Portstewart Strand named UK's best beach - with four other local beaches also making the national list
Portstewart Strand has been named the best beach in the UK – with its dunes, spectacular views, car access and water sports among the attractions listed as a draw for tourists.
The County Londonderry beach was named the UK’s and Northern Ireland’s beach of the year by The Times and The Sunday Times annual best UK beaches guide – which describes itself as “the definitive and most comprehensive list of the UK's 50 best beaches”.
Chris Haslam, the award-winning chief travel writer at the newspapers, praised the natural beauty of the popular North Coast tourist spot.
“Yes, you can drive onto the beach, and will you look at the size of it? Backed by dunes, it would run all the way to Magilligan Point, were it not for the salmon-rich Bann River cutting it in two miles west.
“Surfers, paddleboarders, kayakers and especially wild swimmers come to play here, while others come simply to stare at the sea: some sitting in their cars, others on the cocktail deck of Harry’s Shack”, he said.
Mr Haslam selected the UK’s top 50 beaches from a total of 756 that he personally visited and inspected on a month-long campervan tour of the British and Northern Irish coasts. Criteria include water quality, cleanliness, accessibility, car-parking facilities, lifeguard presence, hygiene levels at restrooms and showers, and dog-friendliness.
The other local beaches on the list are Cushendall, Ballycastle, Ballintoy and Runkerry in Co Antrim.
Chris Haslam said; “If beauty was all it took to win Beach of the Year then Ballycastle, Whitepark, Tyrella or almost any other Northern Irish beach could have taken the crown. But being the best takes more: excellent water quality, clean sands, lifeguards, a cracking cafe and the sense that the beach is loved and cherished by the local community. Being allowed to drive onto the strand is an added bonus that makes all the difference for families and those less mobile. Portstewart has it all.”