Norfolk has the most beautiful beaches in the whole of East Anglia. Without a doubt, it’s a must-thing-to-do while visiting this part of the country. We remember our awe when we first saw some of Norfolk’s most beautiful beaches. And since then, we keep coming back. In this blog, we want to show you our favourite beaches in Norfolk. We split the article into two parts: best beaches in North Norfolk & East Norfolk beaches. We also included a Norfolk coastline map, making it an ultimate road trip across the best beaches in Norfolk and the whole East of England coast.
When to visit beaches in Norfolk
There an easy tip. We strongly recommend visiting beaches in Norfolk when it’s sunny. The season doesn’t matter that much, you can come here in the middle of winter. But what matters a lot is the sunshine. As the landscape is flat in this area with no hills or mountains, the beaches and coastline look much better when the sun is out and the skies are blue. Plan your visit carefully. From our experience, making the plans 2 – 3 days in advance is ideal as the weather forecast won’t change significantly. If you visit on a cloudy or even a rainy day, the views you’ll experience won’t be that magical.
Best Beaches in North Norfolk
The North Norfolk coastline is officially recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Norfolk Coast AONB). It is dotted with Blue Flag beaches, offering clean, safe, and accessible seashores. The coastline is rich in diverse landscapes, from long sandy beaches and cute seaside towns to soft cliffs and dunes that act as natural barriers between the North Sea and the Norfolk Broads. There’s so many hidden beaches perfect for quiet retreats.
Whether it’s wildlife watching, enjoying the peaceful time, or taking in the dramatic views, all this can be found among the beaches in Norfolk. The majority of the best beaches in North Norfolk are beautifully golden sandy beaches.
Travelling around the best beaches in North Norfolk
The ideal way to explore the best beaches in North Norfolk is by car. However, you can get to certain places quite quickly by public transport. As North Norfolk offers to its visitors a coastline bus line.
You must arrive at King’s Lynn by train; there are direct trains from Cambridge and London King’s Cross. Here, you’ll take the ‘Coastliner 36‘ bus that takes you around the villages of North Norfolk, from King’s Lynn to Wells-Next-the-Sea. From there, you can easily walk to some beaches and explore the area without needing a car. Make sure to check the timetable and fare calculator and plan the trip.
In Wells-Next-The-Sea, you can change for the CoastHopper 46 that will take you from Wells to Cromer & Sheringham. To travel to/from Cromer & Sheringham, you must first get to Norwich by direct trains from Cambridge or London Liverpool Street. From here, you’ll change trains to Cromer & Sheringham. We have indicated in this article, what beaches are reachable by Coastliner 36 or CoastHopper buses.
North Coast Path
The best beaches in North Norfolk are part of the Norfolk Coast Path that runs through this area. You can select walks and trails of different lengths. The circular walks are great for those arriving by car. If you arrive by public transport, a short or long linear walk might be great for you as you can catch your return bus to another location and explore the area quite a bit. Check out the suggested maps for each walk.
Old Hunstanton Beach
Let’s start right in the western part of the area. Not far away from King’s Lynn is this fantastic beach. It’s definitely in our top 3 best beaches in East Anglia and one of the best beaches in North Norfolk. Why? It has magnificent cliffs with a three-layered composition: white and red limestone chalk with the red part coming from iron staining and a lower layer of brown carrstone, an iron oxide-cemented sandstone. These layers indicate that Hunstanton’s climate was once tropical. It’s a breathtaking experience to walk under these cliffs.
The nearest car park is at the top of the cliffs, Clifftop Car Park, not far away from the Old Lighthouse. Parking costs about £4.20 for 2 hours, enough to explore the beach and cliffs. From here, you can carry on through the pathway to the beach, turn left towards the cliffs, and walk alongside them.
We suggest checking the tide time before arriving, as it’s a good idea to come around the time of low tide. Walking on the beach, you’ll see some great views, including the wreck of a 1907 fishing boat used in WWI & WWII. A fun activity is looking for creatures in the rock pools after the low tide. You’ll encounter huge stones often covered in green moss, giving this beach an even more mystic atmosphere.
After walking for a bit, you will reach the North Promenade. From here, go up where you can stop at the viewpoint lookout. Then, walk back to the parking lot. You can explore St Edmunds’ Chapel and the Old Lighthouse on the way back.
You can get to this beach by public transport. You can arrive at King’s Lynn by direct train from London Kings Cross and then take a local bus to Hunstanton. The Coastliner 36 bus route is ideal for exploring this beach. A bus stop is Lighthouse Close, Hunstanton.
Tip: This beach is one of the best beaches in North Norfolk to watch the sunset because it faces west, allowing for magnificent sunset views over the sea with the backdrop of its stunning cliffs. This beach is definitely one of the reasons why to visit Norfolk.
Holme next the Sea Beach
This beach is part of the Holme Dunes National Reserve. It is an excellent escape to nature if you love to walk miles alongside the coastline. The beach has soft sand and pebbles. There are also dunes and salt marshes. It’s not well-known, so it’s usually not crowded, even in the summer. The beach is part of a beautiful protected area and is fantastic for birdwatching. The Holme next the Sea beach became famous when a 4,000-year-old wooden circle called Seahenge was found here. Now, you can see Seahenge at a museum in King’s Lynn.
You can park in the official car park and then walk to the beach for about 30 minutes on the Norfolk Coast Walk. Alternatively, you can drive to the NWT Holme Dunes Café, where you can leave your car, have something nice to eat and then explore the beach. If you are in the area, the Thornham Old Harbour is worth a visit.
The Coastliner 36 bus route is ideal for exploring this beach and area; a bus stop is Beach Road, Holme Next The Sea.
Brancaster Beach
This is a beautiful long beach in Norfolk with lots of soft, golden sand. The beach is brilliant for families; you can bring your dog too. One cool thing about this beach is that when the tide goes out, you can see an old shipwreck, the SS Vina, which has been there since World War II. You can park right next to the beach in a dedicated car park. It’s a great beach if you want to escape the crowds.
Coastliner 36 bus route is ideal for exploring this beach, bus stop: Ship, Brancaster.
The nearby RSPB Titchwell Marsh, a fantastic area with boardwalk, lagoons and bird and wildlife watching, is worth visiting. There are a lot of hides to watch birds on the way to the coastline, which is only a 20-minute walk from the visitor centre. Coastliner 36 bus route is ideal for exploring Titchwell Marsh, bus stop: Nature reserve, Titchwell.
TIP: Branchaster Estate is great to visit if you like paddleboarding. There are also great stalls with delicious food. If you here to visit the Scolt Head Island, catch a ferry that will take you to and from the island. It’s not easy or recommended to walk there as the trail is very muddy and depending on the tide, it can be dangerouos. You can find the ferry in Burnham Overy Staithe. Coastliner 36 bus route is ideal for exploring this area; a bus stop: Jolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe (for the Branchaster estate), bus stop: Hero, Burnham Overy Staithe (for the ferry for Scolt Head Island).
Accommodation Near These Beaches
Holkham Beach
This is a stunning beach to visit. It’s on our list of top 3 beaches in East Anglia, a gem among the beaches in Norfolk. The beach is wide, open stretches of sand that go on for miles when the tide is out, making it feel like a big open space of just sand and sea. There’s also a beautiful area nearby with trees that’s great for cooling off on hot days. The beach is part of a protected natural area.
Visit the beach around low tide and when it’s sunny, as the combination of the golden sand, blue skies and sunshine makes it a brilliant place to explore. The beach is vast, and you can easily find a spot far away from people.
Tip: Remember to visit the Holkham Hall while here.
Park at Holkham Nature Reserve Pay and Display Car Park and then walk on the Norfolk Coast Path towards the Holkham beach. You need to turn ‘left-west’ at the crossroads. You can stop at The Lookout to buy something to eat. This is more of an escape to nature with fewer people around.
The Coastliner 36 bus route is ideal for exploring this beach. A bus stop is Victoria, Holkham.
Wells next the Sea Beach
Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk is connected to Holkham Beach. Similar to Holkham Beach, it is a sandy beach. But it’s more suitable for fun activities like kite flying and sandcastle building. It’s known for its bright beach huts and is a great place to see birds and sometimes even seals. This beach is pretty but usually full of people enjoying the beach. It’s busier and livelier in comparison to Holkham Beach.
You can park at Wells Beach Car Park and walk towards the beach. You can walk on the pathway to the town centre, where you can find many great restaurants, e.g. Whinhill Norfolk Cider Brewery, Wells Crab House Seafood Restaurant or The Picnic Hut.
The Coastliner 36 bus route is ideal for exploring this beach; a bus stop is The Ark Royal, Wells-next-the-Sea (for Wells next to the Sea beach and town).
Find out more about Holkham & Wells-Next-The-Sea Beach and what to do there.
Seals in Norfolk: Blakeney Point
The following two places we are going to mention are not beaches. But they are places you should visit on your trip across best beaches in North Norfolk. The Blakeney National Nature Reserve is the best spot to see Norfolk’s wildlife – seals. Blakeney or Morston in particular are the places you should visit in North Norfolk if you want to see seals. Here, you can buy a seal boat tour, a fantastic experience you must try. Seeing seals in Norfolk is a fantastic activity for children as well as adults. It certainly is a number one activity everyone should do when visiting Norfolk.
Bishop’s Boats leave from Blakeney, or Blakeney Point Seal Trips, Temples Seal Trips or Beans Boats leave the Morston. You must book your tickets in advance as this is a popular and must-do attraction in Norfolk!
CoastHopper 46 bus will take you here. For Blakeney, it is a bus stop called ‘Bus Shelter’, and for Morston, it is a bus stop called ‘The Street’.
Cley Beach
Cley Beach is another beautiful beach. It has pebble stones, and fewer people tend to visit this beach. This remote beach offers minimal facilities, making it a natural spot to visit. It’s dog-friendly, with some summer restrictions to protect nesting birds. You can park at the Cley Beach Car Park. Not far away from here is the Cley Marshes Visitor Centre. The area is fantastic for birdwatching.
CoastHopper 46 bus will take you here, bus stop: Beach Road. Take a bus stop for the Cley Marshes area: Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
Salthouse Beach
Salthouse Beach, another hidden gem beach with many pebbles, can be reached by car. The car park is right next to the beach. CoastHopper 46 bus will take you here, although it’s a walk from the bus station: Cross Street. The beach is fantastic for catching fish from the sea. It’s a quiet place where you can enjoy nature.
Accommodation Near These Beaches
Weybourne Beach
Weybourne Beach is a pebble beach with golden sandstone cliffs. It’s great beach for sitting in the sun or taking a long walk. You can see fishermen, watch birds, or even spot paragliders flying from the cliffs. It’s an easy beach to get to and has lovely views including a windmill nearby.
The beach is reachable both by car and public transport. It Is best to visit this beach during low tide. The car park is right next to it. As for the bus, you must take CoastHopper 46 from Cromer or Sherringham, bus stop Church.
Tip: On the Weybourne beach starts the educational Deep History Coast Discovery Trail.
Sheringham Beach
Sheringham Beach is a pebbly beach with sandy spots and little tidepools full of sea creatures that you can see when the tide is low. It has a Blue Flag, which means the beach is clean and safe. Just remember that the beach gets much smaller when the tide comes in, so there’s more to see and do when the tide is out. It’s easy to get to by a direct train from Norwich. Because it is a ‘town beach’, it means only one thing: it’s usually quite busy. But without a doubt, it should be on your list of beaches in Norfolk you should visit.
Tip: Stop at the Sheringham Park National Trust if you are visiting Sheringham and check out North Norfolk Railway.
Cromer Beach
Cromer Beach is very similar to Sheringham Beach. It is a town beach with that typical bustling town feel. It also holds the Blue Flag. Cromer Beach is a sandy and pebbly beach famous for surfing, swimming and delicious crabs and lobsters specialities. The pier is an excellent place for catching the sunset. In our opinion, Cromer Beach is a bit better than Sheringham Beach. Cromer is also easily reachable by train from Norwich. You can walk from Sheringham to Cromer beach. One-way walk is about 4 miles long, and you will see the Beeston Cliffs. Cromer itself is a great town you should explore when visiting beaches in Norfolk.
Tip: You can find Banksy’s artwork in Cromer. Although heavily damaged, it was still there as of 2023.
Overstrand Beach & Overstrand Cliffs
Overstrand Beach is a quiet spot next to the busier Cromer Beach. You can walk here from Cromer, a perfect idea if you want to escape the crowds. You’ll need to walk down a slope to reach the beach. When the tide is high, the beach gets smaller, so check the tide times and come here at the low tide. It’s a nice place for a peaceful walk along the coast with pretty views.
Trimingham Beach
Last but not least, a beach you should visit is the beautiful and peaceful Trimingham Beach, which offers fantastic views. Trimingham Beach is best to be reached by car. And without a doubt, this beach is a natural heaven. The Trimingham beach is great for fossils hunting. Therefore, it is a spot for anyone interested in finding remnants of ancient sea creatures. Just remember to be careful around the cliffs because they can be dangerous especially after a rainy season.
East Norfolk Beaches
The East Norfolk beaches are known for their broad, golden sands stretching for miles along the coast. These family-friendly beaches offer space for building sandcastles, sunbathing, and enjoying seaside activities. Many are backed by promenades lined with shops, amusements, and traditional coastal attractions like piers with entertainment and rides. The waters are generally calm, making them suitable for swimming and paddling.
Travelling around East Norfolk beaches
The best way to travel to East Norfolk beaches is by car. You can, however, get to Great Yarmouth by direct train from Norwich. From there, you can take a local public transport.
Bacton Beach
Bacton Beach is that beach where you won’t find too many people. An escape to nature – just sea, sand and you. It’s perfect when you want to disconnect from the business of everyday life. The beach has a sandy shore and it’s perfect for walks during low tide.
Happisburgh Beach
This is a picturesque sandy shore near the village of Happisburgh on the East Norfolk coast. It features stunning views of the North Sea and a historic lighthouse. While swimming may not be advised due to strong currents, the beach is a great spot for walks, birdwatching, and exploring coastal geology with ancient fossils and sediment layers. Parking is available next to the beach. This is one of the prettiest East Norfolk beaches.
Winterton Beach
Winterton Beach is a beautiful sandy stretch that offers a serene coastal experience. It is backed by sand dunes and nature reserves, providing a peaceful escape for nature lovers. It’s an excellent destination for leisurely walks, picnics, and enjoying the natural beauty of the Norfolk coast. You might be lucky to see some seals while here. Parking is available right next to the beach. According to us, this is one of the best beaches in Norfolk.
While here, make sure to explore the historical wooden huts and go for a walk to Winterton Dunes!
Sea Palling Beach
This delightful coastal gem is known for its golden sands and family-friendly atmosphere. It features a series of sea defences known as “palls” that create safe swimming areas. The beach is perfect for sunbathing, picnics, and building sandcastles, making it a popular choice for families. Lifeguards are present during summer, ensuring a secure environment. Sea Palling Beach also offers convenient facilities, including cafes and ample parking, making it a fantastic destination for a day by the sea. The only negative is that it can get quite busy during summer.
Accommodation Near These Beaches
The Best Beach in East Norfolk – Horsey Gap: Seals in Norfolk
Horsey Gap, without a doubt, is in our top 3 best beaches in Norfolk, and the best beach in East Norfolk. The reason for this is simple – wildlife, in particular seals. It is a haven for nature enthusiasts, especially seal watchers, as it hosts one of the largest grey seal colonies in the region. If we should give you one reason why to visit East Norfolk beaches, this place it is. It is the best place where to see seals in Norfolk.
There is no better place to observe seals basking in the sun. You walk across the beach while hundreds of seals are having a chill day 15 metres away from you. Watching them chilling, talking to each other, having arguments, or moving across the beach is incredibly funny and entertaining. This is not just an activity for kids but also something adults enjoy. The best time to visit the beach is in the morning/around lunchtime, as the seals will most likely be chilling on the beach.
There is a dedicated car park nearby where you can also buy something to eat. Walking to the beach and back is very enjoyable. Between October and January, the beach is closed to visitors as the seal pups are being born and need a quiet space. You can still see the seals from the dunes above as viewing platforms are installed.
Treat the seals and the beach with respect. Don’t do stupid things like taking selfies with newborn pups. Don’t let your dog or even kids (we saw that so many times!) run around seals and scare them. Be grateful for the experience.
Scratby Beach
This charming coastal spot is known for its sandy shoreline and picturesque views of the North Sea. It’s a quieter alternative to some of the more popular beaches in Norfolk, making it a peaceful destination for beachgoers. It is a great place for leisurely walks, picnics, and enjoying the coastal scenery.
Great Yarmouth Beach
With its vast sandy shoreline and vibrant seafront, the beach offers a classic British seaside experience. You can enjoy sunbathing, swimming, and various beachside activities. The beach has amusement arcades, cafes, and attractions, perfect for a family day. It’s also known for its iconic Britannia Pier, offering entertainment and amusements. Lifeguards are present during the summer months, ensuring a safe environment. As it’s a city’s beach, it’s a lively and bustling place to visit. If you prefer beaches in nature, avoid this place.
You can get to Great Yarmouth by direct train from Norwich.
Tip: Banksy has created quite a few pieces of art on the Norfolk coastline during his ‘A Great British Spraycation’ in the summer of 2021. Sadly, many of his artworks have been sold to private owners or damaged by vandalism. The below 2 + one in Cromer are still available for viewing as of November 2023.
You can find some of the Banksy art in East Norfolk (as of November 2023):
- In Great Yarmouth on Admiralty Road, you can find a couple dancing atop the bus shelter with another playing the accordion at the side.
- Not far away from Great Yarmouth, in Gorleston Seafront, is an arcade-style grabber situated above a bench.
Final Tips From Us
While exploring the stunning beaches of Norfolk Coast with their unspoiled beauty and tranquil charm is a must, your adventure shouldn’t stop there. Just a short journey away lies the equally pretty coastline of Suffolk, offering a diversity of picturesque beaches. But the experience extends beyond the beaches. The seaside towns in East of England are hidden gems, brimming with cultural richness, historic architecture, and delightful local cuisine. Strolling through these towns, you’ll find a warm, welcoming atmosphere and quaint shops and cafes. By including Suffolk’s beaches and charming seaside towns in your trip, you’ll enrich your coastal journey with more experiences.
Google Map with Best Beaches in Norfolk to Your Phone
We added all the places mentioned in this article directly into a free Norfolk Coastline Map with best Beaches in Norfolk. You can use the map during your trip without the need of manually creating your own map.
How to access our free Norfolk coastline map? Simply click at the button below to access and download our free Google Map. This will copy the map to your Google account and display it on all devices where you use Google Maps. This Google map can be easily accessed on your phone or printed for convenience.
Visit Norfolk and enjoy exploring the beaches best beaches in Norfolk!
