Which? ranks UK’s best and worst seaside towns with mixed news for North Wales

The UK’s best and worst coastal destinations for 2025 have been announced. The Which? rankings have been released – with mixed performances from locations in North Wales.

Which? surveyed over 3,800 people about their experiences of UK seaside destinations in the last year, asking their views on a range of criteria including the quality of the beaches, scenery, food and drink offerings, accommodation, tourist attractions and value for money.

Bamburgh in Northumberland took the top UK spot in Which?’s survey for the fifth year running. With an overall destination score of 84 per cent, Bamburgh was given five stars for its beach, seafront, scenery and peace and quiet.

The picturesque village of Beer on the Jurassic Coast came second – after coming in 18th place last year. Surrounded by white chalk cliffs, the shingle beach is lined with fishing boats. One visitor said “Beer is charming, with beautiful coastal scenery and is full of history.” Beer scored five stars for scenery and four stars for value for money and peace and quiet.

North Wales gets its first placing at third although it’s not really a seaside town as such. Portmeirion, in Gwynedd, is known for its Italian-inspired, colourful architecture which was made famous by cult TV favourite ‘The Prisoner’. It received a score of 79 per cent.

Scoring five stars for its scenery and seafront, one visitor said: “The place is superb in every way. It’s a beautiful setting with wonderful food and accommodation – perfect for a special occasion.” The average night for a hotel in Portmeirion is £134.

Another Welsh spot that impressed visitors according to the Which? survey was St Davids, Pembrokeshire. The UK’s smallest city also earned a 79 per cent destination score. One visitor praised St Davids for its “excellent facilities, lovely seafront, nice walks and excellent hotels.”

At the other end of the table came Bangor. For those with a ‘glass half full’ mentality then you could welcome the fact it has crawled off the bottom spot, where it finished last year. Bognor Regis took that dubious honour and the university city moved up to second from bottom with a score of 38 per cent. One visitor called it “shabby”.

It is somewhat unlucky in that it has never been a traditional seaside resort – and a beach is one of the categories rated, which is not something Bangor has.

Despite its low score, one respondent praised Bangor for its “stunning views across the Menai Straits” and for being a good base for North Wales and Anglesey. Bangor may not have a proper beach, but its pier is a Victorian triumph and remains much the same as when Lord Penrhyn opened it in 1896.

When it came to some of the most popular resorts a few places just missed out on the top 20. Beaumaris, Llandudno and Conwy all scored 74%.

Colwyn Bay was lower down with a 58% overall rating although it did get a maximum score for its beautiful beach. Porthmadog scored 63%, with its scenery its greatest asset according to reviewers. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone

Criccieth made the top 50 with a score of 69%. A full list is below.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said: “From beautiful coastlines to peaceful walks and charming traditional bucket and spade resorts, the UK seaside offers something for everyone – whatever the weather.

“While you may have your own favourite destination, as well as the top spots in Devon and Wales, our survey shows there are still plenty of beautiful hidden gems across the UK to explore.

“Some seaside resorts offer better value for money than others, so it is worth looking at surrounding areas of popular spots if you are looking for a cheaper overnight stay.”

Results are based on an online survey of 8,952 experiences from 3,872 Which? Connect panel members conducted Jan-Mar 2025.

Full list:

Bamburgh: 84%

Portmeirion: 79%

Saint David’s: 79%

Sidmouth: 79%

Tynemouth: 79%

Dungeness: 78%

Aldeburgh: 77%

Wells-Next-The-Sea: 77%

Whitby: 77%

Lynmouth: 76%

Saint Andrews: 76%

St Mawes: 76%

Swanage: 76%

Broadstairs: 75%

Lyme Regis: 75%

Robin Hood’s Bay: 75%

Southwold: 75%

Stonehaven: 75%

Beaumaris: 74%

Conwy : 74%

Falmouth: 74%

Llandudno : 74%

Lymington: 74%

Pittenweem: 74%

Frinton-on-sea: 73%

North Berwick: 73%

Saltburn-by-the-Sea: 73%

Tobermory: 73%

Blakeney: 72%

Lytham St Annes: 72%

Ullapool: 72%

Whitley Bay: 72%

Aberaeron: 71%

Budleigh Salterton: 71%

Sheringham: 71%

Penarth: 70%

Criccieth: 69%

Mevagissey: 69%

Seahouses: 69%

Ventnor: 69%

Brixham: 68%

Clevedon: 68%

Cromer: 68%

Grange over sands: 68%

Salcombe: 68%

Saundersfoot: 68%

St Ives: 68%

Weymouth: 68%

Eastbourne: 67%

Southsea: 67%

Dunbar: 66%

Felixstowe: 66%

Padstow: 66%

Scarborough: 66%

Teignmouth: 66%

Whitstable: 66%

Berwick-upon-Tweed: 65%

Folkestone: 65%

Shanklin: 65%

Exmouth: 64%

West Bay: 64%

Porthmadog : 63%

Barmouth: 62%

Hunstanton: 62%

Morecambe: 62%

Swansea: 62%

Torquay: 62%

Worthing: 62%

Aberystwyth: 61%

Brighton: 61%

Dawlish: 61%

Minehead: 61%

Bournemouth: 59%

Southport: 59%

Colwyn Bay : 58%

Hastings: 58%

Herne Bay: 58%

Penzance: 58%

Porthcawl: 58%

Seaton: 58%

Newquay: 57%

Plymouth: 57%

Barry Island: 56%

Margate: 56%

Bridlington: 55%

Ilfracombe: 55%

Littlehampton: 54%

Mablethorpe: 54%

Ramsgate: 54%

Skegness: 54%

Fishguard: 53%

Barton on sea: 52%

Cleethorpes: 52%

Lowestoft: 52%

New Brighton: 52%

Great Yarmouth: 50%

Weston-super-Mare: 49%

Blackpool: 48%

Burnham-on-Sea: 46%

Fleetwood: 46%

Southend-on-Sea: 43%

Clacton-on-Sea: 42%

Bangor: 38%

Bognor Regis: 36%

Read More…