Coastal Features

For bays, gulfs, etc., see Seas.

Stretch of coastline in the Province of Salerno, in Italy's Campania region; named after a 10th–11th century duchy and the town on which it was centred; listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997		Amalfi Coast
Britain's highest chalk cliff – near Eastbourne, East Sussex		Beachy Head
Rugged, mountainous section of California's Central Coast: described by the writer Henry Miller, who lived there from 1944 to 1963, as "the California that men dreamed of years ago"; the name derives from the Spanish word for 'south'		Big Sur
Broad peninsula in North–East Scotland, between the Cromarty and Moray firths		Black Isle
Peninsula and administrative region that forms the westernmost part of mainland France		Brittany
Tidal island off the South Devon coast, near Bigbury–on–Sea (between Plymouth and Salcombe); famous for its hotel, built around 1930, whose guests have included Agatha Christie, Edward and Mrs. Simpson, Churchill and Roosevelt, and the Beatles		Burgh Island
Peninsula forming the south–eastern part of Massachusetts – a major tourist destination		Cape Cod
Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are islands to the south of		Cape Cod
Promontory on Spain's Atlantic coast, about midway between Cape Tarifa (Spain's southernmost point) and the port of Cadiz – gave its name to a famous battle of 1805!		Cape Trafalgar
The closest point of the French mainland to Britain – a headland, 21 miles from Dover		Cap Gris–Nez
Major inlet on the coast of south–west Wales, into which the rivers Towy (Wales's longest), Taf, Gwendraeth and Loughor flow; towns on its coastline include Laugharne (famous for Dylan Thomas's boathouse) and Tenby		Carmarthen Bay
Shingle bank running parallel to the Dorset coast for 18 miles, and joins the Isle of Portland to the mainland		Chesil Beach
Coastal feature forming the south–western extremity of the Burren, on the west coast of Ireland (County Clare): one of the Republic's top tourist attractions		Cliffs of Moher
The south–eastern coast of India (beware – there are other places with this name)		Coromandel
Coastline of Alicante province in eastern Spain (between the Costa Brava and the Costa del Sol) – includes the resorts of Benidorm and Alicante itself		Costa Blanca (White)
Coastline of Catalonia in north–eastern Spain, including Barcelona and Lloret de Mar		Costa Brava (Rugged)
The Atlantic coast of south–western Spain, including Cadiz		Costa de la Luz (of Light)
Mediterranean coastline of Malaga province in the far south of Spain; includes Torremolinos and Marbella		Costa del Sol (Sunny)
The major peninsula that protrudes from Brittany into the English Channel: the nearest land to the Channel Islands (which are off its west coast); Cherbourg is at its northern extremity		Cotentin Peninsula
The northernmost of the major peninsulas of Co. Kerry, in south-west Ireland; named after its only town, its extreme point (Dunmore Head) is the westernmost point of the Irish mainland		Dingle Peninsula
Famous sandbank in the North Sea, off the east coast of England, measuring approx. 160 miles by 60; depth reduced to approximately half that of the surrounding seas; noted for its abundant fish population		Dogger Bank
Promontory of East Yorkshire, between Filey and Bridlington bays		Flamborough Head
Peninsula separated from Lancashire by Morecambe Bay (was part of Lancashire up to 1974 – now in Cumbria)		Furness
Peninsula of European Turkey that forms the northern shoreline of the Dardanelles straits		Gallipoli
Headland (National Nature Reserve) marking the entrance to The Wash, on the Lincolnshire side		Gibraltar Point
Notorious shifting sandbanks off the East coast of Kent (at the entrance to the Straits of Dover)		Goodwin Sands
Peninsula west of Swansea – famous coastal scenery including Mumbles Head, Worms Head – Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty		Gower
The world's largest structure made by living organisms; can be seen from space; Lady Elliot Island, Lady Musgrave Island, Dunk Island		Great Barrier Reef
Limestone headland at Llandudno, North Wales (echoed by a little one at the other end of the bay)		Great Orme(s Head)
Deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, that separates the Peloponnese peninsula from western mainland Greece		Gulf of Corinth
Headland in the Bristol Channel (Somerset), with two nuclear power stations – and a third in the pipeline		Hinkley Point
Peninsula occupied by Spain and Portugal		Iberia(n)
The coastline from Orcombe Point (near Exmouth, Devon) to Old Harry Rocks (near Swanage, Dorset) – a UNESCO World Heritage Site		Jurassic Coast
Peninsula which mainland Denmark is on		Jutland
The long, finger–like peninsula that is one of the most prominent geographical features of the island of Cyprus, and forms its north–eastern extremity		Karpas Peninsula
The coastline of South–West India – term sometimes used for the entire Western coast of the subcontinent		Malabar Coast
England's northernmost point: named after a nearby hamlet that is the most northerly inhabited place in England, it hardly deserves to be designated as a bay, but it is where the England/Scotland border meets the North Sea		Marshall Meadows Bay
Eastern (Caribbean) coast of Nicaragua		Mosquito Coast
Headland on the Essex coast, south of Harwich		The Naze
Row of distinctive chalk stacks off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight		The Needles
Sandbank in the Thames Estuary, marking the mouth of the river		The Nore
The French counterpart to the White Cliffs of Dover: stretches for 75 miles (120 km) from the Belgian border to the Somme estuary; includes Cap Griz Nez and Cap Blanc Nez – the closest points to England on the French coast		Opal Coast (Côte d'Opale)
'Tied island' joined to the Dorset mainland (at Weymouth) by Chesil Beach		Portland
The most southerly point of the above – from which it takes its name		Portland Bill
Dorset peninsula, south of Poole Harbour: gives its name to the range of hills that extends across it from the Dorset South Downs (a break in which is guarded by Corfe Castle), and also to a local government district; Studland Point is its easternmost extremity		Purbeck (Isle of)
Gulf of the Aegean Sea on which Piraeus, the port of Athens, is situated; gives its name to the islands situated within it, the largest of which are Salamina (or Salamis) and Aegina		Saronic Gulf
Linked to San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge		Sausalito Peninsula
Collective name of over 100 tidal and barrier islands on the US Atlantic coast		Sea Islands
Famous chalk cliffs between Seaford and Eastbourne, East Sussex – the termination of the South Downs		Seven Sisters
Peninsula that bifurcates the Red Sea into the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba; also said to separate the Red Sea from the Mediterranean; belongs to Egypt, but part of Asia		Sinai
Name given to the northern part of Namibia's Atlantic coast, and the southern part of Angola's; sometimes used for the entire Namib Desert coast		Skeleton Coast
Southernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye: gives its name to the Sound that separates it from the Scottish mainland		Sleat
Narrow sand strip forming the north bank of the Humber Estuary, at its mouth		Spurn Head
Pillars of Hercules: ancient name for the landmarks at either side of the		Straits of Gibraltar
Peninsula between the Dee and Mersey estuaries (in north–west England)		The Wirral
Peninsula that separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico		Yucatan

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Coastal Features