Latest news with #BlueFlagAward
South Wales Guardian
17-05-2025
- South Wales Guardian
Carmarthenshire beach among world's best in awards
Cefn Sidan, near Burry Port, was one of 49 beaches across Wales to receive the globally recognised Blue Flag Award. The award, given by Wales' leading environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, is a symbol of quality and plays a vital role in protecting the marine environment. Cefn Sidan, an eight-mile sandy beach within Pembrey Country Park, was the first Welsh beach to receive the Blue Flag Award when it was introduced in 1988. The beach has now won the accolade 38 times, more than any other Welsh beach. Carmarthenshire County Council's cabinet member for regeneration, leisure, culture, and tourism, Cllr Hazel Evans, said: "I am delighted that Cefn Sidan beach has retained its Blue Flag status. "This recognition not only reinforces our commitment to protecting Carmarthenshire's coastal environment but also ensures that residents and visitors alike can continue to enjoy a world-class, picturesque, and unique beach experience. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the hardworking team at Pembrey County Park for working hard to preserve one of Carmarthenshire's greatest beaches." The Blue Flag is one of the world's most recognised awards for beaches, marinas, and tourism boats, recognising high standards of water quality, amenities, sustainable tourism development, information provision, environmental education, safety, access, and site management. Owen Derbyshire, chief executive of Keep Wales Tidy, congratulated Carmarthenshire on continuing to ensure Cefn Sidan is one of Wales' best coastal locations. He said: "Congratulations once again to Cefn Sidan on retaining its Blue Flag Award status. "It's great to see that Wales' very first Blue Flag Award winner continues to be not only a beautiful place to visit, but one that visitors know is clean, safe, and well-managed with excellent facilities too."
Leader Live
15-05-2025
- Leader Live
Denbighshire and Anglesey beaches among Wales' best at awards
Environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy announced the recipients of its annual Coast Awards on Thursday (May 15). A total of 49 sites received awards: A post shared by Wales Coast Awards (@walescoastawards) Blue Flag Award The Blue Flag Award is one of the world's most recognised awards for beaches, marinas and boats. It is awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to beaches that adhere to specific criteria that ensures the beach or marina is: Seaside Award The Seaside Award is a UK-only beach award available in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Its distinctive yellow and blue flag signifies a clean, attractive and well-managed coastal stretch, with a good standard of water quality, public facilities, safety provision and management. Green Coast Award Green Coast Awards celebrates the "hidden gems" of the Welsh coastline and shows a site is: The 49 sites that received a Wales Coast Award in 2025 are: Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, Owen Derbyshire, said: "The Wales Coast Awards are a fantastic celebration of Wales' beautiful and diverse coastline and are testament to the huge effort of staff and volunteers at sites across Wales. "Thank you to everyone who works so hard to protect and preserve our natural landscape in the face of increasingly challenging circumstances.' There were three beaches in North Wales named among the nation's best at the Coast Awards: Silver Bay was one of 13 beaches in Wales to receive a Green Coast Award. (Image: Getty Images) Silver Bay, in Rhoscolyn, was one of 13 locations in Wales to receive a Green Coast Award in 2025. Keep Wales Tidy describes the private beach, located in the Silver Bay Holiday Park, as one of the "hidden gems" of the Welsh coastline. It added: "The Green Coast Award marks Silver Bay as an exceptional place to enjoy stunning scenery, rich coastal heritage and diversity. "It joins the likes of Mwnt and Penbryn in Ceredigion and Freshwater East and Manobier in Pembrokeshire in being commended for unspoilt beauty, excellent water quality and a high standard of environmental education." Prestatyn Central was also recognised among Wales' best beaches in the 2025 Coast Awards. (Image: Tripadvisor) Prestatyn Central was recognised among the best in Wales with a Seaside Award. The North Wales beach is described as a "much-loved tourist destination" and is popular for its wide, sandy beaches and water sports (including surfing, sailing and windsurfing). Prestatyn Central boasts a 4.3 (out of 5) rating on Tripadvisor from 84 reviews (at the time of writing). One person described it as "my favourite beach", before adding: "This is a lovely Beach, my husband grew up staying with his nan & grandad during the school holidays at Lido beach caravan park so it's always been a favourite. "It's clean, tidy and my grandchildren love it. Will continue to visit this for years to come." RECOMMENDED READING: Secret North Wales beach named among the best in the UK and a must visit The 2 'beautiful' North Wales beaches with 'golden sand' among the UK's best Seaside town in North Wales with 'surprisingly blue waters' among UK's prettiest Rhyl East, which is a "long-sandy stretch of coastline", also received a Seaside Award in 2025. It was also commended for its dedicated zone for beach sport activities including kite surfing, wind surfing and kayaking.
Wales Online
15-05-2025
- Wales Online
13 'untouched' Welsh beaches win awards for unspoiled beauty and clean water
13 'untouched' Welsh beaches win awards for unspoiled beauty and clean water The winner of the Green Coast Awards have been announced which recognise smaller, untouched beaches Beautiful Mwnt in Ceredigion is among the beaches that have been praised (Image: Getty ) Wales' stunning beaches have once again been recognised for their beauty, cleanliness, and high standards, as Keep Wales Tidy has announced the winners of the 2025 Wales Coast Awards. Most people have heard of the Blue Flag Award which is a global symbol of clean, well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and facilities. But there's also another important award: the Green Coast Award. The award celebrates hidden gems along the Welsh coast - beaches known for their natural beauty, clean water, and strong commitment to the environment. It recognised the beautiful, untouched, rugged beaches that line our coast that may not have the facilities of more traditional seaside resorts. But they are held to high environmental standards. This year, 13 beaches in Wales have earned the Green Coast Award. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . The beaches which have earned the award include: Silver Bay, Anglesey Cilborth, Ceredigion Llanrhystud, Ceredigion Mwnt, Ceredigion Penbryn, Ceredigion Abereiddy, Pembrokeshire Freshwater, East Pembrokeshire Manorbier, Pembrokeshire Penally, Pembrokeshire Caerfai, Pembrokeshire Druidstone, Pembrokeshire West Angle Bay, Pembrokeshire Bracelet Bay, Swansea Article continues below Pembrokeshire leads the way with the most winners including seven beaches: Abereiddy, Freshwater East, Manorbier, Penally, Caerfai, Druidston, and West Angle Bay. Ceredigion follows with four award-winning beaches: Cilborth, Llanrhystud, Mwnt, and Penbryn. Bracelet Bay in Swansea and Traeth Llydan in Rhoscolyn, Anglesey, also retained their awards. These beaches offer more than just a beautiful view as they also promote environmental education, meet strict water quality standards, and are well managed to keep them safe and enjoyable for visitors. Alongside the Green Coast winners, 21 beaches across Wales received the prestigious Blue Flag Award for their excellent facilities, safety, and water quality. An extra 15 beaches also received the Seaside Award, which recognises clean, attractive, and well-managed beaches in the UK. These beaches fly a yellow and blue flag as a symbol of their quality. Article continues below
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
UK seaside city with huge 1.3-mile pier ranked the best in the entire country
Southend boasts the longest pleasure pier on the planet, which also holds the world record for having the longest railway on a public pier, according to the Guinness Book of Records Southend-on-Sea is a vibrant waterfront destination on the Essex coast boasting a world-famous pier that was recently voted the best in Britain in a study carried out by the Telegraph. Located in the gaping mouth of the Thames Estuary, Southend isn't technically a seaside destination, but undoubtedly offers the full British seafront experience and atmosphere, complete with a bustling promenade, Blue Flag Award -winning beach — guaranteeing clean, safe and beautiful surroundings — and a lively city centre. Its easy access from London makes it a popular getaway for families, couples and day-trippers alike. Beyond the beach, Southend boasts a variety of attractions, from amusement arcades and adventure parks to historic hotels and cultural venues. But above all, it is the pier that defines Southend's identity and draws visitors from around the globe. Opened in 1830 and rebuilt in iron in 1889, Southend Pier is not just the longest pier in the UK, it's the longest pleasure pier in the world, stretching an astonishing 1.33 miles (2.14 km) into the Thames Estuary. As poet Sir John Betjeman famously put it: 'The Pier is Southend; Southend is the Pier.' The pier is so long that it has its own railway — the first built on a pier in the UK — offering a charming and practical way to reach its head. According to the Guinness Book of Records, it holds the world record for the longest railway on a public pier. At the pier's end, the striking Royal Pavilion hosts live performances, exhibitions and community events. Visitors can enjoy refreshments in quirky beach huts or at the café, all the while taking in panoramic estuary views. For those interested in history, the Pier Museum offers fascinating exhibits on its construction, railway and role in local life. There's a fairground featuring a ferris wheel, wacky walk of mirrors and crazy golf course, meaning there's a wide range of entertainment for people of all ages. Anglers will find the pier a hotspot for fishing, with flounder, bass and mackerel among the common catches. Southend Pier has twice been named Pier of the Year by the National Piers Society, first in 2007 and then in 2023. Recent investments include new eco-friendly trains, upgraded facilities and creative use of historic train carriages as seating, all contributing to record visitor numbers and glowing reviews. In short, Southend Pier offers an experience you simply cannot find anywhere else in the world, never mind the country. Whether you're walking further out into the water than you can anyplace else on the planet, riding on the iconic train, enjoying a show at the Royal Pavilion, or just soaking up the sea air, Southend Pier is without doubt the definitive British pier.
