10 Best Norfolk Beaches
The Norfolk coast stretches for 90 scenic miles, with lots of great things to see along the way, including long sandy beaches, wild dunes and hubs for watersports and wildlife watching. So whether you’re after buzzy seaside resorts or swathes of emptiness, there should be something for you in our list of 10 of the best beaches in Norfolk.
Can’t decide between the different options? You could always take a walk on the Norfolk Coast Path to see a few of them along the way – or find somewhere to stay and plan a few different days out while you’re there. With a fairly favourable climate throughout the year, Norfolk is a great destination for an outdoor break, and Pitchup has some excellent accommodation to choose from, whether you like a simple campsite or a stylish glamping cabin. Click the link below to see the full range.
Hunstanton
A beach with two sides
A beach on the east coast that faces west? That’s quite a rare thing – so rare, in fact, that Hunstanton is the only resort on England’s east coast where you can watch the sun set over the sea. The town actually has two main beach areas: South and North beaches, each with its own character.
Hunstanton’s South Beach is a classic pleasure beach with fairground rides, a promenade, donkeys and ice cream galore. This is a brilliant choice if you’re with kids or you like to have a lot of facilities close by.
If you’re looking for something a bit quieter, the North Beach is for you, with three-tiered striped cliffs and rockpools to paddle in. You may even find a fossil or two along the way if you look in the right places.
Brancaster
A brilliant beach at low tide
Brancaster is a beautiful beach with huge stretches of golden sand, and is one of our favourite Norfolk beaches at low tide.
The water goes out a long way here, leaving behind shallow pools where children can play and revealing the SS Vina, shipwrecked and half-buried in the sand. Go swimming or kitesurfing here if you want some action, but be aware of the strong tides. It’s also a good beach for dog walking, even in the summer months.
The beach is a short walk from the car park where there’s a shop and toilets.
Holkham
One of the UK’s most stunning beaches
Want to go to one of the most spectacular beaches in the UK? Holkham is so very handsome that it’s featured in several Hollywood films, the best known being Shakespeare in Love.
The sandy beach is vast, especially when the tide goes out (it can be a bit of a trek to the water at these times). There are pine forests behind the sand dunes, and the beach is part of the Holkham National Nature Reserve so the whole place is well maintained.
The beach isn’t just dog-friendly, it’s horse-friendly too – so you’ll often see people galloping across the hard-packed sand. If you’re planning to take a horse to Holkham, you’ll need to check date restrictions before you go.
Cromer
A traditional seaside resort
Cromer is a classic Victorian seaside resort complete with pier and beach huts. Despite the development here, the town has kept its old-fashioned charm so it’s a lovely place to spend a day as a family.
When the tide is low, there’s plenty of space here for games and sandcastle-building. While you’re here you may also like to try out the amusement arcades or take in a show at the Pavilion Theatre, out at the far end of the 151-metre pier.
Cromer is a Blue Flag beach that’s patrolled by lifeguards, so it’s clean and safe for swimming.
Sheringham
A Blue Flag beach with lots of facilities
Another Blue Flag area, Sheringham has an interesting beach of sand and shingle with rockpools visible at low tide. When the beach shrinks at high tide, wander along the promenade or go into the cafés and restaurants that line the seafront.
There’s always plenty of activity here – watch the fishing boats being hauled right up onto the beach or the tractor launching the lifeboat into the sea. There are cafés, toilets, showers and beach huts along the seafront, so if you want somewhere with a good range of facilities for your beach day, Sheringham is a great choice.
Old Hunstanton
One of the best kitesurfing beaches in Norfolk
Any kitesurfers out there? Head along to Old Hunstanton beach, one of the best in the UK for kiteboarding, with plenty of room and some good shallow areas for newbies. If you’d like to try it out for yourself, sign up for kitesurfing lessons – the centre here has options for beginners and more experienced surfers.
But it's not just for watersports enthusiasts – this is one of the nicest beaches in Norfolk for any visitor. The beach is sandy and backed by dunes and cliffs and there’s lots of space so you should be able to find a spot even on the busiest days. This is an excellent beach for walking the dog too.
Walk on the beach or in the dunes and you’ll be on part of the Norfolk Coast Path. Like nearby Hunstanton Beach, it faces west so it's sheltered and has lovely sunsets.
Horsey
A quiet beach with seals in the winter
If you’re staying in Great Yarmouth and want to get away from the crowds there, head to Horsey beach. Outside the summer months, you may well have it all to yourself… aside from the resident wildlife, of course. The sand is soft and the water is calm so it’s a good beach for picnicking and playing when the weather’s warm.
But what makes Horsey beach such a great destination is the seals that you can often see here. Come between November and January to see grey seals that have come onto the beach to give birth; during the rest of the year, you might see them bobbing in the sea just offshore. Either way, you may be asked to keep to designated areas to allow the seals a bit of peace and space.
Got a dog? Horsey is a dog-friendly beach, but please keep enthusiastic canines away from the seals.
East and West Runton
Blue Flag beaches perfect for families
Both East and West Runton beaches have Blue Flag status so they’re great places to go for a swim. East Runton beach is just below the Norfolk Coast Path and it’s easily accessible from there.
West Runton is famous for the Steppe Mammoth that was discovered here in 1990, and it’s still a great beach for fossil hunting, for both kids and adults. When the tide goes out, a long sandy beach is revealed and there are rockpools to explore.
Mundesley
A quiet and traditional British seaside resort
With its colourful beach huts and promenade, Mundesley has the feel of a true classic British seaside resort. The beach here is long and sandy and the sea is good for swimming and paddling at low tide.
The beach is backed by cliffs and the clifftop gardens make a nice place to sit if you want to breathe in the sea air without getting sandy. There are sweeping views down the coast from up here too, all the way down to the red and white Happisburgh lighthouse.
Mundesley is a family-friendly beach with fewer crowds than many others in Norfolk and it’s a Blue Flag beach, so it's clean and safe.
Cley-next-the-Sea
A wilder beach for walking and birdwatching
Our last pick is a shingle and stone beach that’s more suited to walks and wildlife-watching than playing with the buckets and spades. Cley beach is backed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Cley Marshes, a nesting place for birds in the spring and summer months – and that makes this beach one of the UK’s top birdwatching hotspots.
There’s a steep dropoff into the sea here, which makes it a pretty challenging spot for swimming but a great place for shore fishing. There are no facilities other than a car park here, so it's often a quiet beach, especially in the evening.
Staying at a campsite near the Norfolk coast is a wonderful way to make the most of these fabulous landscapes as the light changes throughout the day – and the lack of light pollution often means some great stargazing by night. Click the link below to see Pitchup’s full range of Norfolk coast campsites – from simple pitches to stylish glamping cabins, there are lots of excellent options to choose from.