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Eight beaches in Wales named among best in UK

Victor Bayon/Flickr Sand dunes with a couple of people walking in the distance and the blue sea and sky in the background.Victor Bayon/Flickr
Getty Images Cliffs to the left, with a pebbly beach below and the sea on the right.Getty Images
The judge described Gwynedd's Shell Island as "astonishing" and crowned it regional winner
If Dunraven Bay seems familiar, it may be because it has been frequently featured on Doctor Who

Eight beaches in Wales are among the best in the UK, according to the Times' list for 2025.

The publication rounds up the most stunning coastal landscapes each year and says it sent an expert on a 5,858-mile trip, inspecting 756 spots to "find the perfect swathe of sand".

Top spot in the 17th edition of the guide was awarded to Portstewart Strand, Co Derry, Ireland.

But several Welsh beauty spots were also featured, including regional winner Shell Island in Gwynedd.

The area boasts views of Harlech and beyond into Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, and across Cardigan Bay to the Llyn Peninsula, and spans 450 acres.

The other Welsh beaches to make the list were:

  • Dunraven Bay, Vale of Glamorgan
  • Three Cliffs Bay, Swansea
  • Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire
  • Whitesands, Pembrokeshire
  • Mwnt, Ceredigion
  • Aberdaron, Gwynedd
  • Llanddwyn, Gwynedd