By By The Newsroom
The County Londonderry beach was named the UK鈥檚 and Northern Ireland鈥檚 beach of the year by The Times and The Sunday Times annual best UK beaches guide 鈥 which describes itself as 鈥渢he definitive and most comprehensive list of the UK’s 50 best beaches鈥. Chris Haslam, the award-winning chief travel writer at the newspapers, praised the natural beauty of the popular North Coast tourist spot. 鈥淵es, you can drive onto the beach, and will you look at the size of it? Backed by dunes, it would run all the way to Magilligan Point, were it not for the salmon-rich Bann River cutting it in two miles west. 鈥淪urfers, paddleboarders, kayakers and especially wild swimmers come to play here, while others come simply to stare at the sea: some sitting in their cars, others on the cocktail deck of Harry鈥檚 Shack鈥, he said. Mr Haslam selected the UK鈥檚 top 50 beaches from a total of 756 that he personally visited and inspected on a month-long campervan tour of the British and Northern Irish coasts. Criteria include water quality, cleanliness, accessibility, car-parking facilities, lifeguard presence, hygiene levels at restrooms and showers, and dog-friendliness. The other local beaches on the list are Cushendall, Ballycastle, Ballintoy and Runkerry in Co Antrim. Chris Haslam said; 鈥淚f beauty was all it took to win Beach of the Year then Ballycastle, Whitepark, Tyrella or almost any other Northern Irish beach could have taken the crown. But being the best takes more: excellent water quality, clean sands, lifeguards, a cracking cafe and the sense that the beach is loved and cherished by the local community. Being allowed to drive onto the strand is an added bonus that makes all the difference for families and those less mobile. Portstewart has it all.鈥