The Best Beaches in Norfolk

Norfolk boasts some of the nicest beaches in the country. Over 90 miles of coastline, stretching from the Wash in the west to the Broads in the east, taking in wide sandy beaches, towering dune systems, striped chalk cliffs, nature reserves teeming with seabirds and grey seals. Plus – unspoilt seaside towns not to be missed. 

When deciding which of Norfolk’s best beaches to visit first, this guide covers all of it. Uncover Blue Flag award-winners and hidden quiet stretches – or beaches with orange cliffs. There’s also the finest swimming beaches on the Norfolk coast to jump into.

How many beaches are there in Norfolk?

Norfolk has approximately 28 to 30 named beaches along its coastline, ranging from popular resort towns with lifeguards and ice cream kiosks to wild, remote stretches accessible only on foot. 

The coast runs broadly west to east across the north of the county before curving south toward Great Yarmouth, and no two Norfolk beaches are quite alike – sandy bays, shingle banks, clay cliffs, chalk reefs and salt marsh creeks all appear within a few miles of each other.

The best beaches in Norfolk:

Our 10 top picks for families and holidaymakers of all ages, interests and abilities

1. Holkham Beach: Aka ‘the prettiest beach in Norfolk’

Ask most people what the prettiest beach in Norfolk is, and Holkham is the answer that comes back most often. 

Part of Holkham National Nature Reserve, it’s a vast, unspoilt expanse of pale gold sand backed by a belt of Scots pine forest, windswept sand dunes and salt marsh. At low tide the beach stretches out for what feels like miles, and on a clear morning with the light coming in off the North Sea, it’s very possibly the best beach in Norfolk.

You reach it via a boardwalk through the pines from the car park at the end of Lady Anne’s Drive – a walk in itself that feels like entering another world. Scenes from Shakespeare in Love and The Duchess were filmed here.

Dogs are welcome at Holkham year-round, though seasonal ‘on-lead’ zones apply during spring and summer to protect ground-nesting birds in the nature reserve. Even during nesting season, around 70% of the beach remains open for off-lead walking.

Best for: Photography, long walks, families, dogs, nature lovers.

2. Wells-next-the-Sea: North Norfolk’s nicest seaside town beach

Wells-next-the-Sea sits alongside Holkham at the top of most ‘best beaches in north Norfolk’ lists, and with good reason. The beach is famous for its row of over 200 colourful beach huts backed by pinewoods. 

The sand at low tide is enormous, stretching far out and dotted with paddlers and children splashing in shallow pools.

Access is from the beach car park at the end of the town, where there’s a dog-welcoming café. From here you can walk along the 2-mile pine path to Holkham Beach – a gorgeous stroll if you’re up for stretching the legs. Discover: More incredible Norfolk beach walks.

Best for: Families, beach hut atmosphere, dog walks, combining with Holkham.

3. Atmospheric Cromer

Cromer is probably Norfolk’s most famous beach town and one of the most characterful seaside destinations in England. The Victorian pier and pavilion theatre jut dramatically into the North Sea, the town centre is full of independent shops and crab stalls (Cromer crab is a genuine delicacy), and the beach itself – a mix of sand and shingle – is consistently well-managed and well-equipped. 

Cromer holds Blue Flag status (continuously since 1988, one of the longest unbroken runs in England) and has reliable lifeguard cover in season. Just off the beach, the Cromer Shoals Chalk Bed is the longest chalk reef in the world at around 20 miles, and you can snorkel out to it in calm conditions. The beach is popular for surfing near the pier end.

Note that dogs are restricted from the main beach area (the section running alongside the promenade) between 1 May and 30 September, though they can walk the promenade year-round on a lead, and the beach to the east and west remains dog-accessible. Walk east or west away from the pier and the crowds thin dramatically.

Best for: Families, swimming, watersports, atmosphere, day trips.

4. Sheringham: A classic north Norfolk beach

Just along the coast from Cromer, Sheringham is a traditional fishing town with a sand-and-shingle beach backed by wooded cliffs. 

It has Blue Flag status (also held continuously since 1988), good facilities, seasonal lifeguard cover and a gentler, less touristy atmosphere than Cromer.

The beach itself is best at low tide when a broad stretch of sand is revealed alongside excellent rock pools. You can walk west along the beach toward West and East Runton, or pick up the Norfolk Coast Path along the clifftops.

Best for: Families, rock pooling, walking, a quieter alternative to Cromer.

5. Mundesley: Norfolk’s most underrated sandy beach

Mundesley doesn’t always make the top of the lists, but it should. A long, flat stretch of clean golden sand backed by colourful beach huts, clifftop gardens and a promenade, it now holds Blue Flag status (regained in 2025 after a brief break). 

The sand is wide and flat, the sea here is suitable for paddling and swimming, and the town itself retains the charm of a traditional British seaside resort without the crowds of Cromer.

There’s even a claim to the world’s smallest maritime museum at the top of the cliff. 

Mundesley sits on the Norfolk Coast Path about 8 miles from Cromer – a rewarding walk if up for the challenge, to be rewarded with a swim in the warmer months.

Best for: Families, swimming, quieter beach days, traditional seaside feel.

6. Sea Palling: The best Norfolk beach for safe swimming

Sea Palling is Norfolk’s top choice if swimming is the priority. A series of man-made offshore reefs create shallow, sheltered lagoons that significantly reduce wave and current strength, making it one of the safest swimming beaches on the Norfolk coast, especially for children. 

It holds Blue Flag status (regained 2025), has accessible beach access, seasonal lifeguard cover, and good facilities including cafés, a pub and fish and chips nearby.

Sea Palling is just 10 minutes from our Waxham Sands Holiday Park – our guests visit regularly. For that reason it’s on our list of things to do in Norfolk with kids and teens.

Best for: Families with young children, swimming, accessible beach visits.

7. West Runton & East Runton: Norfolk beaches with cliffs

These two beaches sit between Cromer and Sheringham and form part of the Deep History Coast – Norfolk’s designated trail of prehistoric and geological significance. 

West Runton holds Blue Flag status and is where the most complete Steppe mammoth skeleton ever found was discovered – the largest and oldest mammoth skeleton in the world. 

Both beaches are sandy at low tide with excellent rock pools, and the backdrop of sloping sandstone cliffs gives them a character distinct from the flatter beaches further west.

These are the best Norfolk beaches with orange-tinted cliffs – the coloured sandstone and chalk strata exposed by coastal erosion make them fascinating for geology as well as fossil hunting. Bring a bucket and look carefully along the base of the cliffs for fossil fragments.

East Runton has very few dog restrictions and is a favourite with local dog walkers. West Runton has a small restriction from 1 May to 30 September on a section near the slipway.

Best for: Fossil hunting, geology, rock pooling, history.

8. Brancaster: The best quiet Norfolk beach

Brancaster is one of Norfolk’s finest sandy beaches and remains relatively uncrowded even in peak season. Owned and managed by the National Trust, it has miles of flat, golden sand backed by natural dunes. At low tide you can see the remains of the SS Vina, a ship used by the RAF for target practice before the D-Day landings – one of the most atmospheric shipwreck encounters on any Norfolk beach.

The area beyond the main beach approach is dog-friendly year-round with just a small restriction immediately in front of the access point. Nearby Scolt Head Island nature reserve and RSPB Titchwell Marsh make this area a magnet for birdwatchers.

Best for: Quiet beach days, dog walks, nature, birdwatching, photography.

9. Hunstanton: Norfolk’s only west-facing beach

Hunstanton is unique on the Norfolk coast: it faces west, not east, which means it catches spectacular sunsets – a rarity on the east coast of England. Known affectionately as ‘Sunny Hunny’, it’s a traditional Victorian seaside resort..

The beach has shallow, sheltered water ideal for children, good rock pools, kite surfing and the dramatic backdrop of Norfolk’s striped chalk and red chalk cliffs – rust-red, white and brown bands that are distinctive to this stretch of coast. 

This is the most iconic Norfolk beach with coloured cliffs, photographed widely. 

Accessibility at Hunstanton is good with ramped access from the promenade across much of the beach frontage.

Best for: Sunsets, families, accessible beach visits, traditional seaside experience.

10. Horsey Beach: Norfolk’s best beach for grey seals

Horsey is one of the most special beaches on the Norfolk coast. Quiet and remote, accessed from a car park via a short walk over the dunes, it sits within a stretch of nature reserves and is home to one of England’s largest colonies of grey seals. 

Between November and January, hundreds of seals haul onto the beach to pup – it’s one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters available in England, and managed carefully by volunteers from Friends of Horsey Seals. Curious? Read our guide on spotting grey seals in Norfolk.

For guests at Waxham Sands Holiday Park, Horsey Beach is virtually on the doorstep. Dogs are welcome at Horsey, but must be kept under careful control near the seals.

Best for: Wildlife watching, grey seals, quiet beach walks, photography.

FAQs: Norfolk’s best beaches

What are the best beaches in Norfolk?

The most top beaches in Norfolk are Holkham (for sheer beauty and scale), Wells-next-the-Sea (for atmosphere and the famous beach huts), Cromer (for facilities, swimming and character), Brancaster (for quiet, natural beauty) and Sea Palling (for safe, sheltered swimming). The best north Norfolk beaches for families specifically are Sea Palling and Mundesley, where the water is calm and there are good facilities.

Where are Norfolk’s best beaches on a map?

Norfolk’s beaches run roughly west to east across the top of the county before turning south. 

A useful mental map from west to east along the north Norfolk coast: 

Old Hunstanton → Heacham → Brancaster → Holkham → Wells-next-the-Sea → Stiffkey → Cley-next-the-Sea → Sheringham → West Runton → East Runton → Cromer → Overstrand → Mundesley → Bacton → Walcott → Happisburgh → Sea Palling → Waxham → Horsey → Winterton-on-Sea → Great Yarmouth.

Can you metal detect on Norfolk beaches?

Metal detecting is popular on the Norfolk coast, particularly on the Deep History Coast beaches where fossil and historical finds are more common. The rules depend on beach ownership.

Stay at Lovat Parks: Right on the Norfolk coast

Our Norfolk parks sit close to some of the finest beaches in the county:

Waxham Sands Holiday Park – Right next to Waxham Beach, one of the quietest sandy beaches in Norfolk, with Horsey seals and Sea Palling just down the coast.

Golden Beach Holiday Park – Another superb base for exploring the north Norfolk coast.

And if you’re thinking about making Norfolk more than just a holiday, our guide to 10 reasons to buy in Norfolk covers exactly why so many people fall in love with this part of England for good.

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