Britain’s 20 best secret and remote beaches to avoid the crowds this weekend
You know the drill – each time the sun appears, Britons get the undeniable urge to hotfoot it to the beach, armed with the essentials: swimming togs, towels, and buckets and spades. However, you also know that if you’ve had the great idea to spend the day at the seaside, so has everyone else.
Beach days offer an escape from the everyday, and while the triple pull of blue skies, golden sands and sparkling seas is irresistible, in truth the UK’s main seaside resorts are often overrun when the sun shines.
But that needn’t be the case. With more than 11,000 miles of coastline in the UK and an incalculable number of beaches, a little pre-planning means you needn’t share the sand – or indeed pebbles – with the masses. You just need to know where to look.
Here are some of our favourite beaches, far beyond the madding crowds, for you to explore.
UK's best secret and remote beaches
Click on a place to explore
Ayrmer Cove, Ringmore, South Devon
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Rottingdean Beach, East Sussex
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Traeth Llyfn, North Pembrokeshire
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Amroth Beach, South Pembrokeshire
Ayrmer Cove, Ringmore, South Devon
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Rottingdean Beach, East Sussex
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Traeth Llyfn, North Pembrokeshire
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Amroth Beach, South Pembrokeshire
Ayrmer Cove, Ringmore, South Devon
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Rottingdean Beach, East Sussex
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Traeth Llyfn, North Pembrokeshire
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Amroth Beach, South Pembrokeshire
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Ayrmer Cove, Ringmore, South Devon
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Rottingdean Beach, East Sussex
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Traeth Llyfn, North Pembrokeshire
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Amroth Beach, South Pembrokeshire
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South West
Ayrmer Cove, Ringmore, South Devon
This cove is so secret that it can only be reached by foot, meaning you’re a lot less likely to run into any sunbathing spot snatchers. To reach it, you need to join the South West Coast Path at Challaborough and take a rather steep walk over the headland. As you go, catch your breath by stopping to ogle the art deco Burgh Island Hotel across the water – a glamorous old writing retreat for Agatha Christie. After a day of lolling on the beach, head to the Journeys End Inn – a fantastic village pub.
Where to stay
Coast at Beachdown offers four-bed self-catering accommodation with lots of modern luxuries within easy reach of the beach. Three nights from £829 (0330 113 7005; luxurycoastal.co.uk).
Ringstead Bay, Dorset
This small, shingle beach – with lots of sand at low tide – is a little tricky to access. Once used by sneaky smugglers, today its dramatic cliffs are topped with farmland, and it has views over to Weymouth and the Isle of Portland. There’s a free National Trust car park at the top, but it’s a long walk down. A good place to hunt for fossils, and with fewer visitors, you’re likely to find something interesting.
Where to stay
Marren B&B, a 10-minute walk away, has three rooms, all with sea views, and is set in a beautiful house with a glorious garden. Doubles from £120 (01305 851503; marren.info)
Bream Cove, Cornwall
This southeast-facing sand-and-shingle cove is a great alternative to the busier beaches of Falmouth – and the woodland walk you take to reach it from Mawnan Smith village gives it real Famous Five vibes. One of the only beaches in the area that allow dogs in summer, Bream’s calm waters also make it a great spot for paddleboarding and there’s a coffee-and-cake truck at the top of the beach.
Where to stay
You can’t get much closer than Hotel Meudon, where rooms cost from £129 per night, B&B, based on two adults sharing (01326 250541; meudon.co.uk).
Pedn Vounder, Cornwall
Pedn Vounder, near the village of Treen, may have turned a few heads in recent years thanks to its sparkling celeste waters and white sandy beach backed by rugged rocks, but it remains considerably quieter than nearby Porthcurno. There’s a reason for this: you must climb down those rocks to reach it, so wear appropriate footwear.
Where to stay
Downs Barn Farm has a pair of luxury B&B room. Doubles from £130 per night. (01736 810295; downsbarnfarm.co.uk). Plan the perfect holiday in Cornwall with our guide
South East
Shoeburyness, Essex
Just three miles from the mayhem that is Southend in summer, Shoeburyness has two Blue Flag beaches that are far less well known. Its East Beach is the nicest and is popular with local paddleboarders and kitesurfers, thanks to its long strand of sand. For a long time the only amenities here have been an occasional snack van and toilets, but two new cafés are set to open this year.
Where to stay
There’s not much on offer in Shoeburyness, but Roslin Beach Hotel is a vintage-style spot with gorgeous sea-view rooms less than a 10-minute drive away. Doubles from £121 (01702 586375; roslinhotel.com).
Sandgate, Kent
A good alternative to the increasingly popular Folkestone beach, only the locals seem to know about this wide, pebbly beach, backed by a promenade, which is dog-friendly. Pick up some picnic bits from one of the independent shops in Sandgate, a laid-back beach-side neighbourhood.
Where to stay
Pebbles is a sweet, beach-shack-style place for two with a lovely sea-facing terrace. Two nights from £345 (bloomstays.com; 01227 903404).
Rottingdean Beach, East Sussex
Brighton is the poster child for British days at the beach and its popularity endures, despite the fact its beach is pebbly. For a paddle in the sea without hordes of others to contend with, it’s worth taking the short drive east of the city to the picturesque village of Rottingdean. Its narrow roads house a smattering of medieval buildings, several pubs and lots of independent shops, and though its beach is mainly pebbly, there is some sand at low tide.
Where to stay
Perched on the white cliffs above the seafront, the White Horses hotel is due to reopen in July and offers sea-view rooms in a 1930s building. Doubles from £155 (0345 608 6040; thewhitehorseshotel-rottingdean.co.uk).
Steephill Cove, Isle of Wight
Naturally for an island, the Isle of Wight is spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches, meaning some, such as Steephill Cove, still slip beneath the radar. The epitome of a picture-postcard British beach, with soft sand, rock pools and fresh-from-the-boat crab sandwiches, it can only be reached on foot – either along the coast path or via the hills behind Ventnor – which keeps only the most determined away.
Where to stay
The Lighthouse overlooking the beach, which sleeps six, offers panoramic views of the seascape. From £1,700 per week (07980 444425; steephill-cove.co.uk/the-lighthouse).
North West
Silverdale Cove, Lancashire
While many beachgoers in Lancashire are tempted by the dazzling attractions of Blackpool, away from the seafront theme parks, Lancashire has plenty of tranquil coastal treasures to discover. Known for its amazing sunsets, Silverdale is more suited to exploring than sunbathing or taking a dip (it has sinking sands and rip tides), but there are great rock pools and a cave, plus the attractive village shares an arts-and-crafts trail with nearby Arnside.
Where to stay
Pub with rooms the Silverdale Hotel is within walking distance of the beach. Doubles from £110 per night (01524 701118; thesilverdalehotel.co.uk)
East Midlands
Anderby Creek, Lincolnshire
If you want some respite from the arcades and loud family attractions of the nearby resort town of Skegness, try the calmer, more natural setting of Anderby Creek. With huge expanses of sand, it’s great for dogs, and you can take a long walk up the coast or enjoy some time out at the Cloud Bar, thought to be the world’s first dedicated cloud observation platform.
Where to stay
Manor Farm Stay offers a mix of B&B rooms in an 18th-century farmhouse, plus glamping in self-contained pods. B&B from £100 per night, glamping pods from £110 per night, based on two adults sharing, extra charges for kids (01507 440947; manorfarmstay.co.uk)
North East
Budle Bay, Northumberland
Visitors to the popular coastal town of Bamburgh looking for a quieter seaside experience should head north, past the castle and the lighthouse at Stag Rocks and round the head to reach Budle Bay. Here, as well as acres of golden sands to enjoy and sea that is safe for swimming and watersports, you can see Lindisfarne – or Holy Island – in the distance.
Where to stay
Budle Hall is a smart B&B owned by a local farming family that offers rooms from £160 and camping in a field behind the house for £60 per pitched tent, with up to six campers (01668 214297; budlehall.com). Plan the perfect trip to Northumberland with our guide
East Anglia
Horsey Beach, Norfolk
This beach, located between two of Norfolk’s busiest coastal resorts – Cromer and Great Yarmouth – is punctuated by sand dunes and wild grasses. While it does become something of a tourist hotspot during seal pupping season, from November to February, in the summer months it is an under-visited natural beauty ideal for flopping about on the sand, much like the local seals that occasionally come to join you.
Where to stay
North Farm Cottages is a pair of characterful holiday cottages, each arranged over one floor, 30 minutes’ drive away. From £490 for four nights (01603 737974; northfarm.info). Plan the perfect holiday in Norfolk with our guide.
Scotland
Clashnessie Bay, Assynt, Highland
This white sandy beach on northwest Scotland’s picturesque (but hairy) Drumbeg Road is every bit as inviting as the more famous beach of Achmelvich – an Instagram favourite – just a short drive away. Park up by the sandy shore for a blissful afternoon of swimming in iridescent, pure waters and warm up on the sand, where you can appreciate the microclimate that comes courtesy of the Gulf Stream.
Where to stay
The Old School Byre offers basic but cosy self-catering accommodation for two with spectacular views. Owned by adventure outfit Eat Sleep Wild, guests can also book guided walks or meals in advance. A week’s stay starts at £950 (eatsleepwild.com/stay).
Farr Beach, Sutherland, Highland
Like the hugely popular Balnakeil Beach, Farr Beach lies along mainland Scotland’s northernmost coast, but unlike Balanakeil, outside the local community it’s hardly known about. Park near the Farr Bay Inn (just before you reach Bettyhill if you’re travelling anticlockwise on the North Coast 500) and take the gentle walk to the beach, passing through a couple of kissing gates, before descending through sand dunes (which are a lot of fun to run down). Bar the odd dog-walker, there’s rarely another soul on this huge sandy beach.
Where to stay
The Farr Bay Inn is a boutique hotel with simple rooms and a good restaurant, just a few minutes’ walk from the beach. Doubles from £225 (01641 521230; farrbayinn.co.uk)
Scalpsie Bay, Isle of Bute
Proving you don’t need to go to the Outer Hebrides to get a sense of seclusion in Scotland is this lovely, red-tinged sandy beach on the Isle of Bute. Easily accessed from Glasgow by train and a reasonably priced ferry (discoverferries.com), a trip here also does away with the need to endure beach-day traffic jams (just hop in a taxi to the beach on arrival). As you dip your toes in the water and breathe in the clean air, say hello to the resident seals as they flop on the rocks or sand.
Where to stay
Quien East is a holiday cottage overlooking Scalpsie Bay from the people behind Mount Stuart – the island’s stupendous stately home. From £935 per week (01700 503877; mountstuart.com). Discover more Scottish islands in our guide.
Sanna Bay, Kilchoan, Highland
In the far reaches of Ardnamurchan, one of mainland Scotland’s westernmost fingers of land, is this beautiful beach which, even if the locals are out in force, feels gloriously empty: a reward for tackling the miles of single-track roads to get here. En route, you’ll pass countless sheep – perhaps even some Highland cows – while beachcombing will turn up some real treasures, including a gorgeous selection of seashells.
Where to stay
If you’ve made it this far, it would be rude not to experience a night of culinary perfection and superb comfort at restaurant with rooms Mingary Castle. Doubles from £380 (01972 614380; mingarycastle.co.uk).
Wales
Porthor, Gwynedd
Holidaymakers at the North Wales resort of Llandudno should head farther west into the Llyn Peninsula, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, for a beach to themselves. On Porthor beach, it’s peaceful enough to hear the whistling sands (the grains make a strange squeaking sound as you walk on them), and the small, secluded cove feels lovely and private.
Where to stay
Glampio Coed, just a short drive away, has luxury pods with woodburners, double beds covered in thick Welsh blankets and hampers filled with local produce. From £135 per pod per night (01758 719180; glampiocoed.com).
Fall Bay, Gower, Vale of Glamorgan
Rhossili beach in Gower is phenomenal in scale and views, but thanks to its multiple awards is no longer a secret. Fall Bay, on the other hand, remains off the tourist trail, thanks to the fact that it is quite tricky to reach, including some light scrambling to the bottom. If you are up to the challenge, though, you’ll be rewarded with your own private sandy cove for the day.
Where to stay
Pitton Cross Caravan Park is one of the closest places to stay and offers pitches for caravans or tents. Tent pitch from £17, campervan/caravan pitch from £38 (01792 390593; pittoncross.co.uk).
Traeth Llyfn, North Pembrokeshire
This sandy beach, with steep steps down to it from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path between Abereiddy and Porthgain, is often deserted. The cliffs that back the cove provide lots of shelter and create rock pools that will keep children interested between paddles and epic sandcastle builds. Afterwards, head to Porthgain for dinner in the village pub, the Sloop Inn, or fish and chips at the Shed.
Where to stay
The Nant is a cute stone cottage overlooking Abereiddy Bay with a path down through the property that joins the coastal path. From £840 per week (01437 765765; coastalcottages.co.uk).
Amroth Beach, South Pembrokeshire
Tenby and Saundersfoot in South Pembrokeshire are undoubtedly popular with holidaymakers, but just a little farther around the curve of Carmarthen Bay lies Amroth, a much quieter section of flat beach. At low tide, you can play lots of beach games and, unlike many quieter beaches, there are also some good facilities, including toilets, a couple of pubs and free parking.
Where to stay
Amroth Castle has a range of self-catering apartments and cottages, plus an outdoor pool, and is just minutes from the Blue Flag beach. Cottages for four from £699 per week (01834 813217; amrothcastle.com). Plan the perfect holiday in Pembrokeshire with our guide.
Find more of the best beaches in Britain in our guide, or find the best for white sand here.
This article was first published in April 2021, and has been revised and updated.
