A seaside town in North Wales with "surprisingly blue waters" has been named among the best in the UK.

The UK is full of picturesque villages by the sea. From character-filled fishing villages in Wales to upmarket areas in Cornwall, there is something for everyone.

But with so many fantastic destinations to choose from, it can be hard to know where to go.

To help you decide, the travel experts at Time Out have rounded up the top 20 best seaside towns in the UK.

Introducing the list, Time Out said: "The UK really does boast quite a lot of coastline – we’re an island, after all – and seeing every little lighthouse, cliff collection, sweeping bay and dramatic headland would be no walk on the beach.

"That’s not even all our coasts have to offer. Our shores are decorated with a vast number of marvellous coastal settlements, from the characterful fishing villages of Wales and the upmarket enclaves of Cornwall to the pulsing party towns of the Sussex coast.

"Leave those clichés of soggy chips, rainy weather and nasty seagulls at home – our handpicked roundup of the country’s coolest and prettiest seaside towns includes knock-out restaurants and cutting-edge museums, as well as plenty of sandy walks for the sunniest days of the year."

Best seaside towns in the UK

The best seaside towns in the UK, according to Time Out, are:

  1. Brighton, East Sussex
  2. North Berwick
  3. Deal, Kent
  4. Hunstanton, Norfolk
  5. St Ives, Cornwall
  6. Nefyn, Gwynedd
  7. Dartmouth, Devon
  8. Whitby, Yorkshire
  9. Lymington, Hampshire
  10. Dungeness, Kent
  11. Lyme Regis, Dorset
  12. Tobermory, Isle of Mull
  13. Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear
  14. Crosby, Merseyside
  15. Falmouth, Cornwall
  16. Aberaeron, Ceredigion
  17. Cromarty, Highlands
  18. Bardsea, Cumbria
  19. Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire
  20. Salcombe, Devon

You can see the full list and more details on each location via the Time Out website.

Seaside town in Gwynedd among best in the UK

Nefyn, located on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, was one of two seaside towns in Wales - along with Aberaeron, Ceredigion - to feature on Time Out's list.

Nefyn was the sixth-best seaside town in the UK on the list and was celebrated for its "extreme isolation" and "surprisingly blue waters".

Time Out added: "The Llŷn Peninsula is where you go in Wales if you really want to get away from it all.

"But if you don’t want to do away with human company altogether, we’d suggest staying in Nefyn: a small town and community that stretches out to nearby Edern and Morfa Nefyn.

"The main draw here is the Morfa beach – a sandy stretch complete with pretty pub and whitewashed cottages.

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"The town itself is a brilliant base for hikers with their sights set on nearby Snowdonia."

If you are planning a trip to Nefyn and are wondering what to do, Time Out suggested a trek up Tre’r Ceiri hillfort, on the Yr Eifl hills, which sits 450 metres above sea level.

"It’s one of the best-preserved Iron Age settlements in the UK," the experts at Time Out added.