These are the most beautiful seaside towns in the UK including Whitby, Brighton, Scarborough and Margate
You can’t beat the British coast for rugged beauty and breath-taking scenes - but I have to admit that my number one seaside town is not the same as the place that took top spot in a new survey.
Where would you say is the most beautiful seaside town in the UK? I may be biased but all of my top 5 are up north and there is no competition for the number 1 spot in my eyes.
Every summer, our gorgeous beach resorts draw in thousands of visitors looking for a relaxing coastal escape. With the holiday season just around the corner, Holafly, the travel eSIM provider, has conducted a new study to identify the most picturesque seaside towns in the UK.
After creating a wider list of 45 of the best towns along the country’s coastline, they compiled the number of Instagram and TikTok hashtags for each one and ranked them from fewest to most. It can now be revealed that Whitby takes third place with over 1.5 million hashtags!
Surely that should make it top? I have adored Whitby since I was first taken there as a child - the beaches, the cliffs, the food, the friendliness and the vampires. What more could you want on a visit to the seaside?
Where would you put as number 1. Well, this survey placed Brighton right at the top but, like me, you may disagree. Take a look through our archive images, drag your memories from your own holidays and see what you think.
The top 10 most picturesque seaside towns in the UK
1, Brighton, East Sussex
2, Scarborough, Yorkshire
3, Whitby, North Yorkshire
4, Margate, Kent
5, Eastbourne, East Sussex
6, Falmouth, Cornwall
7, Whitstable, Kent
8, Folkestone, Kent
9, Llandudno, Conwy
Whitby ranks in third, with a combined total of 1,659,400 hashtags. Here you’ll find a variety of scenic, cliff-top walks where you’ll see some of the most breathtaking views of the North Sea. If you follow the Cleveland Way, you’ll go past Whitby Abbey, the lighthouse, and down to Robin Hood’s Bay Beach, which is a prime spot for amateur photographers wanting to capture the beauty of its cliffs, rock pools, and birdlife.
“England certainly stands out as the top destination in the UK, being home to nine out of the top ten most picturesque seaside towns. Two of these charming spots are located in North Yorkshire, including Scarborough and Whitby. From scenic walks to historic harbours, a visit to the gardens, or a day on the beach, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” says Brenda Beltrán, travel writer at Holafly.
Holafly created a seed list of 45 of the best seaside towns across the UK (sources). They ranked each location based on the total number of associated hashtags on Instagram and TikTok, from lowest to highest.