The most environmentally sound beaches in the country have been honoured in a list of 2022's best.
The Blue Flag beach award is widely considered the gold standard for beaches and is handed out by the Foundation for Environmental Education.
The honour is given to beaches which have the highest quality of water, suitable for dipping in safety.
No industrial, waste-water or sewage-related discharges should affect beaches that want to be on the list.
Other qualities essential for a Blue Flag beach include how well they are environmentally managed, which relates to how clean they are kept and the how accessible toilets are.
The safety and services available on the beach are also considered, with life guard patrols and available drinking water considered essential for those wanting to make the grade.
The requirements mean that many of Britain's smaller, less well serviced but often equally if not more pristine beaches do not qualify for an award.
The certification process is carried out every year and beaches can lose or gain their Blue Flag status.
Listed below are all of the UK beaches to have made the grade this year.
England
- Alum Chine Bournemouth
- Beachlands - Hayling Island
- Blackpool Sands
- Branksome Chine Poole
- Breakwater Beach
- Brightlingsea
- Brighton Beach
- Broadsands Beach
- Canford Cliffs Poole
- Carbis Bay Beach
- Challaborough
- Cleethorpes
- Cromer
- Crooklets Bude
- Dawlish Warren
- Dovercourt Bay
- Durley Chine Bournemouth
- East Runton
- Exmouth
- Felixstowe South
- Fishermans Walk Bournemouth
- Great Western Newquay
- Gyllyngvase
- Hornsea
- Hove
- King Edwards Bay (Tynemouth)
- Leysdown
- Long Sands South Tynemouth
- Mablethorpe Town
- Manor Steps Bournemouth
- Minnis Bay
- Minster Leas
- Mundesley
- Oddicombe Beach
- Polzeath
- Porthmeor St Ives
- Porthtowan
- Portreath
- Preston Sands (Paignton)
- Roker (Whitburn South)
- Saltburn
- Sandown
- Sandy Bay
- Scarborough North Bay
- Sea Palling
- Seaburn Beach (Whitburn North)
- Sheerness Beach
- Sheringham
- Shoebury East
- Shoeburyness
- Shore Road - Sandbanks Poole
- Sidmouth
- Skegness
- Southbourne Bournemouth
- Southend - Westcliff Bay
- St Mildreds Bay
- Stone Bay
- Sutton-on-Sea
- Swanage
- Tankerton Beach
- Teignmouth
- The Bay Margate
- Thorpe Bay
- Three Shells (Southend)
- Torre Abbey
- Trevone Bay
- Walton-on-the-Naze
- West Bay
- West Runton
- West Wittering
- Westbrook Bay Margate
- Westward Ho!
- Weymouth
- Whitby
- Whitley Bay
- Widemouth Bay
Wales
- Aberdaron Beach
- Abersoch
- Aberystwyth (North)
- Aberystwyth (South)
- Amroth
- Barmouth
- Benllech
- Borth
- Broadhaven
- Castle Beach Tenby
- Caswell Bay
- Coppet Hall
- Dale
- Dinas Dinlle
- Langland Bay
- Llanddona
- Llanddwyn Beach
- Llandudno - West Shore
- Llandudno North Shore
- Llanfairfechan
- Llangrannog
- Lydstep
- Morfa Bychan - Black Rock Sands
- New Quay - Harbour Beach
- Newgale Sands
- North Tenby
- Pembrey Beach - Llanelli
- Penmaenmawr
- Poppit Sands
- Port Eynon
- Porth Dafarch
- Porth Swtan (Church Bay)
- Prestatyn Central
- Pwllheli
- Rest Bay Porthcawl
- Rhos-on-Sea Colwyn Bay
- Saundersfoot
- South Tenby
- Southerndown
- Trearddur Bay
- Trecco Bay Porthcawl
- Tresaith
- Whitesands
- Whitmore Bay (Barry)
Northern Ireland
Scotland
- Aberdour (Black Sands)
- Aberdour-Silver Sands
- Ballroom Aberdeen
- Balmedie Country Park
- Belhaven Dunbar
- Billow Ness Anstruther
- Brora Beach
- Broughty Ferry
- Burntisland
- Carnoustie
- Coldingham Bay
- Collieston
- Cowie Stonehaven
- Cruden Bay
- Dornoch (Caravan Park)
- East Dunbar
- Easthaven
- Elie Woodhaven (Ruby Bay)
- Fraserburgh
- Fraserburgh Waters of Philorth
- Girvan
- Gullane
- Inverboyndie
- Kinghorn Harbour
- Kingsbarns
- Leven East
- Longniddry
- Lunan Bay
- Maidens Turnberry
- Millport Cumbrae
- Monifieth
- Montrose
- Nairn Central
- Pathhead Sands
- Peterhead Lido
- Pettycur Kinghorn
- Prestwick
- Roome Bay Crail
- Sands of Breckon
- Sango Bay
- Seafield Kirkcaldy
- Seton Sands Longniddry
- St Andrews East Sands
- St Andrews West Sands
- Troon South
- West Bay North Berwick
- West Links Arbroath
- Yellowcraig
