A country cottage holiday in the Norfolk Broads opens up the opportunities for more than just cruising the waterways in a river boat. A holiday home can be spacious and much more comfortable in comparison to the cramped quarters on board a boat. There will be proper bathrooms with full-size baths. Sailing is still available to holidaymakers by renting boats for day trips. It can be most relaxing to stay beside a flowing river, to see the birds come and go, feed ducks and to watch the ever-changing light on the water. You could be sitting in your cottage garden watching an unforgettable sunset.

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Where to find a cottage in the Norfolk Broads

There is a multitude of riverside holiday homes along the River Yare which flows into the Norfolk Broads and its various waterways. The river estuary is in Great Yarmouth, a big seaside holiday town that has an impressive sandy beach and plenty of entertainment.  As soon as it leaves the city, the river widens to become almost lake-like for a few miles then narrows as it approaches RSPB Berney Marshes. Various smaller tributaries feed into the big river, all of which are the habitats of water fowl. There is a walk out of Great Yarmouth alongside the southern bank of the river and a narrow lane along the northern bank. Flat fields and the occasional windmill lie either side of the river.

The river Yare subdivides into two strands, the Yare and the Waveney which flows in a south-westerly direction and discharges at Oulton Broad, a big yachting and sailing area that is bustling with holidaymakers at weekends.

The River Yare extends all the way to the City of Norwich, the River Bure also empties into the Yare at Great Yarmouth and extends northwards to form a network of marshes and rivers along with the River Ant.  It is all these waterways and their tributaries that make up the watery kingdom of the Norfolk Broads.  Visitors come to enjoy the river views, to go fishing, birdwatching in the various nature reserves and to explore the small towns such as Wroxham, Hickling Heath,  St. Olaves and Ormesby St. Michael.

Marinas and boat yards pop up at intervals, also small holiday complexes with riverside lodges to rent. There are plenty of places to stay, some basic, others luxurious holiday homes overlooking the river.  It is a case of deciding where you would like to be based in the Norfolk Broads and then booking accommodation and planning your holiday. There is much to see and the beaches are not far away if the weather becomes warm and you fancy a change of scenery.