Eight of England’s Most Iconic Beach Holiday Destinations

Top Oz Tours offers a great range of England tours and experiences. You can browse the options here.

Despite having weather that’s often anything but beach friendly, the British love a seaside holiday and flock to popular European coastal destinations like Benidorm in Spain and the Greek Islands.

That said, they do actually have plenty of gorgeous beaches of their own, and in fact, England is credited as the birthplace of the beach getaway. It all began with the prescription of sea bathing for therapeutic purposes in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the world has rarely been out of a cossie since.

While blighty’s most popular beach retreats saw decades of decline with the rise of cheap international airfares and let’s face it, better weather elsewhere, their star is on the rise again as more Brits choose to holiday at home. And many of these beloved beachfront burgs hold an enduring and intriguing link with the past.

Here are eight of England’s best beach holiday destinations. Last one in is the proverbial rotten egg!

1. Brighton (Sussex)

Located just under an hour from London by fast train, Brighton is arguably Britain’s most popular holiday town. It’s defined by the unmistakable image of Brighton Pier, the eclectic maze of ‘The Lanes’, colourful beach chairs, ice cream, and the omnipresent aromatic overtones of freshly fried fish and chips. In addition to the Pier, signature tourist experiences include the fabulous Royal Pavilion (King George IV’s exotic retreat by the sea), the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower, and Sea Life Brighton aquarium. But just breathing in the salty sea air and soaking up the whimsical ambiance are reasons enough to plan a visit here. Everyone should experience the magic of Brighton at least once in their lives, but be warned — it could see you yearning for a permanent coastal seachange — UK style!

2. Skegness (Lincolnshire)

Up on the Lincolnshire coast, roughly three hours’ drive north of London, no list of England’s beach meccas would be complete without the inclusion of Skegness. It’s hosted generations of UK holidaymakers seeking surf, sand, and whatever sun is on offer. Skegness has been doing its thing for well over a century; the Victorian-era pleasure pier (which was originally t-shaped with a pavilion at the end) opened in 1882 and was an instant hit with daytrippers and holidaymakers in equal measure. Today, the pier and white sandy beaches remain huge drawcards, along with attractions like the popular Natureland Seal Sanctuary (home to a host of marine dwellers, including seals, penguins, and various reptiles) and Lincolnshire Aqua Park, which features an obstacle course of giant inflatables to navigate. The area offers a wide range of accommodation options, and Skegness caravan parks are particularly good value.

3. Newquay (Cornwall)

Looking to ride a North Atlantic roller? You can do it in Newquay on the stunning north Cornwall coast. Accessible from London by car or train in roughly the same length of time (just on five hours), this is England’s Bells, Byron, and Bondi and draws serious board riders from all over the world. Top beaches in the area include Crantock, Watergate, and Great Western. Away from the beachfront, Newquay offers access to several family friendly attractions, including Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay Zoo, and the characterful Lappa Valley Steam Railway. That said, it also has quite the reputation as a party town — so if you’re travelling with kids or looking to zen out, it might be worth basing yourself away from the hubbub.

4. St Ives (Cornwall)

Continuing down the Cornish coast will eventually deliver you into the embrace of charming St Ives — another of the county’s holiday hot spots. This delightful mash-up of cobbled streets, heritage architecture, and gorgeous oceanfront makes a great base for exploring the whole of the UK’s southern-most extremity. Like Newquay, St Ives is well known for its surf beaches, but equally it’s a culture vulture’s dream destination. Go surfing in the morning at Porthmeor or Porthminster, then spend your afternoons pondering the inspiration of artists on display at the Tate St Ives and myriad other arts facilities. The wonderful sub-tropical Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden is another must-see.

5. Torquay (Devon)

Famous as the setting of the beloved Fawlty Towers TV series, Torquay’s fortunes as a seaside retreat have ebbed and flowed with the tide over the past two centuries — but it’s once again riding the wave of popularity. Sitting pretty on the mid-Devon coast, 30 or so kilometres south of cathedral city Exeter, Torquay is fondly known as the ‘English Riviera’ and is certainly akin to a slice of France’s Côte d’Azur. Think boulevards lined with palm trees, gorgeous Victorian-era villas cascading down hillsides, golden sandy beaches, bustling bars and eateries, and a marina chock-a-block with boating bling. Torre Abbey Sands is the town centre’s closest beach and lies in close proximity to one of the wider region’s top attractions — the 12th-century Torre Abbey.

6. Bournemouth (Dorset)

With a population of 200,000, Bournemouth is the biggest city in neighbouring Dorset and consistently ranks as one of the country’s favourite beach destinations. Bournemouth Beach was named the United Kingdom’s best in 2024 by Tripadvisor and the 12th best in world by the same platform in 2025. You be the judge. The idea of ‘Bournemouth Beach’ is actually somewhat abstract; in reality it’s made up of various beaches that link together to form a sweeping 11-kilometre arc of golden beachfront. And finding a patch of sand that you can have all to yourself isn’t difficult, even in peak periods. Keep an eye out for the creaking cliff lifts, which date back to the early 1900s.

7. Blackpool (Lancashire)

Lighting up the Lancashire coastline, one hour’s drive from Manchester or Liverpool, Blackpool is an English resort town on steroids. This uber famous holiday haven is home to no less than three Victorian-era pleasure piers (North, South, and Central Pier), a three kilometre-long promenade in between, a 150 metre-high Eiffel Tower lookalike (which houses an in-house circus along with several other attractions), a 19th century beachfront amusement park complete with ten different rollercoasters, a ‘Golden Mile’ of slot machine arcades and casinos, and a namesake rock candy that’s been ruining dentures since the 1880s. Visit between August and November to enjoy the popular Illuminations light festival, which first lit up the promenade in the late 19th century. Of the same vintage are the treasured children’s donkey rides along the beach below. Bred specially for the purpose and rested for six months of the year, these sturdy steeds take all the surrounding hoopla in their stride.

8. Margate (Kent)

Over on the Kentish north coast, Margate gazes languidly at the English Channel and effortlessly blends old world charm with cutting edge modern convenience. Situated just 1.5 hours’ drive east of London, this town has a history stretching back several centuries — but it rose to prominence as a sea bathing location as early as the 1730s. Famous for the use of beach bathing machines in the 19th century (horse-drawn canvas covered carts that were pulled down to the water’s edge to allow bathers to paddle unseen by the opposite sex), today it’s a popular haunt for hipsters and A-listers from the capital. Amongst Margate’s many enticements are a swag of galleries devoted to modern art, including the Turner Contemporary, the Carl Freedman Gallery, and the Pie Factory (which was once a butcher shop renowned for its pork pies).

This post was published thanks to Blue Anchor Leisure.

For more travel inspiration, visit www.visitbritain.com.

Browse our range of England tours and experiences here.

Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of England’s best beach holiday destinations? We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.

Additional images: Depositphotos and Envato