ESSEX NORFOLK SUFFOLK

SUFFOLK

Best for crabbing: Walberswick Beach

A pebbly delight, with spearmint Maran grass atop the dunes, and a view of the horizon that can soothe any muddled mind. It’s wonderful for swimming when the waves are calm and although it can get busy you can always go towards Dunwich and find a quieter spot. Head to the bridges just through the dunes for superior crabbing spots, where you can catch a bucket load of the little fellas (put them back gently please!). The Anchor is a must for lunch – great gastro grub – or if you’d rather have a picnic lunch then make your way up the high street to the Black Dog Deli and choose from a selection of sumptuous sausage rolls, tarts and treats. There is plenty of parking in two beach car parks, but get there early in the summer.

Best for getting away from it all: Covehithe 

You’ll find this secret (almost- shh) beach between Southwold and Kessingland and it’s an absolute stunner. So lovely in fact that it was included in The Daily Telegraph’s list of Britain’s 40 Best Beaches. It’s soft and sandy with interesting tree sculptures. You can only get to it by foot or bicycle, and there aren’t any facilities, but this is the beauty of it. Perfect for a romantic picnic, or a bit of quiet time. You can park near the church and access the beach via the footpath.

Best for Family Fun: Southwold and Denes Beach 

Southwold Beach by Tim Marchant on Creative Commons 

Southwold beach is famous for its candy-colored huts, and fantastically fun and quirky pier. There is an arcade with all your faves, but there is also The Under the Pier Show – English eccentricity at its best – in the form of Tim Hunkin’s machines. There’s a Zimmer frame simulator, and a ‘Whack A Banker’ machine (it’s really very cathartic) or bravery tester – how long can you keep your hand in the cage with a (model) growling dog? Brilliant fun for all the fam. Southwold itself is full of lovely cafes (the Two Magpies has cakes to die for) pubs (The Lord Nelson for a pint in the sun), and lovely indie shops (Collen and Clare is a must for new get-up). If you fancy a quieter moment then head to the stretch of beach from Gun Hill café called Denes beach – lovely soft sand and more space for beach games and chillaxing. Park at the pier car park if you can then head to Suzy’s cafe and brave the queues for toasties, crab sandwiches, and amazing ice cream, or further down there’s Gun Hill Café, with plenty of al fresco seating. There is also parking, an ice cream kiosk and toilets towards the harbour /Walberswick end, near the Southwold campsite

Best for Foodies: Aldeburgh

The Scallop sculpture by Maggi Hambling on Aldeburgh beach (Image credit: Brudenell Hotel)

This is a mostly shingle beach, but what Aldeburgh lacks in talcum powder-soft sand, it makes up for in beautiful views, amazing boutique shops and arguably the best fish and chip shop in the county (the queue down the high street is evidence enough if you don’t believe me!). There’s also a fabulous hotel, The Brudenell, at the far end of the beach with a Seafood & Grill Restaurant with stunning sea views. If you’re looking for a special occasion meal The Suffolk on the high street is a gorgeous restaurant that serves really high-end local fare or The Lighthouse is a long-standing and much-loved bistro that serves lots of fish fresh from the boats just metres away. You could also try the Seaspice at the White Horse Hotel – delicate curries that will have you coming back again and again. Parking in Aldeburgh is hard to find on busy days but if there’s no space on the high street or car parks, why not walk from Thorpeness, where you can also check out the quirky House in the Clouds. 

Best for candy floss: Lowestoft South Beach 

Image: Govvy on Creative Commons 

South Beach is a huge wide expanse of sand that’s as soft as a tropical island’s. Seriously, take off your shoes, shut your eyes, pretend you’re warm and ignore the sound of seagulls and you could almost be in the Maldives. The town has a long, buggy-friendly promenade to walk on if the sand starts to get hard work and there are plenty of fish and chips and candy floss outlets to choose from. On a sunny day, you can’t beat Lowestoft for kiddy-friendly attractions, and we love the beach down at the Pakefield end for a spot of horse-riding against the wild backdrop of the dunes.

Best for unique history: Dunwich

Don’t throw the ball too far into the sea at this lovely little Suffolk seaside village, your dog might just discover a city underneath the waves! Dunwich was once a thriving seaport that disappeared beneath the sea centuries ago. Now, it’s a teeny tiny village, with an amazing pub with a great menu and garden The Ship Inn as well as one of our all time favourite Suffolk pubs The Westleton Crown just a few minutes down the road in the next village. There’s also a museum, a cute tearoom, and a famous nature reserve – Minsmere. The beach here is shingle and is in a gap between two cliffs making it beautifully sheltered. This area is run by The National Trust so it has great facilities and ample parking.

Best for dogs: Kessingland Beach

Kessingland Beach is often overlooked because it’s sandwiched between two much more famous Suffolk beach destinations – Southwold and Lowestoft. That’s the beauty of it though – it’s much quieter and you get to enjoy miles and miles of gorgeous sand, dunes and wildlife all to yourselves. Another big bonus is that this beach is open to dogs all year round, plus the beach is growing year on year so every time you go there’s even more space for your four-legged friends and children to roam. Kessingland is a site of archaeological interest as the delicate cliffs regularly expose fossils from the Jurassic, Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods so any budding paleontologists will be in their element here.  If you’re staying in the area don’t forget to check out some animals from the modern period at Africa Alive, a brilliant zoo a few minutes away from the beach.

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NORFOLK

Best for seals: Waxham

Photo: Jon Gibbs

Plenty of bobbing heads in the sea here – no, not hardy swimmers, but Norfolk’s famous grey seals. Along with neighbouring Horsey, Waxham is a great place to oooh and ahhh over seal pups in the winter months from Nov to Jan. In the summer, this unspoilt sandy stretch backed by dunes is a great spot for bucket and spade days – and it’s easy to find a spot to yourself. Whilst it’s a lovely place to swim, be prepared for those inquisitive seals to come within a few metres to check you out. There’s no facilities at this beach, but it’s worth a visit to nearby Dunes Café, which offers exceptional cream teas and enormous scones. 

Fancy hanging about longer? Tucked just behind the dunes, high-spec eco build Shangri-La sleeps six and is a stylish Scandinavian twist on a traditional holiday chalet. The Ingham Swan is just minutes away for Michelin-recommended dining and seven lovely bedrooms.

Best for everything: Sheringham

This beautifully clean Blue Flag 2024 beach is perfect for a good old-fashioned day at the seaside, complete with colourful beach huts lining the promenade. All smooth pebbles until low tide when you get hours of gleaming golden sand. It’s a great beach for swimming and the busiest section is patrolled by with RNLI Lifeguards during the main holiday season. No dogs allowed on the main beach during summer season, but head west past the Lifeboat shed and your pups can play. There are four public car parks, but our tip is to drop someone with the beach gear and nip up to the biggest car park at the station – only a few mins walk down the main road to the sea. Or take the train, hourly from Norwich.

Being in town, you’re only a short stroll away from ice cream (delicious vegan flavours from super groovy Aloha Ices), pretty in pink Winibees Bakery, hot fish and chips (all pretty decent – just join the shortest queue) and lush pizza from Stubby’s Pizza. Café sur la plage? You’ll be spoilt for choice! Head to The Whelk Coppers for great views, good coffee and old-school charm. And for Tex Mex snacks we have the hots for laidback Guac & Mole, right on the beach.

There’s plenty of places to buy buckets and spades, sun cream, hats (or rain capes) and anything else you’ve forgotten – including body board and paddleboard hire from SUP Shack. 

Best for rockpools: West Runton

There aren’t many rock pools in Norfolk but this Blue Flag 2024 beach has loads for marine explorers to investigate. It’s also fab for fossil hunting on the foreshore. The chalk reef (Europe’s largest and a site of Special Scientific Interest) can make wading out a bit ouchy on the toes, but there are gentle shallows and sparkly sun-warmed pools in the sand hollows – perfect for little splashers. You never know what you might chance upon here on Norfolk’s Deep History Coast – someone’s dog once found a bone at West Runton, which turned out to be part of the largest, best-preserved mammoth’s skeleton in the world. 

On the slope, the Seaview Café has simple snacks – toasties, cinnamon doughnuts, coffee, ice cream – and buckets and spades. And there are public loos. You pay £4 for the car park – there are machines and a bloke in a shed during summer. RNLI lifeguards do their Baywatch thing daily from 10am-6pm in the warmer months. You’ll also find Sup Shack’s The Shed for wetsuit, paddleboard, surf board and body board hire.

Best for singing Beatles songs: Gorleston-on-Sea

Gorleston-on-Sea is a wide curve of soft sand, lovely for children, edged by an elevated promenade perfect for grandparents to stroll beside the seaside, beside the sea. It’s got charm with a working port’s gritty edge. More relaxed than neighbouring Great Yarmouth, you’ll find plenty of cafés, ice cream shops and places to grab a casual bite. There are tennis courts, bowling greens, lawns, a pitch & putt golf course, children’s splashpad, Edwardian theatre, yacht races, boating pond and a harbour. For sailors, it’s also at the mouth of the River Yare, one of two entrances to the Norfolk Broads for visitors from the coast, or sailing off to see the world (usually via Holland).

You’ll recognise Gorleston from the hit film Yesterday (2019), written by Richard Curtis (who lives up on the Suffolk coast), starring Lily James and Himesh Patel. Director Danny Boyle called Gorleston: “One of Britain’s most remarkable beaches and one of the great secrets of England. It’s beautiful.” Here comes the sun, it’s alright.

Best for kites: Brancaster

Brancaster beach has miles of level golden sand, so there’s always room for building sandcastles without throwing shade on some other little architect’s plans. Dogs are allowed all year round – I’ll leave the pros and cons of that to you. There’s a lot of wind and kite surfing, also strolling with buggies if they have those fat offroad wheels. It’s part of the National Trust’s Brancaster Estate, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and home the Scolt Head tidal salt marshes. Facilities are minimal but there’s plenty of parking, a loo and a kiosk of hot coffee and delicious things. 

It’s also home of the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, an outstanding links course with the North Sea on one side and the saltmarsh on the other. The Clubhouse is cut off at high tide so you hazard being trapped in the bar with gentlemen wearing tailored shorts and knee length socks. Just saying.

A Word of Warning! If you walk out to the shipwreck of the SS Vina at low tide you’re highly likely to be cut off when the tide comes racing back in – it’s alarmingly fast and strong. Don’t attempt it, as this is a real danger and there is no lifeguard here. Lecture over. While you’re in the area check out Congham Hall, The Hoste Arms, The Rose and Crown, Snettisham and The White Horse, Brancaster with its lovely marsh-side bar. Bliss.

Best for surfing: Cromer

This Blue Flag 2024 (yes, another one!) beach is backed by cliffs and winding lanes of fishermen’s cottages and indie shops. Super fashionable in its golden Edwardian heyday (Arthur Conan Doyle loved Cromer), this seaside town is again becoming decidedly chic. Cocktails from The Gangway float our boat, as does excellent coffee (with a shot? Er, OK, go on then) from The North Sea Coffee Co., right on the prom. Hunt down the Banksy crab mural whilst munching loaded fries from The Bucket List, then indulge in a night of sparkly end-of-the-pier show nostalgia at Cromer Pier theatre and make some proper childhood memories.

Here for the surf? Norfolk may not be as famed for its waves as the likes of Cornwall, but we have a fantastic burgeoning surfy culture. Whether you’re a total rookie or an experienced rider of gnarly North Sea waves, Cromer’s Glide Surf School is the place to go for board hire and lessons. More of a SUP kinda gal? They can sort that out, too! Travel there by train (every hour from Norwich), or head to the big town car park (machines take cards) and take a steep walk down to the beach (there are slopes, stairs and a lift by the Rocket House Café). 

Best for sea and sand haters: Salthouse

Families looking for kiss-me-quick fun will be seriously disappointed. Swimming is off, there’s no sand, the current is strong and unpredictable, and the shingle shore slopes steeply to deeper water. So why mention it? Well, it’s uniquely beautiful. Peach-scented gorse flowers edge the shingle as you wander across marshy reedbeds to gaze at the sea. Salthouse is for days when you want salty air without sand between the toes. Also, fabulous pub The Dun Cow is in the village. Yes, you should book to be sure of a table. 

Best show-stopping views: Holkham

This vast, majestic sweep of luminous coast is constantly on everyone’s Best Beach in Britain lists. Fringed by sand dunes and pine forests, it is part of the Holkham National Nature Reserve. It’s a very long (but lovely) walk to the sea, so take bribes to keep weary children going on the way back. Carrying often required. And a pint at the lovely Victoria Inn to recover Dad’s sense of humour. It is an unforgettable place for outdoorsy families who love to race down sand dunes, tear about in pinewoods (smells amazing in the heat) and have endless space to whoop and shout. Also, there’s a cool Lookout Café right by the beach, with snacks, loos and baby changing.

If you’re not a naturist family, be aware there’s a nudist area on the western part of the beach. Educational, but not necessarily the kind of seaside winkles you were expecting. The Lady Anne’s Drive beach car park can get busy so alternatively leave the car at the Holkham Estate (£5 for the day). This means you’re parked close to the fantastic Woodland Play Area but also means it’s over a mile’s walk to get to the beach. Yikes!

Best for beach huts: Wells-next-the-Sea

Beach huts like a sweetie pick and mix, with a pine-forest backdrop and those wild Norfolk skies, Wells beach is all kinds of beautiful. And yes, dogs are welcome although there is also a dog-free zone on the side nearest to the beach car park, which fills up early. The alternative is to park close to town, then stroll along a pleasant path to the beach (about a mile). There used to be a tiny train, which has been replaced by vintage-style eco buses running summer through to October.

Wells Beach Café is great – posh treats, bacon sarnies, Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee, buckets and spades, plus it’s super dog-friendly with a drinking station and ice-creams for gourmet pooches! The facilities are close, but pleasingly hidden from the beach by dunes and pines. Pining for a stripy hut of your very own? Of course you are! So book one from gorgeous Happy Huts and live the dream for a blissed out beach day.

To get to the beach, walk up wooden stairs in the pine wood and pause for a wow moment. Every time. I always do. Wells is a very special place.

Best for sunsets: Hunstanton

Photo: Gary Pearson

Developed as a classy resort in the 1800s by the fabulously named Henry L’Estrange Styleman Le Strange, ‘Sunny Hunny’ is a down-to-earth seaside destination with elegant houses that would cost a fortune elsewhere. Although it’s on the east coast, Hunstanton faces west making it one of the few places on the Norfolk coast where you can actually watch the sunset over the sea.

Famous for photogenic red and white striped cliffs, at low tide there’s a wide expanse of sand with shallow waters making it popular with body-boarders and kite surfers as well as families. The Esplanade Gardens look like a vintage postcard, designed for strolling, with bowling green, children’s play area, putting green and crazy golf.

There’s also a promenade, arcades, fish and chips and all the expected British seaside attractions. Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary is on the prom too, a family favourite with an underwater tunnel and a seal hospital. In summer a little train trundles along the seafront and a cool WW2 amphibious vehicle (The Wash Monster) operates from the South Promenade. 

Best for being irresistibly trashy: Great Yarmouth

Blinging with neon arcades and amusements, Great Yarmouth is the glitzy bar-room queen of Norfolk beaches. The Pleasure Beach on Yarmouth’s Golden Mile is a gloriously tacky attraction with a log flume, dodgems, a roller coaster and the Sky-drop – a 22m-high ride with terrifying yet panoramic views of the beach and town, before your heart and stomach leave your body as it plunges back down. If you liked the The Lost Boys (vampire bikers rule!) you’ll love Yarmouth’s rough diamond razzmatazz.

Central Beach is the flashiest, with a weekly Wednesday night firework display (Jul-Aug), and no dogs allowed. North and South Beaches are quieter with dunes and dogs! There’s also the fantastic Hippodrome Circus, with its spectacular water show (called “one of the seven wonders of the British seaside” by the Telegraph), and the Time and Tide Museum, which tells the story of the town’s fascinating history, established as a herring port in the Middle Ages. Brash, lippy, garish, notorious, yes, Yarmouth’s all that. Bring it on.

Best for old school charm: Overstrand

Overstrand, on the Norfolk Coastal Path, has a wide, sandy beach that disappears at high tide – check times before you head off! Modest, peaceful, a lot quieter than nearby Cromer, it’s great for an afternoon of wholesome sandcastle building and swimming. Note, there’s no lifeguard.

The car park (where there are public loos) is at the top of a long, steep slope. You really won’t want to let go of your buggy or watch someone pelting down on an out-of-control scooter. There are cafés, a pub and a village shop. The Sea Marge Hotel is all white table cloths, afternoon tea on the elegant lawn and people with reading glasses behind newspapers, smiling vaguely at the odd well-behaved child. Overstrand is like going on holiday to the 1950s, really rather charming.

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ESSEX

Best for cheeky charm: Frinton-on-Sea

With its butterscotch sands, sweeping esplanade and wash of pastel beach huts, this pretty coastal resort offers a slice of quintessential charm. Hugging the north Essex coastline, it first became a popular haunt for vay-caying Londoners in the 1920s, when its high street was affectionately dubbed the ‘Bond Street of East Anglia’. These days you’ll find independent boutiques, bistros and bars a short stroll from the shore, plus a thriving arts and culture scene. Check out Arnie’s Cocktail Bar & Restaurant for a stylish place to grab a drink and some seriously tasty grub (yes please to the Bottomless Brunch; hic!).

Best for watersports and seafood: Mersea Island

Work up an appetite on the water before feasting on the area’s famous oysters. Mersea Island Watersports will spice up your traditional beach day, giving you the opportunity to paddle board (SUP), kayak, windsurf, sail, wing foiling – a bit like kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing combined (if you know you know). Hire them here – or there’s lessons if you’ve no idea. Located on the western side of Mersea, it’s also handy for Monkey Beach – wedged between the weathered houseboats of Mersea’s mudflats and the marshland causeway. Little ones will love the crabbing spots, so bring a net, then head for the nearby Company Shed for a mixed seafood platter, whole lobster, grilled tuna and plenty more.

Best for sun and swimming: Brightlingsea

Freshwater lido? Check. Pretty pastel beach huts along the prom? Check. Splash-friendly bay the little ones will love while you masterfully launch the stand-up paddle board? Jackpot! This hidden gem of a beach may be just 10 miles south of Colchester’s city centre, but it’s a far cry from some of the more overrun beaches (not mentioning any names – they each have their own charms) and often proves more popular with dinghy sailors than day trippers. Follow the curve of the bay round to the Brightlingsea Marsh nature reserve for the quietest coves and hidden sun traps.

Best for dramatic views: The Naze

A peaceful stretch of powdery sand, The Naze beach backs onto a crumbling set of cliffs that jut dramatically out into the sea and offer unrivalled views of the Essex coast. Often overlooked for neighbouring Walton-on-the-Naze, it’s a uniquely positioned spot for beach-goers keen to swap crowds and kids that’ll delight in finding fossils. It also boasts the eight-storey 18th century Naze Tower complete with art gallery, museum and café. Just be sure to bring a head for heights, as you reach the top via a 111 step spiral staircase (but the view is well worth the climb, we promise).

Best for fossils and boats: Wrabness

Home to Grayson Perry’s Turner-prize-winning A House for Essex, Wrabness is a humble corner in the north that deserves more coastal consideration. Set against the rolling hills of Manningtree, its generous slice of sandy coves hugs a pretty stretch of the Stour Estuary. Dotted with rustic beach huts and chalets on stilts, it’s not uncommon for passing dinghies to pull up on the shoreline for an impromptu picnic. Kids might also want to give fossil foraging a go: shark’s teeth and horse and whale bones are common finds. Afterwards, pop to see our Suffolk friends and check out a beer garden with THE best views of the River Stour, courtesy of The Brantham Bull.

Best for hipsters: Leigh on Sea

Jayne, leigh-on-sea-myhappyplace

A small (we’re talking a sliver) but perfectly formed sandy beach lined by cockle sheds, Bell Wharf Beach on the edge of Old Leigh is dinky but packed with character. Great for an early-morning swim (for the über-brave in this weather) or walk (it’s skinny but long at seven miles), be sure to stop at one of the many on-trend eateries, from Ru’s Bubble Waffles selling amazing desserts, to incredible Japanese food courtesy of Ozen; two miles up the road in Westcliff. Later in the day, head back to the beach when it becomes livelier in a chilled-out way, with windsurfing and sailing when the tide’s right, followed by littlies cockle hunting in the muddy flats.

Best secluded spot: Bradwell-on-Sea

We like small but perfectly formed, as it means you usually won’t have to fight for a space compared to other Essex beaches. This is where Bradwell ticks all the boxes: bathed in a cream crush of cockle shells, its small stretch marks the point where the River Blackwater meets the North Sea and it’s an atmospheric find. Overlooked by monasteries and chapels, oyster sheds and layers of salty grey mist, consider this your new go-to hideaway when the weather turns and you decide to embrace the drizzle anyway and walk the tides in peace. Dogs are also allowed here year-round, giving them the chance to enjoy the beach as much as you.

Best for historic lighthouses: Dovercourt Bay

Set against an industrial backdrop of Harwich harbour, Dovercourt’s swathe of toffee-coloured sand and shingle beaches are often overlooked for busier seaside resorts to the south, but there’s something to be said for this quiet, historic pocket of coastal Essex – not least, its lack of crowds. Head for the far end of the beach for views up to Cornwallis Battery and Beacon Hill Fort, or trek out to the two Victorian lighthouses at low tide. Oh, and there’s always the resident seals of nearby Hamford Water National nature reserve to say hello to.

Best for family fun: Southend on Sea

If you’re all for a bit of kiss-me-quick and Waltzer action, Southend has it all with bells on. Famous for the longest pleasure pier in the world (a Victorian showstopper at 1.33 miles long), you’ll find arcades, rollercoasters and fish and chips aplenty. Want to take a breather from the action? Southend’s sweeping coastline is also home to seven award-winning beaches, with Westcliff one of the best. A good choice for families with nippers, not only is it sparkling clean, but there’s a crabbing pool where kids can play when the tide is out (be warned that the beach can be totally submerged in high tide). Make sure you pay a visit to 1950s ice-cream parlour Rossi’s, loved by locals including Jamie Oliver, no less.

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