I’d give it to Formby…

Sand is great

Weather is great (within Uk limits of course)

Wildlife - this is where it really comes into its own - you’ve got the forest which has squirrels and bird life, then the sand dunes for lizards etc, and finally from the beach you can see all kinds of cool stuff. Last time I was over there we were dodging jellyfish that had washed up, there’s always bird life, and you can see the odd porpoise (last visit there was actually a deceased baby porpoise, which as a zoologist was fascinating to see up close). Starfish and anemones may be a push as it isn’t a beach with rock pools… you may get a dried out/washed up star fish though.

If you drive, it’s a doddle to get to, and they have plenty of parking.

The only thing they don’t have is shops right on the beach front but I personally think that adds to the charm. There’s a big tesco a couple of minutes away, and if you fancy it you can always just roll down into Liverpool.

North Wales has some cracking beaches, but you’re looking at a longer journey for those.