By Christopher Sharp
The summer is often a time when thousands of people leave the UK to head abroad and enjoy the hotter climate of our European neighbours. The warmer weather means people are more able to enjoy the continent鈥檚 best beaches. However, as the summers in the UK get warmer, and the cost of living continues to rise, more people are choosing to stay at home to save money, and because there are so many beaches in the UK to enjoy. With that in mind, a group of travel experts came together to find the best beach in the UK, and the winner is not quite where you鈥檇 expect. Although the likes of Holkham Beach in North Norfolk, or Brighton Beach in Sussex are popular places for people to relax, The Times chose Portstewart Strand . Located in CoDerry, Northern Ireland , the beach has grown in popularity in recent years, in part because of its appearance in a season of Game of Thrones . As a result, tourists have flocked to the location and discovered a beautiful beach with excellent water quality. Speaking about the beach, travel writer Chris Haslam praised not only the beach鈥檚 aesthetic, but the fact there were so many amenities nearby, it was dog friendly, and people were able to park their cars on the beach. He said: “The promenade is still delightful, beginning at the harbour, opposite the caf茅/deli Born & Bread, and passing between the rocky shore and a busy strip of seafront shops. Yes, you鈥檒l find a chippy, Sheila鈥檚 souvenir shop and two ice cream parlours. 鈥淧erhaps that鈥檚 the secret: this may be a seaside resort but the promenade is also a busy high street that鈥檚 not dependent on seasonal business to pay the bills.鈥 It鈥檚 not just travel writers who have found the beach to be a delight, people leaving reviews on TripAdvisor have also praised the location. As recently as last month, reviewer Caroline said: 鈥淪uperb beach. 鈥淩eminded me of Cape Cod but we did go on a glorious day. Deeply impressed with the young gentleman who works for the National Trust checking that those using disabled bays were indeed showing blue badges.鈥 Another added: 鈥淚鈥檝e been going to the north coast for years, but had never set foot on Portstewart Strand until today. Miles of sand, plenty of on-beach parking, great walk, excellent paddling, lots of opportunities for surfing and SUP boarding.鈥