Sand
1: Scarista Beach, Harris, Outer Hebrides Deserted, three-mile, blinding-white
2: Great Bay, St Martin's, Isles of Scilly The best in the islands
3: Shell Beach, Herm, Channel Islands Made magical by millions of shells
4: Magilligan Strand, Benone, Londonderry Magnificent seven-mile stretch
5: Ainsdale, Near Southport, Merseyside Generous, golden sands with great dunes
6: Saunton Sands, Devon Unspoilt, three-mile arc
7: Llanddwyn Beach, Anglesey Endless ribbon of sand backed by forest
8: Balmedie Country Park, Near Aberdeen Uncrowded, gently shelving
9: Pembrey, Carmarthenshire Eight-mile-long sweep
Wildlife spotting
10: Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire One of Europe's best seabird colonies
11: Holkham, Norfolk Loads of seals and birds
12: Walberswick, Suffolk Home of otters and natterjack toads
13: Seal Sands, Teesmouth, Cleveland Seal breeding colony
14: Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes, Lincolnshire Loads of plants and animals
15: Brownsea Island, Dorset See red squirrels here
16: The Farne Islands, Northumberland Home to loads of puffins
17: Strangford Lough, County Down Rich marine environments
18: Laggan Sands, Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides Sea eagles, golden eagles and seals
Swimming
19: Walpole Bay, Kent Tidal swimming pool and lifeguard
20: Caswell Bay, Swansea Award-winning bathing beach
21: Gorleston, Norfolk Beach patrol boat
22: West Wittering, Sussex Sandy beach with clean water
23: Hornsea, East Yorkshire Sand and shingle, clean-water beach
24: Blackpool Sands, Stoke Fleming, Devon Safe, clean, coarse, sandy beach
25: Shanklin Beach, Isle of Wight Famous for safe bathing
26: Studland, Dorset Long stretches of shallow water
Watersports
27: Long Sands South, Tynemouth, North Tyneside Great for beach sports
28: Findhorn Bay, Elgin, Morayshire Major water-sports centre
29: Minnis Bay, Kent Sailing club and zoned area for boats
30: St Ouen's Bay, Jersey The island's best surf beach
31: Dale, Pembrokeshire Windsurfing, surfing, sailing, sea-kayaking, power-boating
32: Hunstanton, Norfolk Big for dinghy sailors and wind surfers
33: Babbacombe Bay, Torquay, Devon Swimming, windsurfing and scuba diving
Rock pools
34: Roome Bay, Crail, Fife Bountiful rock pools at this rural beach
35: Wembury Bay, Devon Bay teeming with wildlife
36: Portrush, County Antrim Countryside Centre has indoor rockpool
37: St Mary's Island, North Tyneside Rockpool rambles from nature reserve
38: South Landing, Flamborough Head, East Yorks Fascinating rock pools
39: Sandymouth, Cornwall Popular, pebble and sand beach bordered by rock pools
40: Samphire Hoe, Dover, Kent Rich in wildlife and rockpools
41: Hope Gap, Sussex Continuously eroding cliffs with rocky beach
Fun fair fun
42: Great Yarmouth, Norfolk Boasts nine-acre Pleasure Beach
43: Whitmore Bay, Barry, Glamorgan Over 50 rides at Barry Island
44: Southend-on-Sea, Essex Forty-ride theme park
45: Blackpool, Lancashire Blackpool Pleasure Beach caters for all ages
46: Alum Bay, Isle of Wight Dramatically-sited Needles Park
47: Sandhaven Beach, South Shields The north-east's biggest amusement park
48: Brighton, Sussex Two major new rides on Brighton Pier
49: Rhyl, Denbighshire Famous for Big Dipper on Ocean Beach
50: Aberdeen Beach, Aberdeen Scotland's largest indoor funfair