Portstewart Strand in Co Derry(Image: National Trust)Portstewart Strand has been named as the UK and Northern Ireland’s beach of the year, according to The Times and The Sunday Times annual best UK beaches guide, published online today and in print on July 13.
The 17th edition of the guide is the definitive and most comprehensive list of the UK’s 50 best beaches.
Chris Haslam, the award-winning chief travel writer at The Times and The Sunday Times, has 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.
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In his description of Portstewart Strand in Co Derry, Chris Haslam said: “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.”
Chris Haslam has 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.
The guide showcases the unrivalled beauty of the UK seaside, evaluated through a rigorous 11-point inspection checklist. Criteria include water quality, cleanliness, accessibility, car-parking facilities, lifeguard presence, hygiene levels at restrooms and showers, and dog-friendliness.
As always, this guide covers only mainland beaches.
Best beaches in Northern Ireland
BEACH OF THE YEAR: Portstewart Strand, Co DerryCushendall, Co AntrimBallycastle, Co AntrimBallintoy, Co AntrimRunkerry, Co Antrim
Chris Haslam added: “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.”
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