Tenby’s Castle Beach has been named Britain’s ‘Beach of the Year’ for 2019 in a national newspaper’s renowned travel guide.

The Sunday Times’ chief travel writer Chris Haslam who over the over the past two months, has made his annual pilgrimage around the UK shores in search of Britain’s top 40 beaches, said that the ‘spectacular’ Castle Beach was the ‘runaway’ winner.

“When you spend a significant part of the year touring the British coastline, you can’t help but become sensitive to magic,” wrote Chris.

“You smell it on the air, see it in the reflections off the sea, hear it in the cries of the gulls and feel it crackling in the sand beneath your feet. On some beaches you hardly feel it at all, on others it comes in buckets and spades. Many beaches need to be utterly empty for it to be detectable. On others, the vibe is amplified by the upwelling of human happiness, and those with the most powerful magic work in all weathers.

“If you love the seaside, then you know the feeling. It’s nostalgia, anticipation and that never-quite-satisfied curiosity of coming to the edge of our island and gazing into the unknown.

“Which brings me to Tenby - it’s not just the lovely people, the superb facilities or the sheer beauty of the place - there’s something else, a pure and powerful seaside magic that awakens everyone’s inner child. It’s that quality that makes Castle Beach the runaway winner and the Sunday Times Beach of the Year 2019.”

Detailing the beauty of Castle Beach, Chris said: “There’s a medieval gate arch, through which you can see sand, sky, sea and the fort on St Catherine’s Island. There’s ice cream and deckchairs, and the giggles of kids riffing with the keening of gulls.

“Down by the water, there’s a queue of day-trippers waiting to board the yellow boat to Caldey Island, half a mile south, where monks make chocolate, cheese and mysterious perfumes...but that’s for tomorrow, today, we’re staying right here on Castle Beach, the best in Britain. And building a castle.”

Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism Dafydd Elis-Thomas remarked: “It is excellent news for Wales - right at the start of the summer holidays – that The Sunday Times Beach of the Year 2019 is Castle Beach in Tenby. This must have been a very tough call - with so many amazing beaches in Wales – and across the UK.”

Jane Rees-Baynes, owner of Elm Grove Country House, St Florence, and chair of Pembrokeshire Tourism, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Tenby’s Castle Beach has won this prestigious award - It’s fantastic news for tourism in the town, and for Pembrokeshire as a whole.

“I hope it will encourage even more people from around the UK, and beyond, to come see our award winning beaches and experience what Tenby and the wider county have to offer.

“On a personal note, I have many fond memories of Castle Beach both in the height of summer and during the winter, and I can totally understand why it was named Best Beach in the UK,” she added.