Year after year we come back to the North Norfolk coast to start our summer SLOWLY, and believe me, we have found some gems that seem to make time itself stop. If the idea of “just you, me, and the sea” sounds like the holiday from heaven, read on to discover where to head this summer.
© Kerry Mccarthy
Why North Norfolk?
Desolate beaches with seemingly endless stretches of sand sit alongside picture-perfect countryside, and of course the Norfolk Broads. Switching off here is easy, but there are also a wealth of wonderful things to do on a day out if you feel like picking up the pace.
Where to Stay on the North Norfolk coast
Happisburgh
Get here quick because it is falling into the sea! Sadly Happisburgh (pronounced “hazebruh”) is suffering from rapid coastal erosion, but its famous red and white striped lighthouse is still a firm feature of the coastline. Here you will also find a wonderful, and very old, pub with rooms and a restaurant, the Hill House Inn. While we haven’t stayed here, we have had a fair few sunny pints and decent pub grub under its ancient beams.
Manor Caravan Park has been home on a couple of occasions, which offers up peaceful pitches for camper vans and tents, and is a short walk from the beach. The beach is expansive, sandy, and has a near-by car park and play park where you can find an ice cream van at busier times of the year.
Eccles-on-sea
A fabulous little place where chalets are clustered in the Bushy estate, and run along behind the sand dunes for a more reclusive retreat. Eccles sits right on the coastal path, and although just a little way down the coast from Happisburgh is well protected from coastal erosion. There are no shops, cafes, or restaurants, and its peacefulness can be put down in part to there being no public parking. You’ll have to get here by foot, by bike, or have a place to stay to be able to reach the beach.
Again, expansive sand, but this time backed by shifting dunes. The coastal path runs along the other side, providing a protected path to explore a little stretch to Sea Palling one way, about 5km, and Happisburgh the other, about 2.5km. We rented an airbnb opposite steps to the beach. Starting each day with a climb over the dunes, dropping down the other side for a day at the beach was simply divine!
© Kerry McCarthy
Sea Palling
The village itself offers up a busier experience for visitors, but is by no means a packed place to go! The Lifeboat Tavern is great for food and drinks, you’ll also find a chippy, seaside “tat” shop, plus a place selling donuts and hot dogs. Entertainment is a mini-arcade and a couple of trampolines.
Most people come here to SURF! The beach has a lifeguard, but a little way along, further up towards the peacefulness of Eccles the bays offer up much better waves, and far fewer people.
Waxham Sands
We came here to camp, see some seals, and play a bit of crazy golf! Again, the sandy shores go on for miles, with very few people even during the height of summer! The high point of this trip was watching all the seals that come to bathe on the beach – they are huge in number, big in size, and it is a breathtaking experience that really connects you to nature.
While seals are present all along the coast, Waxham Sands has been the only place we saw them in great numbers on the shore rather than bobbing about at sea. Ironically this was the break where we also booked a tour with Beans Boats to see seals at Blakeney Point. It was still well worth it, especially as we had time to get off the boat and explore the coast!
© Kerry McCarthy
Wells-next-the-Sea
Further north than this cluster of coastal delights you’ll find Wells. It has a proper holiday home caravan park, plenty of bricks and mortar holiday rentals, a town with very “boujie” shops, and very good eateries to choose from. While it isn’t the switch-off that we usually look for, we have camped on the outskirts at Blue Skies Campsite and made some day-trips to “civilisation”.
Wells sits at one end of the famed Holkham beach and nature reserve, a 4-mile long sandy beach where the receding tide never gets deep. It does however transform into a mud-flat, beware of getting stuck as the tide comes in!
© Kerry McCarthy
Wellness retreats in Wells
While a laid-back break by the coast is a great way to re-charge, the North Norfolk Coast also attracts wellness escapes for a deeper switch-off. If yoga flows, cacao circles, breathwork, and meditation floats your boat then a wild weekend away (of the wellness sort) might be just what you are looking for. One upcoming yoga retreat, nestled between the wonderful Wells and Holkham promises that you’ll step into a space of quiet, grounding, and restoration on a 3-night luxury escape, complete with wholesome food and hot tubs.
What to do during your stay
Blakeney Seal Trip – We toured with Beans Boats, a long-established Blakeney Point ferry operator who offer a wonderfully informative tour of the area and the wildlife here.
© Kerry McCarthy
Norfolk Broads – While this can be a holiday in itself, one which we have done a couple of times before, hiring a boat for a day or doing a trip along the broads is a great way to spend time in this beautiful place at a laid back pace. We hired from Richardstons, located in Stalham. Learning the ropes is fairly quick, and they cater for all levels of sailor, including entry level novices like us!
© Kerry McCarthy
Wroxham Miniature Worlds – A miniature world of wonder where you can enjoy miniature railways and a whole host of crazy exhibitions and collections all under one roof. Highlights include a collection of 18,000 matchbox cars and a knitted miniature diorama of Great Yarmouth!
Wells and Walsingham Light Railway – Located right next door to Blue Skies Campsite, this is a cute little way to spend some time exploring the area between Wells and Walsingham. The 10¼” gauge WWLR has the acclaimed title of being the world’s smallest public railway! Trips are 30 minutes long each way.
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Travel Writer Bio – Kerry McCarthy
Kerry McCarthy is a Writer and Artist who loves to travel. You can find out more about her adventures over on instagram at @kerrymccarthystars
© Kerry McCarthy