It turns out we really do like to be beside the seaside, with Tenby being named in the list of the UK’s best seaside towns for families in a new study.

A new study has revealed the UK’s best seaside destinations for families, with Tenby named in the top 20.

With trips to the seaside a childhood highlight for many generations, researchers used a variety of factors including number of beaches, average temperature, family friendliness, cost of an ice cream and number of Instagram hashtags to score Britain’s best coastal resorts - with Tenby being awarded silver and flying the flag for South Wales in 16th place.

The list was topped by Bournemouth, with Brighton, Torquay, Weymouth and Blackpool making up the top five. St Ives, Newquay, Paignton, Whitby and Bognor Regis completed the top ten.

Newport and Porthcawl were the only other South Wales town to feature, finishing in the bronze positions of 42 and 50 respectively.

As well as revealing the best seaside destinations in the country, the study by dayoutwiththekids.co.uk also revealed the key elements making up the ideal seaside holiday, with a survey of over 2,000 people.

Beaches were most important with 85 percent of the nation saying clean, sandy beaches are key to an unforgettable ideal UK beach holiday - with Tenby proudly retaining its Blue Flag beaches for 2019.

Child-friendly places to grab a bite to eat and great fish and chips were both considered equally important too (70 percent).

There are plenty of activities to keep us busy at the seaside too, with building sandcastles topping the list of the best seaside pastimes (78 percent), followed by scoffing fish and chips (75 percent) and collecting shells and stones (73 percent).

Having an ice cream on the beach (72 percent), tucking into a picnic (65 percent) and simply listening to the sound of the sea (65 percent) were also on the list of the nation’s favourite seaside activities.

Lisa O’Keeffe, senior brand and content manager at dayoutwiththekids.co.uk, said: “Going to the seaside is a staple part of British childhood, and as the research shows, it’s still a firm favourite for families. UK seaside resorts have benefitted hugely from the rise in staycations in recent years, and as the trend continues to grow, it’s really exciting to see all the towns on this list really embracing family visitors and improving their offer.

“Tenby is really flying the flag for South Wales, and with so much on offer for family visitors, we’re thrilled to award it silver status this year.”

For more information about the UK’s best seaside towns for families, visit https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/best-seaside-towns-resorts-uk.