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It’s the summer holidays which means that many of you will want to be heading to the coast. However, if you’re a wheelchair user, trips to the beach can be difficult, from pebbles to sand, there are several things to think about before travelling. To help inspire your beach trips this summer, here are five of the best beaches in Britain for wheel chair access.

Broad Haven South
Pembrokeshire, Wales

The entirety of Pembrokeshire is beautiful and well worth a visit, the majority of it falls under the National Park and you can often spot seals and dolphins playing in the water. One beach along this stretch of coast is Broad Haven, which has won awards for its cleanliness and beauty and has a number of all terrain wheelchairs available for loan. If you have your own beach ready wheelchair, visit at low tide and get out on the sand to discover the rock pools and caves – just be aware that the Pembrokeshire coast is incredibly popular, particularly in the summer months, so if you would rather somewhere quieter maybe give this one a miss.
If you want a more adventurous day out at the beach, Poppit Sands on the Pembrokeshire Coast and Aberporth Beach both have wheelchairs available to hire and there is an Adventure Wheelchair Walk too.

Summerleaze Beach
Cornwall, England

Cornwall has a plethora of accessible beaches to visit and this is just one of the many that has level access viewing areas and sand chairs available for hire. For those of you who want to paddle for a while – especially if the weather is warm, there is a lovely sea pool just under the cliffs which is calm and provides excellent opportunities to cool off. Not only that, but being such a popular tourist resort, there are no ends to the refreshments on offer along the sea front, some of which offer accessible tables and chairs and there are disabled facilities nearby. Other accessible beaches in the county include Gyllyngvase near Falmouth, which is another popular holiday spot.

Benone Strand Beach
Causeway, Northern Ireland

This is one of the most accessible beaches along the Northern Irish coast and has the added benefit of also being one of the most picturesque. It is a real haven for plant and wildlife, making it an interesting place to visit, whatever the season and whatever the weather as there is always something new to discover. This beach is popular with surfers and other watersports enthusiasts, so whether you like to watch or want to join in, you’ll never be bored here. A local charity offers beach mobility aids, which includes portable shower trolleys and hoists, just make sure to book them in advance.
Northern Ireland also has Portstewart Strand, which you might recognise from Game of Thrones, it is one of the only beaches in the UK that allows you to drive directly onto the sand, making it much easier for those with mobility equipment.

Boscombe Pier Beach
Dorset, England

There are sand wheelchairs available as well as beach huts which are also accessible and have electricity, ideal for anyone who needs to recharge their equipment during the day. Located close to Bournemouth and Poole, Boscombe is often quieter than its more well known neighbours but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t much to do here. There are plenty of beach and water activities taking place all over the beach.
If you don’t mind crowds, Bournemouth town beach is also exceptionally accessible, with both lifts up the cliff and land trains providing access to the pier and different areas of the beach. You’ll also find the UK’s first set of dedicated beach huts!

Skegness Beach
Lincolnshire, England

Another award winning beach, this is the place to go for a quintessential British holiday with candy floss, rock and ice cream all within easy reach. The beach itself has been made accessible with a flat esplanade leading straight from the town and a number of walkways which are also flat that lead down to the beach. You can also hire sand chairs from the sea front if you want to explore further.

Looking for more accessible things to do? Click here or for places to stay, click here.

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