The summer holidays are now in full swing and thousands of people are now flocking to Southend each day to enjoy some time by the coast.

The borough has plenty of beaches to offer, but it can always be tricky to decide which one to visit.

Reviews left on TripAdvisor have helped to rank each of Southend’s beaches, with some getting dozens of five star reviews.

So here is how each beach ranks on the review website, with the top rated first and least popular at the bottom: Those given the same overall rating are separated by which one got the highest number of 5-star reviews.

1. Shoebury East Beach – 4.5 stars

2. Thorpe Bay Beach – 4 stars

3. Westcliff Beach – 4 stars

4. Chalkwell Beach – 4 stars

5. Bell Wharf Beach – 4 stars

6. City Beach – 3.5 stars

7. Three Shells Beach – 3 stars

Shoebury East Beach is the top-rated beach on TripAdvisor, with 92 reviewers awarding it a 5-star rating and 82 people handing out 4-stars.

Many suggested they preferred the beach to others in Southend as it was quieter and not as busy.

One reviewer wrote: “Nice and quiet here, at a low tide the sand goes out just short of a mile and whilst the sand immediately on the beach is a mixture with small stones, going about 20 yards out the sand is superb.

“We found the place generally clean and were lucky to not see any dog mess either. A very handy food van on site, clean toilets.

“We had a lovely day here, really enjoyed it and will be coming back again this summer.”

Another reviewer added: “East beach is on a lovely stretch of coast, you can have a walk along the sea front, for about a mile or just sit and relax with a nice drink or ice cream.

“It is perfect, totally relaxing and friendly.”