Fancy a family trip to the seaside? Wanting to see the finest uninterrupted views and dramatic landscapes? The Norfolk Coast has both the answers to these questions; just a small part of the reason why it was recognised as an Area of Natural Beauty an incredible 50 years ago. Just find a spacious seaside cottage to rent and you're set for a wonderful few days in Norfolk.
View seaside holiday cottages in Norfolk
With golden sands and sensational scenery all year long, Brancaster Beach is just one of Norfolk Coast’s most iconic beaches and a family favourite for kite flying and for walking the pet pooch. Craving an adventure? Young and old pirate enthusiasts will love looking at the shipwreck of the SS Vina that is partially buried in one of the many sandbanks dotted around the area. A must see for Johnny Depp fans everywhere. It’s certainly a pirate’s life for you on the Norfolk Coast!
Coastal Nature Reserves in Norfolk - bring your binoculars on holiday
Just beyond the remains is one of Norfolk’s 32 nature reserves, Scolt Head Island. As an idyllic home to an array of beautiful birds including the Sandwich and Little Terns, this reserve is now owned by the National Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust. RSPB Snettisham is another nature reserve that is a bird watching haven, where Pink Footed Geese and Knots are particularly rife in the winter months. An incredible sight for all winged watchers! Now surely that’s worth a priceless photo and a long-lasting memory…
Everyone knows the Norfolk seaside resort of Cromer
Cromer is one of the many traditional seaside towns in North Norfolk and has welcomed happy families and stunningly designed sandcastles for centuries. With plenty of fun filled attractions to enjoy, it’s a wonderful place to visit at any time of the year. Cromer Pier, a Victorian landmark and an engineering masterpiece is just one of these attractions. Consisting of an all-weather lifeboat station and Pavilion Theatre, home to the UK’s last variety show in Europe, the pier once incredibly withstood a government attempt to blow it up during World War II. Snorkelling is also a popular activity on these shores, especially on the Cromer Shoals Chalk Bed, also known as ‘Britain’s Great Barrier Reef’. The chalk bed which is the longest in the world at a vast 20 miles long, is also highly attractive for swimmers, eager to see the hidden secrets of Norfolk’s seas. Did you know that since January 2016, it has also been designated as a Marine Conservation Zone? A fantastic accolade for this extra special Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty!
Great holiday seafood in Cromer
Wanting to taste the local seafood delicacies? Cromer crabs are so popular with the village’s citizens that they have annual festivals to celebrate its maritime heritage; Cromer Carnival and the Crab & Lobster Festival. The Crab & Lobster Festival celebrating the local seafaring heritage, active fishing community and delicious produce served up in the area. For those not too keen on seafood, why not make a trip to The Anchor Inn in Morston, a former smugglers cove with a friendly atmosphere and a roaring fire on hand for those brisk winter days? A pioneer for quality local produce like Norfolk Dapper cheese and meat supplied by award winning and well-respected family run business Rutland Butchers, the Anchor Inn also offers an impressive selection of real ales, such as Woodforde’s and Adnam’s, as well as being named recently as one of The Guardian’s ‘UK’s 50 best Sunday lunches’.
Walk the Norfolk Coastal Path
Need to work up an appetite? The Norfolk Coast Path, a walking hotspot, runs for 62 miles from Hunstanton in West Norfolk to Sea Palling on the North-East Norfolk Coast and showcases views of the Wash, one of the largest estuaries in the UK, as well as the gorgeous Lincolnshire coastline. Legs gone a little weary? How about grabbing a lift on the CoastHopper bus to take you on the ride of your lives along the rest of the scenic coastline? Walking on the Norfolk Coast is no walk in the park…unless it’s at Sheringham Park, a personal favourite of its designer and successful landscape gardener Humphry Repton. A thriving woodland paradise with 1000 acres of lavish landscapes, let’s see who’s first out of you and the family to spot the wonderful wildlife like deer roaming around the rhododendrons and azaleas in the parklands.
Stay near Blakeney with its harbour and colony of grey seals
Alternatively, if you want to do more than your 10,000 steps, a leisurely but active 4-mile stroll along Blakeney Point is ideal for families wanting to explore a plethora of unusual plants such as horned sea poppies and shrubby sea blights but also see large numbers of grey and common seals. Did you know that this winter, 2,700 grey seal pubs were born making Blakeney the largest seal colony in England? That fact certainly gives the Norfolk Coast a real seal of approval!
With all these incredible things happening every day along the Norfolk Coast, tourists are forever drawn to the many attractions in this coastal paradise. If you are interested in wonderful wildlife, the healthy countryside walks or the amazing stretches of sand, why not explore all three, along with many other secret treasures and join us down here in the East of England today?