Six UK towns and one Irish town have been officially named among the world's most beautiful in a ranking released this week by Love Exploring. The list celebrates destinations of extraordinary beauty, with the UK and Ireland surpassing even the most celebrated places globally.
Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Tenby, a harbour and seaside resort town framed by golden sand beaches and grand Victorian houses painted in colourful pastel hues, earned a place on the list. Nestled along Pembrokeshire's 186-mile coastline, Tenby has previously been described as a "halcyon dream of the Great British Seaside", with a flourishing high street, 13th-century medieval walls, and award-winning beaches set against near-flawless scenery.
Bibury, Gloucestershire
Bibury, a village in the Cotswolds, is named among the world's most beautiful for its famous Arlington Row, made up of idyllic 17th-century honey-hued weavers' cottages with sloping roofs. The spot has long been one of the most popular places to photograph and continues to draw tourists near and far, with Arlington Row featured on postcards and even passports back in the day.
Lavenham, Suffolk
Lavenham is described as stepping into the pages of a fairy tale, with its vibrant medieval buildings and more than 300 listed timber-framed structures that have remained largely unchanged since the 15th century. Known for being one of the best-preserved medieval villages in England, its tilted facades are a defining feature. The Lavenham Guildhall was used as a film set for the Harry Potter movie franchise, transformed into the derelict house of Potter's parents.
Tobermory, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
Tobermory, a harbour town on the Isle of Mull in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, was also placed on the list. Its rainbow-coloured buildings lining the serene waterfront famously inspired the children's TV show Balamory. The horseshoe-shaped bay is filled with bobbing fishing boats, while cosy pubs, local seafood, and scenic walking routes offer ways to marvel at its unspoilt scenes.
Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales
Hay-on-Wye, recognised as Wales's National Book Town, is brimming with around 26 bookshops along its charming high street, decorated in colourful bunting and traditional shopfront facades. Novels adorn doorways, signs, and shop windows, with independent bookshops housed in ancient stone buildings and timber-framed structures in the town that sits on the border of Herefordshire in Powys, Mid Wales.
