Welsh beach ranks with world’s best

Rhossili was described as 'wild, bleak and barren' by the poet Dylan Thomas. Picture: Nigel's Europe & beyond, flickr.com

Rhossili was described as 'wild, bleak and barren' by the poet Dylan Thomas. Picture: Nigel's Europe & beyond, flickr.com

Published Mar 20, 2014

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London - For a world-class beach you’d probably expect to have to hop on a plane and head for the Mediterranean or even go as far afield as Australia or the Seychelles.

But there’s a three-mile stretch of white sand on the coast of Wales that’s been rated alongside exotic destinations all over the globe.

Stunning Rhossili Bay in the Gower Peninsula has been named the ninth best beach in the world. It is also named the best beach in the UK and the third best in Europe.

Rhossili Bay, which is near Swansea, beat off competition from Dorset, Cornwall and Scotland to secure the top UK spot – and from Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey to keep its third-place ranking in Europe for the second year.

It also managed to improve its position in the world top ten, climbing from tenth to ninth.

Three UK destinations managed to secure a place in the European top ten, with Woolacombe Beach, in Devon, named seventh, and Porthminster Beach, in Cornwall, ninth.

They came in second and third place respectively for the best beaches in the UK, according to the TripAdvisor Traveller Choice Beaches Awards.

Rabbit Beach, in Lampedusa, Italy, and Playa de ses Illetes, in Formentera, Spain, won first and second place in Europe. The best beach in the world was Baia do Sancho in Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago with Unesco world heritage status.

Sancho is on an island 215 miles northeast of the Brazilian mainland and is a bay of crystalline water and white sand surrounded by vegetation-covered 250ft cliffs.

It came ahead of Grace Bay in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos and Flamenco Beach, in Culebra, Puerto Rico. James Kay, of Trip-Advisor, said: “To have three British beaches named among the best in Europe just goes to show how lucky we are in the UK to have such stunning scenery right on our doorstep.”

The weather might not be terribly reliable, but Rhossili Bay – which stretches below cliffs and is popular with surfers, paragliders and ramblers – beat beaches in Mexico, Brazil and Australia to make the world top ten.

Rhossili was described as “wild, bleak and barren” by the poet Dylan Thomas.

It won a starring role in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games, when a youth choir sang Bread of Heaven on the beach, an event broadcast live at the Olympic Stadium.

Nick Bradley, a local councillor said: “This is fantastic news.” The beach rankings were based on reviews and ratings on the Trip-Advisor website over 12 months. - Daily Mail

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