A castle was built on volcanic rock to protect the area (Image: Getty)
The UK has plenty of beautiful beaches, from the turquoise waters of the Cornish coast to the unspoilt rugged coastline of Wales. Therefore it’s no surprise that one UK beach has been revealed as one of the best in the world.
Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland took the top spot for the UK, coming third in the overall rankings in Tripadvisor Award’s Best of the Best Beaches for 2026, beating competition from around the world.
The dog-friendly spot has a long stretch of white sand with the occasional soft green sand dunes. It sits in the shadow of Bamburgh Castle, a medieval fortress built on top of a volcanic crag that changed hands between the Britons and the Anglo-Saxons multiple times during a tumultuous period of English history.The castle is open year round, and even has events such as jousting that allow you to immerse yourself in medieval life.
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This dog-friendly beach is on the underrated Northumberland coast (Image: Getty)
The waters at Bamburgh Beach are clear and inviting, and you’ll often see people braving the cold in the winter for a wild swim. You can also take surfing lessons and enjoy the spectacular views from the comfort of your surfboard.
A short walk from the beach is the RNLI Grace Darling Museum. Named after a local lighthouse keeper’s daughter who rescued survivors from the shipwrecked Forfarshire in 1838, and the museum is full of artefacts that belonged to Grace and her family.
Yaverland Beach on the Isle of Wight also made the list (Image: Getty)
It wasn’t the only pretty beach to make the cut.
Yaverland Beach in Sandown on the Isle of Wight is considered one of the island’s best beaches thanks to its long sandy shores, clear shallow water, and unique sandstone cliffs in orange and white hues, and came in at 15th place in the overall global rankings.
Like many beaches on the Isle of Wight, Yaverland is full of fossils, so dinosaur enthusiasts might want to book their own fossil walk. At low tide, you can see the dinosaur strata with layers of rock that are millions of years old.
Swimming in the sea is usually safe, and there are separate areas for dinghies and catamarans, kite surfers, and windsurfers who you’ll spot enjoying the gentle waves.
Horsey Beach in Norfolk is famous for its grey seals (Image: Getty)
Another coastal spot that made the list was Horsey Beach in Norfolk, a more wild, rugged spot that tends to have more grey seals visiting than people. Between November and February it’s pupping season, so you have the best chance of seeing a large number of seals close to the shore. However, these playful creatures can also be seen frolicking on the sand or just off the coast during the summer.
During pupping season, parts of the beach are closed off to protect the seals, but there’s a viewing platform where you can get a closer look at the colonies. As an unspoilt beach, it’s worth remembering that there are no facilities, other than a car park, so bring everything you need for your beach trip.
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