Beach Blog

Some of the best sea views in the UK are reached on foot. You don't need to complete an entire long-distance trail either. Routes such as the South West Coast Path, Wales Coast Path and Cleveland Way can be broken into manageable sections, with many starting or finishing in coastal towns and villages.

Northumberland is one of the easiest parts of the English coast to explore with a dog. Most of its beaches welcome dogs throughout the year, so there are plenty of choices even during the main summer season.

South Devon has a particularly good mix of beaches for families. There are large sandy beaches with lifeguards and plenty of facilities, smaller coves for rock pooling, and beaches where children can try surfing, paddleboarding or kayaking.

The UK has surf beaches for every level, from sheltered bays with gentle beginner waves to powerful reef breaks that require experience, local knowledge and the right conditions. Cornwall and Devon have the biggest concentration of well-known surf beaches, but Wales, Yorkshire, Ireland and Scotland also have serious surf spots.

Norfolk is one of the best counties in England for coastal walking. The routes are usually easygoing, but they still give you plenty of variety: wide beaches, dunes, pinewoods, salt marsh, cliffs, piers, fishing villages and nature reserves.

Anglesey is one of the better UK islands for dog friendly coastal holidays. The beaches are spread around the whole island, the coast path runs for about 130 miles, and many villages are located close to the seaside. You can stay near sandy beaches, small harbours, tidal bays, woodland paths or quieter coves.

Northumberland has some of the best beaches in England. The coast is known for its long stretches of sand, endless dunes, fishing villages, islands, castles and long walking routes. This is definitely not a coast full of amusement arcades and crowded promenades.

A good foodie break by the sea should mean more than just one smart restaurant. The best coastal towns will give you a choice of options. You want seafood places, cafés, pubs, bakeries, fish and chip shops, sea views, local produce and enough to do between meals.

Dorset’s Jurassic Coast gives you fossil beaches, harbour towns, chalk cliffs, sandy bays and some of the best coastal walks in South West England. The Dorset stretch runs from Lyme Regis in the west to Studland in the east, with places like Charmouth, West Bay, Weymouth, Lulworth Cove, Swanage and Old Harry Rocks along the way.

North Devon has some of the best-known beaches in the South West, but the towns and villages along this coast are very different from one another. Woolacombe, Croyde and Saunton are closely linked with surfing and long sandy beaches. Ilfracombe and Combe Martin sit on a more rugged stretch of coast, with harbours, coves, cliffs and access to Exmoor.