Top 10 UK Family Friendly Beaches Near You
A beach day out is always a winner with the kids. Whether you go in the summer for ice cream and a swim or in the winter with your wellies for a dog walk, family friendly beaches are a fun day out.
The beach is the perfect place for kids to burn off some energy and for parents to catch a little bit of relaxation! Plus, sand play is beneficial for developing children’s motor skills, strengthening their muscles & building their hand-eye coordination.
So, we’ve rounded up some of the best family-friendly beaches across the UK:
1. Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall.
This Blue Flag beach has beautiful sandy shores & turquoise waters in the summer season. You can hire buckets, spades, and windbreakers if you haven’t brought your own, and they have plenty of facilities that you & your little ones will enjoy.
This beach is located a short walk away from the centre of St Ives & is a family favourite for safe swimming! If you prefer to stay onshore, you can try your hand at mini golf or sit back & relax in a deck chair.
2. Blackpool Sands Beach, Dartmouth, Devon.
This beach is the ideal set up for children, with designated sand pits for digging and building sandcastles, this Blue Flag beach is a dream for parents. There is a Mediterranean feel with the beach being surrounded by evergreens and water that is so clear in the summer season. If you have older children, there are bathing rafts for them to swim to, as well as rentable snorkels, kayaks, and boogie boards.
They have facilities such as showers, toilets, and a café for when you need to refuel at the end of the day.
More on Blackpool Sands Beach.
3. Whitesands Beach, St Davids, Pembrokeshire.
Spacious and sandy, this beach spreads over 3 miles along the coast and is a Blue Flag winner. It is known as one of the best surfing beaches in the UK, but you can also find people canoeing and kayaking at this idyllic beach paradise!
Whitesands is set up for families, with friendly lifeguards, incredible scenery and all the facilities you need for a family. They have a beach café, and the car park is easy to access. On the busier days, they put activities in zones, so if you’re looking to do some rock pooling head towards the northern end.
4. Bamburgh Castle Beach, Alnwick, Northumberland.
On the beautiful Northumberland coast, this beach has soft, golden sand & is the perfect spot for a picnic, making sandcastles and rock pooling. The Bamburgh Castle sits just behind the beach and is definitely worth a visit with the children.
This beach is dog friendly and has the usual beach facilities such as toilets and parking. Bamburgh Beach is popular for its surfing and has been described as one of the best beaches in the British Isles.
5. West Wittering Beach, West Sussex
Described as one of the premier Blue Flag beaches in Britain, there are miles of soft sand and high-water quality at this beach. This beach can be a little breezy which makes it the ideal place for windsurfers and to have some fun with a kite!
As this is such a popular beach, we recommend pre-booking your parking as there are days when it can completely sell out! The beach itself is normally not too overcrowded as it is so large. They have three blocks of toilets, as well as showers, a café, and friendly lifeguards, West Wittering Beach is a firm family favourite.
Our only note would be that you have to pay to enter during the summer notes, however, many families have said it is 100% worth it.
6. Sandsend Beach, near Whitby, North Yorkshire
This beautiful beach is a popular summer destination as it is the ultimate UK staycation for families. Sandsend Beach has rockpools, fine sand, beach cafes and all of the family beach essentials. This beach is most popular with fossil hunters, fishermen and walkers.
The views are breathtaking and during the summer season, a section of the beach is zoned off for swimming. Facilities such as a café, gift shop and even a pub can be found very close to the beach.
7. Whiterocks Beach, Portrush, Northern Ireland
Whiterocks Beach is surrounded by limestone cliffs and has a long sandy beach. It is especially popular with water sports enthusiasts as you can hire equipment for surfing, kayaking and bodyboarding!
Whether you want to sledge down sandy dunes, or sit back and relaxing amongst the panoramic views, this beach is full of great fun for all the family.
This stretch of beach is popular for its spectacular arches, caves, and waterfalls, these include the Elephant Rock, the Lion’s Paw, the Wishing Arch and more!
A note to remember food as there are no food outlets on the beach and it is quite some distance from any shops or amusements.
8. Portobello Beach, Edinburgh, Scotland.
This beach is less than two miles from Edinburgh city centre, which is full of adventures for the whole family.
There is a beautiful promenade to take a stroll along, and the golden sand is perfect for sandcastle building. If you want to do something in the sea other than swim, there is a kayak and sailing club!
This can be quite a busy beach, so after you’ve spent some time playing beach games and searching for the best seashells, there are several bars and cafes to go to for refreshments.
9. Abersoch Beach, Abersoch, Gwynedd.
This is a family favourite in North Wales with views of mountains and a sheltered sandy beach. Whether you want to relax on the beach or have an action-packed beach day, this is the place to be!
Lifeguards are on watch if your little ones want to splash about in the water, or if you want to experience some water sports fun, there’s powerboating and windsurfing.
Being a Blue Flag beach with high water quality is one of the reasons why Abersoch Beach is a family-friendly destination. There is a good range of shops, cafes, and beach facilities to explore and there is also paid parking available.
10. Ballycastle Beach, Portrush, Northern Ireland
If you’re in County Antrim, this is a must visit! The sandy beach shore is 1.2km long. If you’re looking for a beach walk with the family, this place is ideal. With the promenade on one end, you can take a walk and soak in the beautiful views. Or after a long beach day, you can visit the town centre which is only 5 minutes away.
The facilities on this beach include child-friendly areas as well as a nearby visitor information centre!. You can relax in the summer season if you want to swim with your little ones as they provide a seasonal lifeguard service.
The seaside scenes in the UK are one of a kind, the list could go on forever! If you have a favourite family friendly beach, let us know in the comments.
Remember If you get up to any adventures this summer, remember to tag us @WetWednesdays.co.uk or use the hashtag #WetWednesdaysFamily.