The Beaches of Norfolk, England
Words that describe the Norfolk coast are peaceful, stunning, fresh, tranquil, spacious and relaxing. Norfolk is all of these and more.
There are wide expanses of perfect beaches, high dunes and crashing waves that lull you along with seagulls cries and a wide, blue as blue can be, sky!
What we love about Norfolk beaches is that they are spacious and quite often empty, or at least that’s how it feels. Norfolk is known for areas of ‘Outstanding Natural Beauty’ and superb nature reserves like Snettisham and Titchwell that bring artists and photographers back year after year.
Norfolk peels back the years taking back to a time when you weren’t so stressed out by modern day to day life and had time to actually enjoy family and surroundings more.
There are a number of blue flag beaches in Norfolk including Cromer, Sea Palling and Hunstanton giving you peace of mind that these beaches are among the best in the world for water quality, safety and cleanliness. Here are more details about a few of them.
1. Hunstanton
Hunstanton has wide, sandy beaches with interesting rock pools by the cliffs. There’s the Promenade where the funfair and the Sea Life Sanctuary can be found and the Seafront beach with all the seaside shops with buckets and spades and everything else you need. There are beach huts that you can rent, donkey rides, loos and first aiders, kite surfing and a beach patrol throughout the Summer months.
2. Wells next the sea
Wells is like a time warp but a good one as you’re whisked back to a more relaxed kind of beach experience with its colourful beach huts and quiet picnic spots. The main town and lovely harbour are within walking distance as well as good shops and restaurants.
For those who love water sports, Wells is great for sailing, windsurfing and kayaking while there are boat trips departing from the harbour to see the many seals that live on the Norfolk coast. The town is also home to the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway, the longest 10¼” narrow gauge steam railway in the world! A great experience for the whole family the train winds through the picturesque countryside to the quaint village of Walsingham, which has been a place of pilgrimage for many centuries.
3.  The Point at Blakeney
Blakeney is a small village close by a number of resorts in the area. It is small and quiet but in an area of outstanding natural beauty and has fantastic views across the estuary to the Point which is a long spit of sand and shingle. The Point is a breeding ground for terns and home to seals. You can get there on foot or by ferry boat.  It’s perfect for a day scouring the coastline and beachcombing.
4. Holkham Bay
The beach at Holkham Bay is just magnificent in any weather but really popular in the Summer. The bay featured in the final scene of the film ‘Shakespeare in Love’ a few years ago as it has the most spectacular, uninterrupted views.
A lagoon forms at high tide in the semi-circular basin behind the shoreline which attracts a lot of bird life as it lies within one of the largest nature reserves in England. It’s also close to Holkham Hall and the Bygones Museum so if you’re bored of the splendour on the beach you can pack up and go inside!
5. Brancaster
Brancaster is famous for seafood and full of great eateries to enjoy gastronomic delights from the ocean.
The beaches are beautiful and again, often feel empty. The Norfolk coast footpath runs from here for 47 miles along the coast if you’re up to it. The views are amazing and pink footed geese fill the sky in Winter months but during the summer the weather is generally great for sailing and kite surfing.
6. North and South Beach, Heacham
Both of the beaches in Heacham look across a large bay which is often mistaken for open sea but is sheltered water.
Heacham gained popularity as a tourist beach in Victorian times when a railway link was established from King’s Lynn in the 1960’s and is still popular now as a caravanning spot.
The bay is beautiful and the water is often quite still which allows the sun to leave a pathway across the water and reflecting into magnificent sunsets. Holidaymakers exclaim over the breathtaking colours of the sunsets on the bay.
7. Cromer Beach
Cromer is a sand and shingle beach with cliffs at the back and rock pools to explore. It’s ideal for swimming and surfing and safe enough for kids. Lifeguards are on duty in the Summer and there is a first aid point, toilets, huts and a public shower.  It’s easy to feed the family at Cromer as there are many cafes, ice cream vendors and restaurants and a promenade with a theatre and gardens to keep everyone amused if they want to get off the beach!