For beachy stays: Hotel Continental sits minutes from the beach in Whitstable. Fresh, contempory rooms echo the seaside theme and the hotel bistro specialises in oysters and local ales. Beautiful St Ives. Yes, beautiful is definitely the best way to describe St Ive’s, and out of all the towns in Cornwall, it is St Ive’s that is one of the number one choices for visitors to Cornwall. Volos railway station is close to the harbour and served by local trains from Larissa (38 miles away), which is on the main Athens-Thessaloniki line. From Thessaloniki there are trains to Belgrade, Sofia and beyond (the Belgrade route is only open this year until 16 September, see seat61.com). EasyJet flies to Volos (Nea Anchialos airport, 40km away) twice a week. Mountainous Pelion has its wild side, too. From Volos, it’s a winding drive over wooded ridges and through stone hamlets to the Aegean coastline, where the road drops down to wide-open beaches and bright green coves hemmed in by cliffs. Population declined in almost one in three (32%) smaller seaside towns between 2009 and 2018 compared with only 16% of small non-coastal towns.

Poor old Folkestone is often overlooked in favour of its Kentish seaside neighbours but ignore it at your peril. Flat and compact, Volos is easy to explore by bicycle. Join the locals freewheeling along the seaside esplanade to the city beaches that begin at Anavros. Or push on to the lush Pelion peninsula, which crooks its finger into the glassy sweep of the Pagasitikos Gulf. The tree- and taverna-lined beaches on Pelion’s south side are sheltered from the winds. Those nearest to town — Gatzea, Kala Nera, Boufa, Lefokastro — can get crowded, especially at weekends. Young guns and high rollers head to the beach bars poking out of the pine trees at Afissos. Families prefer sandy Milina, where you can take a boat trip to the tiny islands of Alatas and Prasouda, or all the way to snoozy Trikeri, adrift off Pelion’s southern tip. Where to stay in Aberystwyth• For budget stays: Stately Queensbridge Hotel exudes a British seaside holiday vibe and sits at the quieter end of Aberystwyth's Victorian promenade. For romantic stays: Cute Ellie-Jo Cottage is one of the original village houses and sits right above the seawall in Gardenstown.

Punta Ala

Tip: Have a meal and drink at either the Dolphin Tavern down by the harbour or at Admiral Benbow just up the street. If in Newlyn the Tolcarne Inn has been a family favourite for decades as an atmospheric place for food and drink in a historic maritime pub and, personally speaking, one of the best Cornish pubs in the region with great seafood. Set on a peninsula of the same name, 100km north of Lisbon, Peniche is a working port surrounded by sandy beaches and cliffs riddled with caves. Surfers gather here year-round because if there are no waves on one side of the peninsula, there are likely to be on the other. The most famous beach is Supertubos, which has one of the best surf breaks in the world, that produces curvy waves and hollow powerful tubes. There are also hidden coves to discover on Praia do Baleal, and Praia da Almagreira has fantastic dunes. Take a boat to Berlenga Grande, a wild island 12km off the coast, to discover sea caves and the 16th-century John the Baptist fortress (boats leave daily). This article provides data and analysis on 169 coastal towns in England and Wales covering a range of economic, health and demography topics. The coastal towns examined in this output are a subset of the 1,186 towns examined in the 2019 Office for National Statistics (ONS) article, Understanding towns in England and Wales: an introduction.

For family stays: With two bedrooms, two bathrooms The Booty apartment is ideal for families and only a short walk from the beach. This quaint little Edwardian seaside town in North Yorkshire has homely pubs, quirky shops and a weekly farmers' market.Penzance is also where the passenger ferry to the Isles of Scilly leaves if you want to visit those islands, which I highly recommend doing.

Where to stay in Brighton• For designer stays: Unique and exciting My Brighton features designer rooms, a vibrant atmosphere and its very own Indian restaurant. Where to stay in Hastings• For boutique stays: An elegant 18th century villa set in lovely grounds minutes from the sea, The Old Rectory is one of the finest boutique hotels in Hastings. For town centre stays: The Swan Hotel sits right on the town square in the centre of Southwold and is known locally for its excellent restaurant. The rest of this section provides a range of further information related to employment and the labour market in coastal towns. If Porthmadog is handsome, it owes at least a portion of its good looks to the magnificent views all around. From town, you can gaze up the Vale of Ffestiniog and across the estuary of the Glaslyn River to the mountains of Snowdonia.Where to stay in Margate• For central stays: The Sherwood Hotel has a friendly, traditional B&B atmosphere close to the centre of Margate and within walking distance of the beach. Where to stay in Shanklin• For luxury stays: Somerton Lodge Hotel is an elegant Victorian house transformed into a luxurious hotel. The gardens are lovely and there's an excellent hotel restaurant. With wide stretches of golden sand, fish and chips available on the seafront and the obligatory arcade on the pier, Bournemouth is a relic of the Victorian beach break. For budget stays: Cosy and welcoming Rosslyn Court is a charming little guesthouse with a pretty terrace close to the seafront in Margate. For cottage stays: The pretty Holiday Home Tigh na Dalach is every inch the traditional Highland cottage right down to its cosy bedrooms, woodburning stove and sweet garden.

I’ve added the town of Newlyn with Penzance as they are basically towns in Cornwall joined together. Penzance and Newlyn are both fishing ports with plenty of atmospheric pubs in the towns to enjoy a good meal and drink. Top Tip: Polperro was one of the main hotspots in the Cornish smuggling trade, with contraband coming over from mainland Europe.Where to eat Galixidi is a foodie hotspot. Try the stuffed onions at O Bebelis or fresh seafood at the portside Skeletovrachos taverna. In the morning sip iced coffee like a local at the Art Café Old Liotrivi, with great views of the town. The secret’s out. Pittenweem in Fife is one of the favourite seaside destinations in Central Scotland. This pretty village thrives on its steady tourist trade, but it also remains a functioning fishing town and has become something of an artists’ colony in recent years. Where to stay in Porthmadog• For charming stays: The Golden Fleece Inn offers individually designed rooms laid out across three beautifully restored historic buildings close to the centre of Porthmadog. Or if Roman history is more your thing, visit the Roman Painted House. These are five rooms of a Roman hotel dating from 200AD and feature large areas of murals. For traditional stays: The Royal Sportsman is the only hotel in Porthmadog, very welcoming and a good base for breaks in nearby Snowdonia National Park.