Four isolated beaches in Wales have beaten holiday spots in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to be named the most highly-rated in the UK, according to a new study. The top spot was taken by Barafundle Bay, a sandy stretch located on the Pembrokeshire shore that's buffered by dunes and pine trees and can only be reached by walking half a mile from the nearest car park.
The treasured spot has come top in some new analysis conducted by Holidu, the search engine for holiday rentals. As the weather outside gets hotter they've broken down the UK's 50 best-rated beaches on which to cool off. Their list of must-visit beaches has been taken from Google Maps and includes the number of reviews and average ratings for each. Based on 1,388 reviews Barafundle received a 4.8 out of five stars average.
Wales dominates the top 10, with the beach at Mwnt in Ceredigion coming second, Three Cliffs Bay in Swansea third and Marloes Sands, also in Pembrokeshire, fourth. Rhossili Bay in Gower also features in the top 10 at number eight.
READ MORE: The baffling Welsh tourist spots Reddit reckons are 'underrated'
Holidu's guide described Barafundle as, "a 'jewel in the crown' and one of the best places to go to if you fancy some open water swimming this summer." It added that its secluded setting means "the waves aren’t so strong" making it "perfect for less confident swimmers looking for a safer environment in which to go for a dip."
Elsewhere there are also mentions for Traeth Porth Ceiriad in Gwynedd (11), Dunraven Bay in the Vale of Glamorgan (14), Porth Dafarch on Anglesey (21), Freshwater West in Pembs (23), Treath Porthor in Gwynedd (25) and Traeth Lladdwyn on Anglesey (26). Tenby's North beach, Caswell Bay, Harlech Beach also get mentions, with Rotherslade Bay in Carmarthenshire scraping in at number 50.
The roll call reveals that this country is home to the highest number of best-rated beaches in Britain, toting up an impressive 19 beaches in total. The new study also provides info on the Top 10 beaches within Wales itself.
Here Barafundle returns to take the top spot, while Traeth Mwnt, Three Cliffs Bay and Marloes Sands once again come runners-up. Rhossili claims fifth place.
You can read the full interactive guide here.
READ NEXT:
- The luxury hotel in Pembrokeshire that's just been given 5-star status
- Legendary breakfast cafe Uplands Diner in Swansea is bringing back indoor seating after hundreds of people begged it to
-
Opening date announced for cult noodle pop-up Matsudai Ramen's first permanent restaurant
-
Parador 44: First look inside Cardiff's newest boutique hotel from the owners of Bar 44
