Ainsdale Beach in Southport hailed as one of the top 20 beaches to visit in the UK

Ainsdale Beach in Southport has been named as one of the 20 top beaches to visit in the UK.

The site was judged to be the 19th best in the UK in today’s ‘2022’s Top Beaches for Summer Breaks: Ranked’.

The list was compiled by the hometogo website, which forecasts the desire for people to enjoy holidays by the seaside this year will increase, after last year’s staycation boom.

Ainsdale Beach was given a Median Price Per Night of £141.44 and a Visitor Rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Water Quality was judged to be ‘Good’ while the Index Score out of 30 was 17.90.

In recent months visitors have been enjoying the superb sand lizard mural covering Toad Hall next to Ainsdale Beach, created by local artist Paul Curtis.

The beach also enjoys rave reviews on TripAdvisor.

Darkbodach, from Nottingham, wrote: “Parked our VW camper on the beach and enjoyed the view of the vast beach while eating bacon butties and a cup of tea. This beach is clean and massive with dunes to the back.”

Diane C from Tamworth wrote: “What a wonderful beach, our two Boston Terriers loved it on their extendable leads and shallow pools to run in and I was able to enjoy some beachcombing, with lots of shells to gather.

“This beach is great for families as dogs are only allowed on certain parts of the beach.”

Ainsdale Beach in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

Linzi from Liverpool wrote: “Great day out for families. You pay £10 for all day to park on the beach. No having to walk with bags of luggage. Kids can play in sand dunes. Walkable to sea. Ice cream van and snack van onsite.

“You need to get there early as it gets busy by 12 noon.”

A HomeToGo spokesperson said: “Great Britain’s coastline stretches for more than 10,000 miles, and as explored during the staycation boom of the past two summers, it’s home to hundreds of brilliant beaches well worthy of being holiday hotspots.

“Our data indicates that the demand for coastal stays in the UK continues to grow in 2022, with searches for popular locations such as Tenby, Filey and Hunstanton seeing year on year increases of +55%, +154% and +259%.

“With the summer season just a few months away, HomeToGo has swept Great Britain’s superlative shores to find the best beaches for holidays in 2022.

“Looking for locations offering top quality and value for money, this index considers a shortlist of beaches rated at least 3 out of 5 stars by visitors, with a water rating of good or excellent, and where the median nightly price for holiday accommodation in the vicinity is below the UK median at £150 or less.”

Llandang Beach in Gwynedd, Wales, took the top spot in the new rankings, proving the most popular with visitors. People have left Tripadvisor reviews praising it for having ‘everything’, being dog-friendly, and offering up some gorgeous views.

Whitesands Beach in Pembrokeshire took second spot, with its Blue Flag status meaning that it’s ideal for swimmers and surfers. Then there are the breathtaking cliff top walks in the area, the friendly locals and plethora of cafes and bars for a post-walk drink or snack.

The third podium spot went to Sandbanks Beach in Dorset, right by Poole harbour. This is one of the beaches that has already long been a firm favourite with holidaymakers thanks to the handy facilities, swim-friendly waters and nearby hotels.