Earnse Bay, Cumbria
BEST FOR:Sunsets and letting off steam
Few people come to Cumbria for its beaches,
but west-facing, empty Earnse Bay on
Walney Island (you’ll reach it across a bridge
from Barrow-in-Furness) is perfect for a
picnic. Views of the largest wind farm in
Europe, the mountains of the Isle of Man
and, on a clear day, Snowdonia, can be
spectacular. visitcumbria.com
Blackgang Beach, Isle of Wight
BEST FOR:Solitude and sandstone
Blackgang Beach is surely one of the least
visited of all the island’s beaches and getting
there’s as much fun as being there: you have
to slither down a steep, sometimes slippery
(but generally safe) path from Niton. The
payoff is a glorious beach of fi ne-grained,
ochre pebbles, overlooked by a magnifi cent
sandstone escarpment that resembles a vast
slab of honeycomb. visitisleofwight.co.uk
Botany Bay, Kent
BEST FOR:Natural drama
It’s hard to believe this spectacular beach lies
within striking distance of the grand facades
of Broadstairs and seaside cheer of Margate.
The soaring chalk stacks reach up to 130
and there are also large stretches of pristine
white sand — ideal for long lazy walks or a
spot of sunbathing. visitkent.co.ukChapman’s Pool, Dorset
BEST FOR: Fossil-hunting
Tucked away on Dorset’s Isle of Purbeck,
Chapman’s Pool is far quieter than its better-
known neighbour, Lulworth Cove. Its beauty
is more than worth the modest eff ort needed
to navigate the footpath to the sand and
shingle. And as this is the Jurassic Coast,
the kids will have every chance of fi nding
ammonites, shell fossils and even small bits
of Paleolithic reptiles. visit-dorset.comEmbleton Bay, Northumberland
BEST FOR:Birdwatching and kite fl ying
Vast, crescent-shaped Embleton Bay hides
in plain sight behind the commanding
Dunstanburgh Castle. Even on the sunniest
day you can wander, fl y a kite or watch the
puffi ns and terns with few concerns about
social distancing. The castle looks like
something a six-year-old might draw, perchedon a cliff , with crumbling ramparts and a
huge portcullis. visitnorthumberland.comCovehithe, Suff olk
BEST FOR: Remote beauty
Reached from a lane that ends abruptly
at a crumbling cliff edge with a backdrop
of a roofl ess church, Covehithe, south of
Lowesto , has an edgy, dramatic beauty
that is sure to capture any kid’s imagination.
Explore the water-smoothed trunks of trees
taken to the shoreline by the collapsed cliff ,
before taking a break on the so , golden
sand. visitsuff olk.comLee Bay, Devon
BEST FOR:Rockpools
An isolated beach in North Devon is hard
to fi nd even at the quietest time of year, but
pint-sized Lee Bay near Ilfracombe is one
such place. Close to popular Woolacombe,
you’ll fi nd a small, sandy beach and rockpools
that are perfect for exploring, paddling and
sunbathing away from the crowds.
leebay.co.uk MARK ROWERead more at nationalgeographic.co.uk/travelEscaping the crowds is all the more important this summer. We pick some of
our favourite bustle-free beaches for a day on the coast with the kidsFAMILY
THE COAST IS CLEAR
IMAGE: GETTYChapman’s Pool
on the Jurassic
Coast in Dorset is
ideal for fossil hunting24 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER24 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel