Weymouth Beach makes Tripadvisor's top 25 beaches across Europe

New rankings from travel website Tripadvisor has placed Weymouth Beach 19th on the list for the top 25 beaches across the continent - beating spots in Crete, Italy and France.

It comes as Tripadvisor, which is the world's largest travel site, has released its annual Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2022, the Best of the Best Beaches in Europe.

Weymouth Beach in summer 2021 Picture: Graham Hunt Photography

Melcombe Regis town councillor, Tia Roos said: "This is great news, especially for our local economy and businesses.

"We need a boost. I’m biased but I think Weymouth has the best beach in the world, so I can’t say I’m surprised.

"The beach team do an excellent job of keeping it safe, clean and functioning. We also have such wonderful walks, venues that are dog friendly and family-minded areas of the beach.

"It really does try to accommodate for everyone. Plus our new toilet facilities have a lot for those who need extra space and support. If anything I believe this summer everyone should try and holiday in the UK and definitely come to Weymouth."

Luskentyre on the Isle of Harris and Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland are the UK’s top ranking beaches, placing seventh and eighth in Europe respectively, while in the south of the UK, Porthminster Beach in St Ives, Cornwall comes in at 11th and Dorset’s Weymouth Beach places 19th.

The UK beaches were higher up in the rankings than Falassarna Beach in Crete (21st), Tropea Beach in Italy (23rd), and Plage de Palombaggia in France.

Elsewhere, Europe’s top ranking beach is Spiaggia dei Conigli on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Mayor of Weymouth Colin Huckle said: "Picturesque Weymouth beach holds a special place in the hearts of so many travellers who visit our town year after year, so it’s fantastic to see it listed as one of the top beaches in Europe alongside places like Lampedusa in Italy.

"As we gear up for the next holiday season, this is just great news for the town and will provide a welcome boost to the local economy.

"Weymouth Town Council takes a lot of pride in keeping this glorious stretch of sandy beach a clean and go-to destination for families and friends to enjoy, and this year could be a bumper year for tourism as more and more people decide to pay us a visit."

Louise Matthews, co-owner of The Gresham guest house, opened her hotel along The Esplanade on May 29 last year and said the staycation boom of 2021 saw her business at full capacity until end of September.

She said: "When we opened it was a baptism of fire.

"To hear Weymouth Beach, situated opposite us, is one of the best beaches in Europe from Tripadvisor is fantastic.

"I think summer 2022 is going to be different compared to last year. I can see it being busier. The staycation boom brought a lot of people to the area who discovered Weymouth.

"Being ranked so highly by Tripadvisor is a big boost to the town, and can only attract more visitors.

"Last year was mad and bookings have been steady so far. We’re loving it and it’s gone very quickly."

Dorset Chamber president Caron Khan said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in making Weymouth beach such a fantastic destination and winning this latest recognition.

“The beach is one of the jewels in the crown of our county’s tourism industry and this accolade comes at a perfect time as we look forward to the spring and the start of the holiday season.

“I hope it will herald another staycation summer with visitors and tourists flocking to Weymouth and our other excellent holiday resorts in Dorset.”

Christine Maguire, spokeswoman at Tripadvisor, said: "Our Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best winners are decided by reviewers on Tripadvisor's website.

"These are the best spots out there, according to, well, the best travellers out there.

"This list has something for everyone, because it was determined by the millions of different travellers all over the world reviewing their favourite beaches on Tripadvisor throughout 2021. Although last year was still far from ‘normal,’ these are the beaches travellers visited and loved more than any others."

Tripadvisor has also released Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2022, the Best of the Best Beaches in the world - with top spot awarded to Grace Bay Beach, in Turks and Caicos Islands.