Sports & Outdoor Activities

North Norfolk has 45 miles of coast with award winning beautiful beaches for great days out, rock pooling and fossil hunting, walking and water sports. Head inland to the beautfiul countryside and explore the towns and villages, steeped in history. Visit canals and the Broads National Park to enjoy boating, kayaking or paddle-boarding or just take in the tranquility. Coast or countryside, north Norfolk is the place to go to enjoy the great outdoors and wildlife all year round.

Coastal experiences

The north Norfolk coastline, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is ideal for days out and enjoying water sports, as well as discovering wildlife. There are several Blue Flag beaches meaning they are safe and clean and with paved access. There are several places to try surfing and paddleboarding as well as kite surfing. At the end of the day, enjoy gorgeous sunsets and look up and the north Norfolk skies at night for star gazing in the unpolluted skies.

Explore the huge expanses of sands at Brancaster, Holkham and Wells-next-the Sea with its colourful beach huts. Discover the famous striped cliffs and rock pools at Hunstanton, an east coast resort that faces west towards the sun, giving it the name, Sunny Hunny. Enjoy traditional seaside charm at Cromer, Sea Palling, Sheringham and Mundesley and take a step back in time on the Deep History Coast at West Runton beach, where significant historical finds have been uncovered including a 600,000 year old mammoth skeleton. Great for rockpooling and fossil hunting, you just might come across an ancient fossil! Try crabbing at Cromer Pier, Blakeney or Wells Harbour.

Beach fishing is free for those with a valid fishing licence. You can expect to catch bass, tope and cod off-shore from Wells-next-the-Sea along the coast to the shingle bank at Cley and Salthouse beach, where skate and thornbacks have been caught. There’s good night fishing at Weybourne, Sheringham and West Runton to Cromer, plus mackerel in summer. In late Autumn and Winter, expect to see cod, whiting and codling along from Cromer to Overstand, Mundesley and Trimmingham. Walcott and Bacton provide good sea fishing all year. Find out more from British Sea Fishing. There are several other places to go fishing in north Norfolk - find out more here. 

Countryside and waterway experiences

If golf is your game, there are some fantastic coastal courses at Brancaster and Cromer, both renowned for their royal golf courses and you will find equally attractive courses at Fakenham, Hunstanton, Sheringham and Mundesley. Find out more here.

Visit any time of the year and discover wildlife unique to the area. Don't miss the seals at Blakeney Point and north Norfolk is renowned for the best birdwatching. You can see new born seal pups as well as pink footed geese at Brancaster Staithe and Holkham and rare birds visit due to north Norfolk’s proximity to the European continental mainland. Head to one of the nature reserves to get up close to some of Norfolk’s most unique species.

The coast and countryside is great for walking and cycling. Amble along the quiet country roads or take one of the formal trails such as the Norfolk Coast Path while taking in some of England's most exhilarating scenery. Finally, north Norfolk is home to much of the Broads National Park, Britain's largest protected wetland and third largest inland waterway. It's also home to over a quarter of the rarest plants and animals in the UK. Take a guided boat tour, paddle by canoe or hire a boat for a holiday. You can also explore by wheels or foot – hire a bike or take a stroll down the array of footpaths surrounding the broads.