||||||||
| 72% | £95 | ||||||||||
| 72% | £163 | - | |||||||||
| 71% | £144 | - | |||||||||
| 71% | £124 | ||||||||||
| 71% | £100 | ||||||||||
| 71% | £110 | ||||||||||
| 71% | £110 | ||||||||||
| 71% | £131 | ||||||||||
| 71% | £122 | ||||||||||
| 71% | £130 | ||||||||||
| 71% | £94 | ||||||||||
| 70% | £105 | ||||||||||
| 70% | £88 | ||||||||||
| 70% | £132 | ||||||||||
| 70% | £115 | ||||||||||
| 69% | £140 | ||||||||||
| 69% | £136 | - | |||||||||
| 69% | £138 | ||||||||||
| 69% | £230 | ||||||||||
| 69% | £125 | ||||||||||
| 69% | £100 | ||||||||||
| 68% | £105 | ||||||||||
| 68% | n/a | - | |||||||||
| 68% | £142 | ||||||||||
| 67% | £106 | ||||||||||
| 67% | £84 | ||||||||||
| 67% | £68 | ||||||||||
| 67% | £106 | ||||||||||
| 67% | £90 | ||||||||||
| 67% | £91 | ||||||||||
| 67% | £85 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £169 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £113 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £100 | - | |||||||||
| 66% | £122 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £91 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £92 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £117 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £120 | ||||||||||
| 66% | £136 | ||||||||||
| 65% | £106 | ||||||||||
| 65% | £95 | ||||||||||
| 65% | £68 | ||||||||||
| 64% | £74 | - | |||||||||
| 64% | £120 | ||||||||||
| 64% | £90 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 64% | £102 | ||||||||||
| 64% | £114 | ||||||||||
| 63% | £105 | ||||||||||
| 63% | £111 | ||||||||||
| 63% | £80 | ||||||||||
| 63% | £233 | - | |||||||||
| 62% | £126 | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| 62% | £116 | ||||||||||
| 62% | £72 | ||||||||||
| 62% | £85 | ||||||||||
| 61% | £129 | ||||||||||
| 61% | £64 | ||||||||||
| 61% | £96 | ||||||||||
| 60% | £105 | ||||||||||
| 60% | £98 | ||||||||||
| 59% | £89 | ||||||||||
| 59% | £91 | ||||||||||
| 59% | £89 | ||||||||||
| 58% | £87 | ||||||||||
| 58% | £115 | ||||||||||
| 58% | £83 | ||||||||||
| 57% | £100 | ||||||||||
| 57% | £80 | ||||||||||
| 57% | £96 | ||||||||||
| 56% | £84 | ||||||||||
| 56% | £77 | ||||||||||
| 56% | £116 | ||||||||||
| 56% | £100 | ||||||||||
| 56% | £74 | ||||||||||
| 55% | £167 | ||||||||||
| 55% | £90 | ||||||||||
| 55% | £99 | ||||||||||
| 55% | £113 | ||||||||||
| 54% | £70 | ||||||||||
| 54% | £68 | ||||||||||
| 53% | £70 | ||||||||||
| 53% | £99 | ||||||||||
| 53% | £63 | ||||||||||
| 53% | £67 | ||||||||||
| 52% | £107 | ||||||||||
| 51% | £121 | ||||||||||
| 51% | £69 | ||||||||||
| 50% | £81 | ||||||||||
| 48% | £74 | ||||||||||
| 48% | £78 | ||||||||||
| 47% | £93 | ||||||||||
| 46% | £82 | - | |||||||||
| 46% | £57 | ||||||||||
| 46% | £78 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 46% | £69 | ||||||||||
| 46% | £78 | ||||||||||
| 41% | £110 |
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USING THE TABLE Results are based on an online survey conducted in January-February 2026 of 5,320 Which? Connect panel members who told us about 11,999 experiences of visiting a UK seaside town for leisure purposes in the previous year (for example, since January 2025). Sample size in brackets. Star ratings A dash (-) means too few responses to include a star rating. Destination score Based on satisfaction with the location and likelihood to recommend. Hotel prices from Kayak, based on hotels with a three or four-star rating, using searches made from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
The highest-rated seaside towns in England
Bamburgh, Northumberland 84%
The brooding good looks of Bamburgh Castle and its vast sweep of sandy beach propel it to the top of our table once again. It's a perpetual favourite with readers, consistently scoring the full five stars for its scenery and beach. Set on a rocky outcrop, the epic silhouette of the castle has stood guard over Bamburgh since its inception as a Norman stronghold, with each generation since leaving its own traces of occupation.
The pretty village of a few hundred people has become more popular with tourists in recent years, but it hasn't been swamped in holiday lets, and there’s still plenty of space on the beach - especially out of season. Enjoy excellent seafood at the The Potted Lobster, freshly baked sausage rolls from R Carter & Son butchers and your choice of cakes at many tearooms. There is little accommodation, so book well in advance if you want to stay overnight.
Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear 82%
An extraordinary setting of three impeccable golden sand beaches wrapped around a steep headland crowned by the ruins of Tynemouth Priory and Castle. There is good coffee and nice pubs on the high street, while Riley's Fish Shack, a converted shipping container on the beach at King Edward's Bay, serves tasty and inventive fish dishes sourced from local boats. The menu at Tynemouth Castle Inn, which overlooks Longsands beach, includes local favourite ham and pease pudding stottie.
While its popularity with daytrippers means that the beaches can be busy at weekends, holidaymakers staying in one of the few local hotels mostly have it to themselves during the week.
The best seaside towns in Scotland
St Andrews, Fife 81%
It doesn't take long to get to know St Andrews' three main streets and the cobbled alleyways that lead towards the cathedral, castle, beach and harbour. Soon, the bakery Fisher & Donaldson, traditional pub The Criterion and Jannettas Gelateria, an ice-cream institution, feel like old friends.
The prestigious Old Course on West Sands is the 'home of golf' and also the location of the legendary barefoot running scene in Chariots of Fire. You can see why it was chosen: even the most sluggish might be tempted to take off their shoes when the tide is out and run along its two miles of glorious sand. This is no place to eat fish and chips on your lap, either. Three of St Andrews' restaurants are in the Michelin Guide, making it one of the best foodie seaside breaks in the country
Crail, Fife 80%
You could double up on your trip to St Andrews with a visit to Crail, too. A walk along the Fife Coastal Path takes you through a series of picturesque fishing villages and is the best way to approach Crail, one of the prettiest. This jumble of whitewashed, pantile cottages gathered around a working harbour is. revealed as you descend from the headland.
Weekenders from Edinburgh head here for reviving jaunts: not only is it one of Scotland's sunniest spots, but it's also a village of artists, potters and fishing boats. Unlike some other coastal villages, most of the houses (whose stepped gables are influenced by former trading with the Netherlands) are occupied by full-time residents – it hasn't fallen victim to the out-of-season holiday accommodation abandonment. Locals and visitors alike enjoy lobster rolls served from a van on the harbour, its strand of golden beach and pottering around its cobbled wynds.
The best seaside towns in Wales
Portmeirion, Gwynedd 80%
The best way to experience the strange and lovely magic of Portmeirion is to stay overnight in one of its extraordinary buildings. The twilight hours, when day visitors have vanished, elevate its enchantment, and wandering through this ‘home of fallen buildings’ – the phrase given to it by creator architect Clough Williams-Ellis – feels like falling through a portal into a different time.
Between 1925 and 1973, Williams-Ellis transformed a scrubby patch of land on the sandy estuary between Porthmadog and Harlech into an architectural spectacle. The buildings he introduced range from an Italianate campanile to a golden statue of Buddha and a 17th-century Welsh town hall. This is just a fantastic place to visit.
St Davids, Pembrokeshire 79%
Often described as the UK's smallest city, St Davids feels like one in name only. Its handful of cafés, pubs and shops clustered around a sweet little square feel more like a village. As does its location - right at the western edge of Wales, surrounded by the heathland, beaches and cliffs of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It's wild and as far from urban life as can be.
Then you see its cathedral lying low, vast and magnificent at the edge of town, and St Davids' importance makes sense. Built on the site of a 6th- century monastery in the 12th century, and hosting the stone tomb of national patron saint, David, the cathedral has been a place of pilgrimage for generations. St Davids is also a place that cares for the environment: many and various green and sustainable initiatives have earned it the title of the UK's first eco city.
The best seaside town in Northern Ireland
Portstewart, Londonderry/Derry 76%
Set on the extraordinary Causeway Coast, Portstewart gets the full five stars for its seafront, beach and landscape. It's the Blue Flag beach, Portstewart Strand, with two miles of honey-coloured sand backed by hummocky dunes, that draws and delights visitors. Cars can pull up directly on the beach, with families and surfers tumbling out to run towards the sea or head to Morelli's Gelato for an ice cream. Harry's Shack, a low-slung wooden shed, serves an enticing fish-focused menu.
Sit by the stove with a huge pot of mussels and watch the sun sink over the Atlantic. The town, a Victorian resort, has a sedate, refined feel. It scored just three stars for attractions, but who needs amusement arcades when you can enjoy a toasted teacake in a sweet little café, a round of golf or a stroll along the two-tiered, shop-lined promenade?
How the scores are calculated for the best and worst seaside towns
Which? Travel works on behalf of UK holidaymakers. We carry out surveys of both companies and destinations to provide advice on the best holidays and the best holiday providers.
For this survey, we gathered the opinions of thousands of Which? Connect panel members about their recent trips to UK seaside towns. To calculate overall customer scores, we asked the members whether they recommend the town and how satisfied they were with their trip.
We also asked about specific aspects of the towns – such as the beach or the scenery – to calculate star ratings.
You’re likely to strongly disagree with the results of our best UK seaside towns survey. I know I do.
The best seaside towns in the UK are, in fact, Tobermory (the prettiest harbour in the country), Tynemouth (incredible Blue Flag beaches reachable by Metro) and Great Yarmouth (where I wowed the crowd and took home second in the under-10s summer holiday dancing competition in 1989).
Most of us have very happy memories of seaside trips, and a correspondingly strong affection for those towns where we built sandcastles as kids, ate fish and chips with someone special on the promenade or came second in a dance competition.
But that’s what makes our destination rankings different. It’s not just one writer’s opinion on where is best, but the opinions of more than 5,000 people. With so many respondents, we get a truly objective view of the best – and worst – seaside towns in the UK. (And yes, you should probably trust the survey data over my childhood dancing career.)
Rory Boland - editor of Which? Travel