I’m getting excited as I’m off to Holkham Bay on the North Norfolk coast this weekend. The big skies and wide golden sands fringed by woodland are a great place for pretty much anyone, whatever your interests. I love to let my dogs run free, take a salty dip, kayak through the saltmarshes, and the wildlife is always a draw.
Holkham Bay (with my dog in the foreground!)
Whilst there, I’ll be heading just up the coast to Titchwell Marsh. A fabulous place to visit, the brackish reed beds are a haven for bitterns and bearded tits, and joining one of the guided walks is a great way to enjoy an enormous range of wildlife. This year alone they have recorded over 680 species! The impressive Parrinder Hide offers great views of the pools, and the cafe is well worth a stop too.
Many of our reserves have wonderful coastlines. Ramsey Island off the Welsh coast has spectacular 120m high cliffs, and the cliff top heathland is awash with flowers in summer.
Ramsey Island, Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
If seclusion is what you are after, take a summer ferry from Oban to Coll and you will be treated to a shell white beach fringed with an abundance of wild flowers in the machair. If you are lucky, you may even see the world's second largest fish glide through the waters – a basking shark! These elusive ocean giants can be seen further south too – try Labrador Bay in Devon. This well-known beauty spot is worth the trip anyway.
You may like your seaside sojourn to have more activity. Tucked into one of the few undeveloped stretches of the West Sussex coastline, Pagham Harbour offers fun for all the family, with a wide range of activities and events all year round. Belfast Lough also offers great events all year round, and is an oasis of calm just 10 minutes from the centre of Belfast.
Belfast Lough, Simon Watterson (rspb-images.com)
For hustle and bustle of a different tone, head to one of our cliff top reserves, such as Bempton Cliffs. Take a summer picnic, and experience the sights, sounds and smells of the miraculous seabird spectacle at the peak of the breeding season.
You can also get out on the water at Bempton, on one of our wonderful gannet and puffin cruises. With expert commentary and a chance to see over 200,000 seabirds, it’s a Date with Nature to remember.
Puffin, Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
Do you have a favourite seaside spot? Share it with us @natures_voice, or post on our Facebook page
Arne has a lovely bit of beach.