The best beach in the UK can be found in a seaside town in one of the most underrated parts of the country.
In 2023, Dorset was named one of the most underrated places in the UK by Time Out Magazine, which cited local beaches and a buzzing atmosphere.
Dorset boasts over 40 stunning beaches, and the county attracts millions of tourists looking to enjoy those shores each year.
While the area is renowned for its offering, Weymouth, a little town on the south coast facing the English Channel, has long maintained a reputation for its particular beauty.
The town’s main beach was recently named the best in the country and among the best in the world.
Tripadvisor recently released a league table ranking the top 25 best beaches in the world.
Unsurprisingly, the travel firm’s top 10 is dominated by Mediterranean and tropical paradises, with Praia da Falesia in Portugal’s Algarve, ranking top.
Spiaggia dei Conigli, on Sicily’s Lampedusa island, and La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Spain, came second and third, respectively, with Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii, and Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos coming fourth and fifth.
No British beaches can be found in the top 10, but, possibly to the surprise of some, Weymouth Beach is the only one on the list at all, and enters the top 20.
Weymouth Beach’s 19th place ranking won’t surprise locals, who will be well aware of the large crowds that visit the coast’s white sands to sunbathe and swim every year.
The beach gently curves around the Dorset coast and boasts panoramic views that give people an unrivalled view of the area.
Visitors have multiple ways to enjoy the seaside, with people occasionally seen on horseback walking across the sands and wading in the sea and it is annually closed for the Weymouth Beach Race.
The race sees the beach transformed, with hills and dips added as motocross riders compete for 10 prizes.
Weymouth Beach has seen several famous visitors, among them King George III, who favoured its sun and sand as he suffered from flare-ups of several illnesses.
He loved the beach so much that he named it his “first resort” and popularised bathing in the area.
