10 Best Beaches in Somerset

Minehead Beach is a beautiful sand beach that turns to a pebble beach near the harbour. In the sandy areas, visitors enjoy sunbathing, swimming and water sports, as well as taking the kids wading in the calm waters.

Located on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, you can see the gorgeous Wales coast from the shoreline. The beach is also close to town, which is home to seaside resorts, historic Victorian and Georgian buildings and waterfront dining and nightlife.

Stretching out from the Sand Point peninsula, Middle Hope Beach is a quiet beach area on a shingle cove. Offering more scenic beauty and serenity than the energetic pier areas, Middle Hope Beach is backed by farmland and rests on the Bristol Channel.

The beach is ideal for people who enjoy hiking along the coast and checking out the views of the Bristol Channel and the coastal rock formations. Beachcombing and fossil hunting are also popular at Middle Hope Beach.

Brean Beach stretches for seemingly endless miles and is a beautiful beach outside of Weston-super-Mare. It’s one of the longest beaches in Europe and is popular for beach sports, coastal hikes and dog walking.

A natural pier created by the headland offers more challenging hikes and spectacular views of the Somerset Levels and Bristol Channel. Nearby, you’ll find an array of archaeological sites with Stone Age and Roman remnants to explore. One of the highlights is a 19th-century defence fort at the summit.

Also known as Main Beach, Burnham-on-Sea Beach is a traditional seaside resort with a pristine stretch of sand. As you'd expect of a traditional resort, it also has a seaside promenade with Victorian and Edwardian homes.

The beach is popular for travellers and includes many exciting amusements for beachgoers, such as donkey rides on the sand and classic seaside attractions. Visitors can find tour operators to enjoy such activities as boating, sailing and riding personal watercraft. Dogs are allowed on the beach in the off-peak seasons.

Weston-super-Mare Beach is a popular seaside resort area at the gateway to the South West of England. It’s one of the longest natural beaches in the UK and rests on the Bristol Channel coast.

Locals enjoy walking and outdoor sports in the off-peak season, but the warm spring and summer months bring droves of people to the golden sands. The beach also has a variety of events throughout the year, including the Weston Beach Race and the Weston-super-Mare Air Festival.

Dunster Beach is a wide, sandy beach with pebbled areas and gorgeous views of Blue Anchor Bay and the Bristol Channel. Located near Exmoor, the beach is a popular coastal hiking area and fishing area. Visitors also enjoy swimming and water sports.

Nearby, you’ll find a golf course and a holiday village for shopping and dining. Another highlight of visiting Dunster Beach is riding the West Somerset Railway Line, which passes near the beach and provides a heritage steam train ride in the Quantock countryside.

Kilve Beach is a rocky beach between Minehead and Bridgwater, with soft, sandy areas, grassy areas and rock pools to search for marine life. Visitors enjoy picnicking in the grassy spots to enjoy the sea breezes and views. Dogs are allowed on the beach as well.

One of the most appealing aspects of Kilve Beach is the geology. The cliffs have layers of fossils in oil-rich yellow and brown shale deposits, which you may be able to see on a coastal hike.

Brean (South) Beach is a portion of the long Brean Beach near Burnham-on-Sea. The beach offers sandy spots, quiet dunes and marshlands to explore. With the marshes and mudflats, the beach is popular for nature lovers looking to spot wildlife. You can also ride horses on the beach.

Water sports are popular at Brean Beach, including sailing, windsurfing, boating, fishing and riding personal watercraft. In the nearby town, you’ll find a variety of seaside resort areas and piers for seaside amusements and attractions.

Stolford Beach is a pebbled beach nestled in the mudflats of the Bristol Channel that’s a popular spot for dog walking, coastal hikes and fossil hunting. The beach has bands of shale and limestone deposits, which reveal fossils and other geological wonders at low tide, as well as rock pools where you can catch marine life when the tide is low.

Many visitors come to Stolford Beach for its fishing opportunities since it’s a quieter beach in the Somerset seaside area.

Sand Bay Beach is a picturesque coast near Sand Point, north of the Weston-super-Mare resort area. It’s one of the wilder beaches in Somerset, making it appealing for nature lovers and hikers.

The beach itself is a combination of sand and shingle, so it attracts swimmers and fishermen. Dogs are also welcome at Sand Bay, so you can hike with your pet and take in the coastal views that stretch to South Wales. Nearby, you can find parking and a few concessions.