{"id":244616,"date":"2025-07-07T06:43:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T06:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/244616\/"},"modified":"2025-07-07T06:43:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T06:43:13","slug":"one-of-the-crown-jewels-of-our-coastline-ni-strand-named-uks-beach-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/244616\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018One of the crown jewels of our coastline\u2019: NI strand named UK\u2019s beach of the year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Portstewart Strand has been crowned the best beach in the UK in this year\u2019s Sunday Times guide, with judges noting the sense that it is \u201cloved and cherished by the local community\u201d.<\/p>\n

The renowned guide also gives a shout out to beaches in Cushendall, Ballycastle, Ballintoy and Runkerry, all of which are in Co Antrim.<\/p>\n

Some 50 top beaches across the UK have been selected for the guide, showcasing the remarkable beauty of our seaside.<\/p>\n

\"Portstewart<\/p>\n

Portstewart Strand<\/p>\n

Chris Haslam, chief travel writer at The Times and Sunday Times, personally visited and inspected 756 beaches during a month-long campervan tour of the UK\u2019s coasts in order to compile the list.<\/p>\n

The beaches were evaluated through an 11-point inspection checklist, with criteria including water quality, cleanliness, dog-friendliness and accessibility.<\/p>\n

Causeway Coast and Glens deputy mayor Richard Stewart said the accolade is a \u201ctrue testament to the breath-taking natural beauty, exceptional water quality, and warm community spirit that defines Portstewart Strand\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s surfers and swimmers enjoying the water, families taking in the spectacular views, or visitors relaxing at the renowned Harry\u2019s Shack, Portstewart Strand has something for everyone.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt is one of the crown jewels of our coastline and a place we as a community are incredibly proud of,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be recognised not only as Northern Ireland\u2019s best beach but as the top beach across the entire UK is no small achievement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis honour reflects the hard work and dedication of the National Trust, our local businesses, lifeguards, council teams, and the many volunteers and visitors who help keep the Strand clean, accessible, and welcoming year-round.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s surfers and swimmers enjoying the water, families taking in the spectacular views, or visitors relaxing at the renowned Harry\u2019s Shack, Portstewart Strand has something for everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ability to drive onto the beach, making it more accessible to all, only adds to its unique appeal.<\/p>\n

\"Portstewart<\/p>\n

Portstewart Strand<\/p>\n

Mr Stewart took the opportunity to invite visitors to experience the \u201cmagic of Portstewart Strand for themselves\u201d.<\/p>\n

Causeway TUV councillor Allister Kyle said the community will be \u201cdelighted\u201d with the recognition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re very privileged here on the north coast to have so many Blue Flag beaches, whether that\u2019s the West Strand, East Strand or at Portrush,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I suppose for Portstewart in particular, it\u2019s the stunning scenery that adds to it, as well as the great effort the council and National Trust go to when it comes to keeping the beach clean.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re very fortunate to have such amazing facilities. I suppose it’s just maybe a pity we don’t get more super weather just to enjoy it, but we can’t do anything about that, unfortunately.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his description of Portstewart Strand, Chris Haslam said: \u201cYes, you can drive onto the beach, and will you look at the size of it?<\/p>\n

\u201cBacked 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurfers, 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\u2019s Shack.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cIf 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.<\/p>\n

\"Portstewart<\/p>\n

Portstewart Strand<\/p>\n

Watch: Portstewart has been named best place to live in Northern Ireland <\/p>\n

\u201cBut 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The news comes after Portstewart was named the best place to live in Northern Ireland in the Sunday Times guide last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Portstewart Strand has been crowned the best beach in the UK in this year\u2019s Sunday Times guide, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":244617,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[6571,1211,5817,1817,1144,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-244616","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-andrew-madden","9":"tag-antrim-news","10":"tag-causeway-coast-and-glens-borough-council","11":"tag-derry-news","12":"tag-northern-ireland","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114810598987210632","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244616\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}