Britain’s favourite seaside destination revealed as Whitby beats St Ives in the rankings

Brits have named their favourite seaside towns in the UK, with one Yorkshire hotspot proving to be popular with holidaymakers.
By Louise Perrin
Published 5th Aug 2021, 10:12 GMT
Updated 5th Aug 2021, 10:14 GMT
Whitby - Pic: Marisa CashillWhitby - Pic: Marisa Cashill
Whitby - Pic: Marisa Cashill

A survey by McCarthy Stone, saw 2,700 people surveyed to find which of the most popular seaside towns came out as the UK’s favourite. Unsurprisingly, the results show that Brits are very appreciative of coastlines from all corners of the nation.

With government data finding that 68% of Brits are not yet comfortable with foreign travel, holidaymakers are keen to get a taste of the seaside without heading abroad. With the school holidays well underway, Brits have been voting on a number of coastal towns to determine the UK’s favourites.

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Salcombe, with its pastel-hued, picturesque harbour, came out on top, with almost a fifth of the vote (18.5%); it’s not hard to understand why when you witness the nautical beauty of South Devon.

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Weymouth in Dorset came second with 16 per cent, boasting several enviable beaches, it was announced as the number one beach in the UK in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2017, and has also previously been ranked ninth best beach in Europe.

Third place was given to Whitby in North Yorkshire (12%), which boasts ties with Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the imposing Abbey ruins which look over the highly-voted harbour below.

St Ives on the Cornish coast came fourth with 11.7 per cent of the voting with Bamburgh (10.4%) in the North East of the country completing the top five.

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With the school summer holidays starting across the UK, there is a clamour to enjoy some of the UK’s 7,700 miles of coastline, with the British Isles boasting some of the most beautiful beaches and breath-taking sea views there is to offer.

UK’s top 10 seaside destinations:

1. Salcombe, Devon - 18.5 per cent

2. Weymouth, Dorset - 16.1 per cent

3. Whitby, North Yorkshire - 12 per cent

4. St. Ives, Cornwall - 11.7 per cent

5. Bamburgh, Northumberland - 10.4 per cent

6. Cromer, Norfolk - 9.1 per cent

7. Shanklin, Isle of Wight - 6.2 per cent

8. Deal, Kent - 5.9 per cent

9. Worthing, West Sussex - 5.7 per cent

10. Hastings, East Sussex - 3.9 per cent

Related topics:WhitbyNorth YorkshireBritainWeymouthBamburgh