Most Breathtaking Coastal Cities In the UK to Visit in 2024
What are the best coastal cities in the UK that are worth visiting In 2024? Find out from a British native.
The UK isn’t exactly known as being a top coastal destination compared with glorious sunny European countries close by, but you may be surprised at just how many top rated UK coastal cities there are that are worth visiting.
Having visited England a number of times, I’ve been lucky to spend some time in cities along the coast, especially Liverpool where I stayed with a close friend.
I have also asked my travel blogger friend (and a British native) Mark of Solo Travel Man for his input on the 13 top coastal cities in the UK worth visiting in 2024. These cities have everything you’re looking for in a UK holiday weekend.
So, let’s jump in – best coastal cities in the UK!
13 Top Coastal Cities/Towns In The UK
As a British native who grew up living far from any coastlines in the UK (I grew up in Wolverhampton), I have since had the opportunity to visit and live in several of the best British coastal cities and towns.
I can attest that the UK is home to some fantastic places by the sea with wonderful beaches worth exploring.
So let’s dive into it and discover where to go and what to do around the UK coastline, from the sunny south of England to some lesser known places in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Here are the best coastal cities and towns in the UK.
1. Brighton
Brighton in southern England, just 87 km south of London, has a strong Mediterranean feel to it, with a history of Spanish settlement.
Brighton is a relatively small city but there are countless top quality restaurants, bars and places of interest, such as the awe inspiring Royal Pavilion and of course the famous Brighton Pier. For those are also some nerdy things to do in Brighton for history buffs and combic book nerds.
Brighton’s beach is completely pebbly (which some people find to be disappointing), but it is a popular place to convene after a hard day at work, go swimming or to soak up the sun on weekends.
Brighton is such a popular place with Londoners that Brighton has been dubbed the ‘London by the sea’ as so many people like to escape the capital to the seaside, especially on weekends during the summer months.
Brighton is my favourite city in the whole of the UK, so much so that I have spent several years living there. It is a very trendy, hipster kind of city which is really easy to reach from London – it takes less than an hour to get there by train.
For me, there’s something about Brighton that is totally unique compared to anywhere else in the British Isles. It has its own microclimate and experiences nice sunny weather more than anywhere else further up north.
In addition, Brighton is a popular place to take a day trip to the famous Stonehenge.
Pro Tip: The beach at Brighton can get extremely busy during summer. I would highly recommend a visit to Brighton, maybe as a day trip during your next stay in London or 1-2 nights overnight.
2. Edinburgh
One of the best seaside towns in the UK is without doubt, the Scottish capital; Edinburgh. The city centre lying just 2 and a half miles away from the shoreline of Leith and the North Sea.
Edinburgh is a stunningly beautiful city full of old Medieval buildings everywhere you go. There’s plenty to see and do here, from the famous Edinburgh Castle to the Edinburgh Fringe festival which takes place annually throughout the month of August and is the largest performance arts festival in the world.
One important thing to note about Edinburg is that it isn’t a great place to go swimming or sunbathing. So, if you’re looking for a beach vacation, then Edinburg may not be for you.
However, if you want to see a medieval city on the coast, then you’ll love Edinburg. What it lacks in sun and warmth it more than makes up for in culture.
Edinburgh is always overly crowded with tourists all throughout the year, but with good reason; it is a top destination in the UK. It is also a very walkable city and easy to reach via train from anywhere south of the border.
3. Cornwall
Cornwall is based in England’s most southwestern tip and is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the whole country. With picturesque beaches, towering cliffs, harbour towns and fishing villages, there is so much to explore here.
Popular places the Cornwall area include: Bodmin Moor, St. Ives, Mousehole (which Dylan Thomas called: ‘the loveliest village in England) and Port Isaac.
I would recommend at least 3 days in Cornwall to take in all that this region has to offer.
Cornwall isn’t the cheapest coastal destination on this list. Accommodation and high end restaurants can be a bit pricey but it’s definitely worth the cost to experience this most scenic of English regions. However, you won’t find anywhere more ‘picturesque’ in the UK.
4. Liverpool
Liverpool is one of the major cities in England and also lies next to the Irish Sea. It is a fantastic city that is lively, full of culture.
Liverpool is particularly a special place to visit if you’re a music lover, especially if you’re a fan of the Beatles.
Best things to do in Liverpool, UK
- Visit the Cavern Club, where the Beatles first performed and it still features live music seven days a week.
- The Albert Docks is the trendy part of the city full of quality restaurants, museums and exhibitions, such as Tate Liverpool which is definitely worth visiting if you’re an art lover.
- See the Titanic Memorial, and the Beatles Statue
- Do the Beatles Tour, which includes locations like Strawberry Fields, John Lennon’s childhood home, and Eleanor Rigby’s grave
Liverpool is worth a visit on a UK itinerary, and is great for both families and solo travellers.
5. Bournemouth
Another top quality UK city based on England’s south coast is Bournemouth, just a three hour train ride west of Brighton.
A lot of people actually prefer Bournemouth to Brighton, because it has everything that you can find in Brighton, plus a beautiful sandy beach (Alum Chine beach) as opposed to Brighton’s pebbles.
Alum Chine beach is cherished by the locals, it is the city’s most popular blue flag beach, very clean and stretches for seven miles in total.
Bournemouth is ideal for families, with plenty of pubs and restaurants along the seafront nearby.
Pro Tip: Like Brighton, the Bournemouth beach also gets extremely crowded with sun worshippers during the summer months, so I would recommend a visit either during late spring or early autumn.
6. Blackpool
In the north of England is one of the most popular coastal towns in the UK; Blackpool.
Blackpool has a long sandy beach, restaurants and pubs on the beach, arcades, and a tower from which you can get a view of the area (pictured below.)
Blackpool has had a bad reputation in recent decades for being a poor, rundown place, but in recent times it has experienced a resurgence of visitors during the summer months.
A lot of people think Blackpool is too tacky, with its three main piers full of arcades and several amusement parks seemingly outdated. But it is an ideal coastal town for families to visit with countless activities for young and old alike.
My 3 year old daughter loved Blackpool. It is a unique place in the UK, there’s really nowhere else quite like Blackpool. Its worth experiencing at least once.
Pro Tip: From Blackpool, you can take a 6 km bike ride north to another coastal town called Cleveys. Cleveys is known for being a prime location in the UK to find sea glass.
7. Weymouth
The only other coastal town in England remotely similar to Blackpool is on the south coast; Weymouth.
Weymouth is based in Dorset, just one hour west of Bournemouth.
In reality, Weymouth is a lovely seaside town worth spending a few days at. It has a fantastically golden beach which is regularly voted as one of the best in the UK as well as Europe and gets packed during the summer.
Also nearby Weymouth is the Jurassic coast, a 95 mile stretch of coastline which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The coastline is famous for its incredible geological features, fossils and landforms which date back 185 million years.
Walks and tours along the Jurassic coast are very popular, and the dramatic cliff edge views of Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove make for an unforgettable experience.
Weymouth has a similar reputation among locals Blackpool as being outdated and tacky; but it is still worth a visit, in my opinion – especially if you’re visiting the UK, or haven’t been there before!
Read about the best times of the year to visit Weymouth here.
8. Inverness
No visit to the UK is complete without a visit to the Scottish Highlands, and Inverness is the cultural capital of this region which a lot of people say is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and it’s hard to disagree with that.
Inverness lies at the mouth of the River Ness and also meets the Moray Firth, an inlay that leads to the North Sea. There are several beaches not too far away from Inverness, such as Fortrose beach, Dores beach and Lochend beach.
Inverness will be high on the list for many tourists to Scotland, especially Outlander fans. Inverness has been featured in the novels by Diana Gabaldon, as well as the popular TV show that its based on.
The natural beauty in Inverness is simply gorgeous, with most people taking a day trip to Loch Ness in search of the famous mythical creature Nessie.
If you head to Inverness, I highly recommend taking a scenic drive through the Scottish highlands. Visit the towns of Cairngorms, Glen Coe, Ben Nevis or the Isle of Skye.
Inverness is the ideal city if you’re a nature lover looking for an adventure in the wilderness. It is a magical place with some of the most stunning scenery you could imagine.
9. Aberystwyth
A lot of tourists overlook Wales when visiting the UK, which is a crying shame as it is a gloriously beautiful country full of lovely seaside towns worth exploring.
One of the best places is in Wales is Aberystwyth, a University town in the Ceredigion region of Wales.
Aberystwyth has a beautiful beach as well as museums such as the National Museum of Wales. A hike up Constitution Hill in Aberystwyth is a good idea – it overlooks Cardigan Bay, a large inlet of the Irish Sea, and at the top of the hill are breathtaking views of the coastal region.
Close by to Aberystwyth is Snowdonia, Wales’ largest national park which is full of stunning mountains and nature and is only a 35 minute drive away.
10. Salcombe
Salcombe (pronounced “sull-come”) is a popular resort town in Devon and is close to the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary. It is an area renowned for its outstanding beauty, sun soaked beaches and beautiful harbour.
There are two main beaches in Salcombe; North Sands and South Sands, which is reachable by road or a ferry service which runs from April to October. The sea here is a crystal clear turquoise and the place is very idyllic, making it a perfect family getaway.
Salcombe is known as a watersports enthusiast’s paradise, with the likes of windsurfers and kitesurfers populating the beaches during the summer, and kayaking/canoeing and sail boats also popular in this most beautiful of coastal towns.
11. Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town in Yorkshire in the north of England, not too far away from major cities like Newcastle and York. Whitby features a beautiful harbour, spectacular cliff top views of the North Sea and Whitby Abbey, one of the most famous Abbeys in the UK.
There is also evidence of human habitation in Whitby that dates back to the Bronze Age, and it is also famous for Captain Cook having completed his apprenticeship here.
Whitby Abbey is an impressive gothic monument which was a 7th century Christian monastery and was also supposedly the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
All in all Whitby is a delightful coastal town which is perhaps lesser known by tourists, meaning you can expect a quieter time with not so many tourists compared with the likes of Brighton, Blackpool or Cornwall.
12. Belfast
Belfast, in Northern Ireland is less than 2 hour drive from Dublin. It’s known for having the 3rd most important port in the UK, and being the birthplace of the Titanic.
In Belfast, you can visit the Titanic Quarter, explore great museums, admire hundreds of colourful street murals and beautiful Victorian architecture.
An absolutely must while you’re in Belfast is to take a tour of the Giant’s Causeway, which is a breathtaking rugged coastline that consists of basalt columns, and is a UNESCO World Heritage sight.
Belfast City Centre is the old part of town, with cobbled streets and dates back to the 1600s. It’s a great place to shop for Irish souvenirs, and eat traditional Northern Irish cuisine in one of the many restaurants.
Good to Know: If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, then you can take a tour from Belfast to different filming locations used on the show
13. Llandudno
And last but most definitely not least on this list of twelve top coastal cities in the UK worth visiting in 2024 is another beautiful Welsh seaside town: Llandudno.
Based in the north of Wales, just over an hour’s drive from Liverpool, Llandudno is regarded as having the best beaches in the country and is also the largest seaside resort in Wales as well.
The town’s highlights include Conway Castle, a 19th century pier, a tramway line that dates back to 1902 and a lovely promenade that’s ideal for a stroll along the beachfront. There are also ancient tunnels that lead to a cavern at the Great Orme mines.
There’s plenty of activities in Llandudno, making it a perfect visit for a long weekend or as a day trip from Liverpool.
You can even see Ireland from the top of the Great Orme in Llandudno.
When is the best time to visit a UK coastal city?
The best time to visit a UK coastal city would be during the summer months in order to experience the best weather.
However, as mentioned above with the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, Edinburgh and Weymouth – some of the most sought after seaside towns and coastal cities an become extremely overcrowded during the summer season.
If you prefer to visit coastal cities in the UK with fewer crowds, then I would instead advise you to visit these cities during the end of spring or the start of autumn to enjoy the beach with fewer crowds.
I wouldn’t recommend planning a beach trip in the UK during the wintertime, unless you’re a fan of cold temperatures, wet and windy weather and early dark nights.
The UK weather can be temperamental at times; so regardless of the time of year, be sure to check the forecast.
Pro Tip: Some of the UK seaside cities that have fallen out of style with the locals (such as Blackpool and Weymouth) tend to be less busy but still have beautiful shorelines and nice town areas to visit. I recommend choosing one of these towns if you want to go somewhere less ‘touristy.’
UK Coastal Cities FAQs
Still unsure about visiting one of the many great coastal cities in the UK? Let’s answer a couple of the most commonly asked questions about this topic
What is the nicest seaside town in UK?
The village of Bamburgh in Northwest England was voted the best seaside town in the UK in 2022. Its a tiny town of just over 400 people, and has been inhabited since the year 420. The medieval Bamburgh Castle, built in the 11th century sits right on the sea.
What is the largest coastal city in the UK?
Liverpool is the largest coastal city in the UK; it is one of the largest cities in the country with a population of nearly 1 million people.
Where is the best place to live by the sea in UK?
There are many great places to live by the sea in the UK. Your choice will depend on whether you prefer a big city, or a small village. If you prefer a mid-sized city, then you should consider Llandudno in Wales, a seaside city only 1 hour away from Liverpool (the largest seaside city in the UK.)
What is the best coastline in the UK?
This is a bit of a subjective answer, but personally I would say that the south of England has the best coastline in the UK by far.
It is full of the best coastal places worth visiting, from the big popular cities like Brighton and Bournemouth, to the beautiful Dorset region that’s home to Cornwall, Weymouth, Whitby and St.Ives.
Conclusion: 12 Top Coastal Cities in the UK
So that concludes my list of twelve top coastal cities that are most definitely worth a visit in the UK in 2024. It may have been surprising to you at the wide variety of top quality seaside towns and cities that the UK has.
From trendy Brighton on the south coast to the glorious wilderness that surrounds Inverness in northern Scotland, you are absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to a good seaside holiday in the UK.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my curated list and now have several difficult options when choosing your next destination in the UK!