Holme-next-the-sea Beach

The beach at Holme-next-the-Sea stretches out flat and wide, backed by low dunes and that particular Norfolk light that makes everything feel slightly windswept and honest. It's the kind of place where you'll actually find space to breathe, especially if you visit outside summer holidays. The sand is firm underfoot - proper walking territory - and the beach shelves gradually, which matters if you've got young kids or want a proper paddle without wading half a mile out.

This is best for people who like their beaches quiet and unselfconscious. No arcades, no seafront ice cream parlours with queues. Just salt air, shingle where the tide's been, and the occasional seal if you're lucky. Dog walkers love it here. So do birdwatchers - the Norfolk coast is serious territory for that sort of thing. A couple of hours is usually enough unless you're the type to sit on the sand with a book and forget what day it is.

It's about twenty minutes from Hunstanton if traffic's reasonable, making it an easy add-on to a longer North Norfolk coast walk. If you're staying at one of the holiday parks nearby - Wild Luxury is barely a mile away, or there's Manor Park and Searles Leisure Resort a bit further inland - you could easily get here for an afternoon. Free to access, obviously. Bring a windbreaker though. The breeze off the North Sea doesn't mess about.