Beaches rated Excellent in the United Kingdom

Common questions

How many beaches rated excellent are there in the United Kingdom?

422 — this page lists all of them, grouped by area, with each one's current swim status.

What does this mean?

Excellent is the highest of the four classifications under the EU Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC), based on E. coli and intestinal enterococci measurements across the previous four bathing seasons. It describes a four-year record, not the water today: a beach rated Excellent can still be closed by a pollution incident, and this page shows each one's current status alongside its rating.

Can I swim at all of these right now?

No. 11 of these 422 spots are currently flagged, including 11 under an active do-not-swim notice. A rating or an award describes a past assessment; the status on each spot page is today's. Neither is a safety clearance — bathing-water monitoring covers bacterial quality only, and says nothing about tides, currents, swell or cold-water shock.

Which areas of the United Kingdom have the most?

Cornwall (80), Scotland (47), Pembrokeshire (25). They are spread across 65 areas in total.