Top 10 Most Beautiful Coastal Towns in the UK

Illustrated picture. Photo: Mixi

The very best seaside towns in the UK have it all. From beach huts and lidos to long piers jutting out into the ocean, seaside towns offer everything from traditional fun to tongue-in-cheek kitsch. Days out at the seaside, bucket, and spade in hand, are a great British tradition – and best of all, there's always another coastal town to discover!

The List of 10 Most Beautiful Coastal Towns in the UK

1. Falmouth, Cornwall

2. Southwold, Suffolk

3. Bournemouth, Dorset

4. Cardiff, Wales

5. Rothesay, Isle of Bute

6. Herne Bay, Kent

7. Hastings, East Sussex

8. Brixham, Devon

9. Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire

10. Dartmouth, Devon

Which are the Most Beautiful Coastal Towns in the UK?

1. Falmouth, Cornwall

Photo: Evening Standard

Politicians and entrepreneurs, pirates and outlaws, Falmouth’s founding family, the Killigrews, lurched over the centuries between respectability and infamy. And though they’re long gone, Falmouth retains something of the Killigrews’ dual nature. From the town’s three beautiful beaches the dirty smudge of tankers can be seen on the horizon. Commercial ships in the harbour tower over the sails of picturesque Falmouth working boats.

The best views are from the water, and there are plenty of opportunities to explore the sheltered Carrick Roads (the Fal estuary) by kayak, paddleboard, dinghy or on the small ferry that links Falmouth with St Mawes. Landlubbers can watch the boats from the back windows of the on the High Street and enjoy excellent nose-to-tail dishes from the kitchen’s wood-fired oven.

The town has an fiercely independent streak and is home to some exceptional food and drink enthusiasts. Dolly’s Tea Room and Wine Bar stocks more than 200 gins; (two branches) takes its coffee more seriously than most; and tucked away in a small courtyard, combines dark wood and pale ale with an excellent selection of books.

You may have to search for it but the Killigrews’ maverick spirit persists. Falmouth is lively, rough round the edges in all the right ways and still not quite respectable, and for those reasons alone, I love it.

2. Southwold, Suffolk

Photo: TripAdvisor

Perched on the east coast of England, the small town of Southwold is one of the best coastal towns in the UK. Southwold offers typical seaside merriment with its sandy beach, traditional pier and candy-coloured beach huts. A working lighthouse (open to visitors) stands sentinel, surveying the bay, while the Adnams Brewery, which still operates on the same site after 670 years, wafts early morning hops into the sea air. Plenty of excellent eating and accommodation options range from the smart Swan Hotel, situated on the picturesque market square, to a nearby campsite – all a pebble’s throw from the sea.

Once a bustling fishing port, today Southwold is a delightful seaside resort that makes up one of the best parts of northern Norfolk. Southwold has managed to retain a genteel feel to it, with numerous nearby walks to enjoy; still, there's no denying the electric buzz that surrounds the popular Latitude festival which is held here every year.

3. Bournemouth, Dorset

Photo: Daily Mail

With a beach that is often named one of the best in Europe, Bournemouth offers miles and miles of golden sand and one of the best job scenes in southern England. Property prices differ significantly between areas and types of home (there is a celebrity presence that pushes up house prices), but a flat can be bought for around £160,000, and a three-bed semi for around £300,000.

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4. Cardiff, Wales

Photo: Cardiff University

Lovely Cardiff is one of the best cities to live in the UK, full stop, with lots going on culturally (the Wales Millennium Centre, for example, is often compared to the Sydeny Opera House), a smart and lively waterfront, and reasonable house prices, with the average home in the Welsh capital costing £248,354. And did you know that Cardiff Bay has some really lovely beaches?

5. Rothesay, Isle of Bute

Photo: Rightmove

What you must do, straight off the boat, is go to Zavaroni’s on Argyle Street and buy a Top Hat – an ice-cream cone topped by a marshmallow snowball. Rothesay is not a place where pleasure ought to be deferred, and in any case, it will give you something to walk off. While eating, wander over to Fraser Gillies, the gents’ outfitters at 30 Montague Street, and admire the window display with its Ivor Cutler-ish signs: “Socks for feet”, “Cavalry twill trousers – must supply own horse”, and so on.

Rothesay, the main settlement on the Isle of Bute, is the archetypal Scottish seaside town from the days when Glaswegians went “doon the watter” for their summer holiday, and some of that gaudy atmosphere persists. It’s beautiful, though. The view across the bay to the Cowal hills is the best seaside panorama in Scotland.

You get there by ferry, a 35-minute crossing from the terminal at Wemyss Bay railway station. This a wee marvel in itself, its Edwardian canopy a swirl of steel and glass. Make sure and leave enough time to pick up something to read from the secondhand bookshop in the former first-class waiting room.

That’s a trip to Rothesay: a day of Top Hats and tales.

6. Herne Bay, Kent

Photo: Your Move

I fell in love with beach huts at Herne Bay. Watching their pointed shadows march along the shingle back in 1998 inspired me to pursue a career as a seaside historian. Though Herne Bay has long played second fiddle to neighbouring Whitstable, on a recent visit I see it has undergone some impressive improvements.

The Georgian clock tower that dominates the promenade is looking spruce, and the playground next to the beach is a hit with my children. Stepping into the enclosed bandstand felt like stepping back into the 1930s and amid the art-deco details, Makcari’s ice-cream parlour is the perfect place to stop for refreshment.

The pier was once the third-longest in the country but these days its seaward end is an island of iron marooned in the Thames estuary. Its landward end, however, has been revived, with beach hut-style retail and craft units, and its railings yarn-bombed with a joyful parade of nautical knits. The Oyster and Chop House on the High Street specialises in locally caught lobster, or for a touch of London-on-sea, try the Herne Bay Traditional Pie and Mash (72 Central Parade).

7. Hastings, East Sussex

Photo: Londonist

Once seen as a tired and tacky seaside resort, Hastings in East Sussex doesn't get the love it deserves. We'd argue that it's one of the best seaside resorts in the UK! After all, the town has the UK's largest land-launched fishing fleet, which means there's ultra-fresh seafood on offer just behind the working beach, and a host of small restaurants that serve the delicious catch of the day.

There are curios and antiques galore on the Old Town's George Street, and some funny old funiculars to take you up the cliffs for a great view over the town. But it's not all about the old in Hastings: the town's new pier opened in 2016, after the previous one was ravaged by fire, and gave the town a new lease of life.

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8. Brixham, Devon

Photo: GCL Billiards

Wondering where in the UK is the nearest to the South of France? It's Brixham. With a stunning beach and views, and a thriving town centre not unlike a Provencal town, Brixham is the perfect choice for someone who wants both the tranquility of the sea, and the dynamic feel of the town. And – for our money, Brixham has the best fish and chips in Devon.

Property here is eminently affordable, with a terraced home costing between £130,000 and £275,000. The potential drawback of living in Brixham is its relative remoteness (there is no train station, so you would be definitely reliant on driving), and the choice of schools is not amazing, making it more suitable to people without children.

9. Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire

Photo: TripAdvisor

I have bittersweet memories of Saltburn. Yes, it’s a charming seaside town, designed by a Victorian philanthropist, on a sandy stretch of coast. Yes, it has a genuine 16th-century smugglers’ tavern, the Ship Inn, which still echoes with the ghosts of the past. And yes, it has a pretty pier, untroubled by tourist tat, where I surfed by moonlight one clear November night, in head-high waves that shimmered as they broke.

But my memories are clouded by the 17-day flat spell I sat through as I attempted to surf every beach in Britain. That’s 17 days staring out to sea from Saltburn’s brief-but-charming promenade; 17 days sitting in various delightful tea houses (until I was ejected for vagrancy). Living in a van, I used the Sitting Room, a cosy cafe by the station, as, well, my sitting room. It does a good line in mismatched 1970s furniture, delicious cakes and interesting cocktails.

Most of the time, Saltburn feels like a proper surf town, where you can fall out of bed, pad through the streets, grab a board at the surf shack and dive straight in to its beginner-friendly waves. Add this to its charm and friendliness, and the great fish and chips at the Seaview Restaurant, and Saltburn could almost claim to be the Biarritz of Britain.

10. Dartmouth, Devon

Photo: Time Out

There so many opportunities for seaside living in Devon that it's hard to pick, but Dartmouth has such a classy and relaxed vibe that it had to be one of our favourites. The tiny town with a population of just over 5,000, it nonetheless has smart shops, little art galleries, music venues, and restaurants aplenty. There's also a pre-school, a primary school, and an academy, making this a great location for families. It's not cheap, with an average house price of £362,871, but it truly is a stunning place to live.

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