A stunning beach in the South West has been crowned the best in the UK by the Sunday Times. The Towans, in Hayle, Cornwall also scooped the top spot regionally, beating out three other Cornish beauty spots and six idyllic beaches in Devon. The prestigious Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches guide is meticulously crafted, based on an 11-point inspection checklist.
This checklist assesses various aspects such as water quality, cleanliness, accessibility, car parking, lifeguard services, restroom and shower hygiene, and whether the beach is dog-friendly. Other beaches from Cornwall and Devon featured in the guide also received high praise, reports Cornwall Live . However, Chris Haslam, chief travel writer at The Times, who personally visited all 50 beaches listed in the guide within the last eight weeks, singled out The Towans for its "sense of space in untamed nature".
Read more: He commented: "The Towans' water quality is rated as excellent, it's dog-friendly and the cleanliness, car parking, lifeguarding, catering and toilets are top notch. The water sports facilities are superb and the beauty is beyond question. "But there's something here that's not on the checklist: a sense of space in untamed nature that lowers your heart rate, reduces the cortisol and loosens the limbs.
" The 2024 guide includes only those beaches which have been designated as having "excellent" water quality by national environmental agencies, focusing exclusively on mainland beaches. Discover Cornwal.