Día Internacional de las Playas: las playas más bonitas del Reino Unido

Britain has a really beautiful coastline. There are miles of golden sand and dozens of hidden beaches. The sea looks idyllic, but can you swim in it?

Take note!

There are miles of golden sand and dozens of hidden beaches" ("hay muchos kilómetros de arena dorada y muchísimas playas escondidas"). En esta frase, "dozens" no quiere decir una docena, sino muchísimas. De hecho, para indicar una gran cantidad se emplea "dozens"+ of + sustantivo. Docena es "dozen" (sin la s final). Ejemplo: I visited a dozen museums last summer ("visité una docena de museos el verano pasado").

The UK's Most Beautiful Beaches

First, let’s discover some of Britain’s most beautiful beaches. There are isolated beaches like Holkham in Norfolk. Pine trees provide shelter from the sun on a hot day. Croyde Bay in Devon offers dramatic waves. It’s ideal for surfing. Northumberland has miles of sandy beaches, including Bamburgh Beach with its imposing castle. Remember to bring a windbreaker. The wind can be very strong.

Barafundle Bay in South Wales is an isolated idyll. Visitors must walk along a cliff path, pass through a stone arch, and finally descend through a forest to the beach. Stone Bay in Kent has impressive white cliffs. Steep steps are the only access to the beach – the inspiration for John Buchan’s thriller The 39 Steps. Britain even has kilometres of coral reef, but they are deep below the seas of South West Scotland.

A record

There is no doubt: Britain has some beautiful beaches. But can you swim in the sea? Well, the water is very clean. The UK’s Marine Conservation Society tests the sea’s pollution levels. This year the society’s Good Beach Guide awarded 516 beaches a green flag – its highest recommendation. That’s a new record.

Very cold

The beaches are beautiful. And the water is clean. So, you can swim in the sea. Right? There is a problem. The water is cold. Sometimes it’s very cold, especially in Scotland. But the sea is cold everywhere, isn’t it16? Human body temperature is 36.9°C. The sea around Britain is about 16°C in the summer. Compare that to the Mediterranean average of 25°C. So, it is cold, and often very cold.

Alternatives

Britain’s favourite resorts have a solution. Blackpool in North West England has theme parks and theatres. In South East England, Brighton has its famous pier, nightclubs and restaurants. These resorts offer special activities for bad weather days. Is there an alternative? Tourists can wait for one of Britain’s heatwaves. They come along about every 10 years.

Britain’s most famous heat wave was in the summer of 1976. The temperature was above 30°C for a record 18 days. Other hot summers include 1983, 1997 and 2006. The hottest single day was in 2003 at 38.1°C.

The Good Beach Guide

A tragedy for a family from Cheshire created the first UK beach guide. Tony and Daphne Wakefield lost their daughter, Caroline, in 1957. She caught polio after swimming at Gosport Beach, Hampshire. The local council declared the water was safe, but the town’s sewage was pumped directly into the sea. The Wakefields formed the Coastal Anti-Pollution League. They also started a Golden List of UK beaches. They campaigned with others for new laws. The UK’s beaches have slowly improved. In 1987 the family donated the Golden List to the Marine Conservation Society. The list is published annually as The Good Beach Guide.

north to south

The Lancashire town of Blackpool became a popular holiday destination during the 19th century, when it was connected to many places in the north of England by rail. It is famous for its three piers, tower, the Illuminations, ballroom dancing, the football club and, of course, beaches. You can read -and listen!- all about here: Blackpool: Seaside Resort.

If you're looking for more benign temperatures, Kent's beaches may be a better option. Known as ‘the Garden of England’, this South East county has the warmest climate in Britain and is home to the breathtaking White Cliffs of Dover. According to Visit England: "Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate beckon with an impressive 15 award-winning sandy beaches and bays, offering everything from surfing and family-friendly fun, to get-away-from-it-all escapism." Find more about it here: Kent, the Garden of England: Fruits, Flowers and Spirits.