The UK's best seaside town named as top two get almost identical votes
These two popular seaside towns were just 46 votes apart, with the newly-crowned winner seeing a huge 200,000 people flock to it every year.
Britain's best seaside town has been named following a poll of Express readers which saw the top two get an almost identical number of votes. St Ives and Whitby were separated at the top by just 46 votes, with St Ives winning by a whisker amassing 505 votes to the Yorkshire town's 459 after thousands cast their votes.
Readers also loved Bamburgh and Dartmouth, which came in third and fourth respectively with 263 votes and 226 votes. But 463 voters said they had their own personal favourite with more people voting for this option than any other.
Portstewart finished bottom of the table with 38 votes, just six votes less than Whitstable.z
There were also considerable votes for Tenby (254 votes), Wells-next-the-Sea (124 votes) and Southwold (130 votes). Other towns to finish in mid-table in the vote included Rye (120 votes) and St Andrews (94 votes).
And it's easy to see why St Ives came out on top, with the town seeing five million tourists coming to explore its unique mix of culture and nature every year.
The town, branded the jewel in Cornwall's crown, is home to beautiful art galleries and stunning beaches which have gained it popularity with both the young and old.
It has also been voted as the best family holiday destinations by Coast magazine and is home to one of the top 10 European beaches, according to TripAdvisor.
People who visit love its charm, with narrow cobbled streets, an array of restaurants and bars to pick from and more hotels and B&Bs to pick from. More than 200,000 people flock to St Ives each year to experience its true seaside views.
But St Ives may be a victim of its own success, as locals spoke to Express.co.uk last summer and said the area becomes so busy in peak season that residents "struggle to move their cars."
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Its closest competitor, Whitby, is praised for its traditional British seaside experience, with plenty of beautiful walks for active holidaymakers.
An Express reporter who visited the town last year said it is the "perfect break for families" adding they "didn't want to leave".
They said the town was packed with attractions including Whitby Abbey, which features in Bram Stoker's Dracula with the Dracula Experience, a museum-come-haunted house also providing plenty to keep horror lovers entertained.