Oh we do like to be beside the seaside… and these days British beach life is no longer all about buckets and spades, chintzy amusement arcades, sandy picnics and splashing around in the sea until your lips turn blue. Oh no. Our idea of the toes-in-the-sand lifestyle means boutique beach houses, swanky surf-side restaurants, mesmerising scenery, and a plethora of watersports with state-of-the-art equipment. Never before has beach life and luxury been so entwined by the seaside.
Here are the top destinations for a luxury break by the sea in the UK in 2023, handpicked by the travel experts at Simply Sea Views.
Cornwall
The destination on the tip of everyone’s tongue when we mention the beach in Britain, Cornwall has become synonymous with surfing, seafood and stylish saltwater living. St Mawes, Padstow and St Ives are just a few of the places flaunting the idyllic combo of a harbour-side idyll, quaint cottages turned into designer homes, and Michelin-starred dining; all wrapped up in sublime coast and countryside. Hit the waves on your surfboard, castaway on a sailing boat, explore secret coves on a SUP, and strike out along dramatic sea-edge trails. Then fill yourself to the gills with just-caught fish from the ocean in view, sip cocktails in a swanky bar at sunset, and sleep to the sound of the waves in a luxury sea view holiday home.
Devon
Just that little bit closer to London, and the rest of the UK, Devon has long been a favourite of British beach lovers. Its rugged north coast beaches are now hailed as the UK’s first World Heritage Surfing Reserve, and the sheltered sandy swathes of its south coast are punctuated by fishing harbours where the finest local seafood is landed. If you love playing around on boats, head to Salcombe, where you can bask in the Mediterranean-esque vibes and learn the ropes on a sailing boat. Or, if you want to be crowned king of the waves, bag a boutique beach house just footsteps from the surf in Saunton Sands or Croyde.
Dorset
Not only home to one of the most exclusive beach locations in the UK, Dorset is in fact home to one of the most exclusive beach locations in the world – Sandbanks. While property on this gorgeous white-sand beach is hard to come by, you can snap up a designer holiday home for a week and make the most of this world-class destination where sophisticated beach life reigns. Pad along the pillowy sands and pause for cocktails and culinary delights, feel the wind in your sails and try the exhilarating sport of kitesurfing, or hop over to Poole Harbour for a cruise. And don’t forget that Dorset has all sorts of other things to do on the doorstep, from marvelling at Durdle Door and Old Harry Rocks, to fossil hunting along the Jurassic coast.
Norfolk
Norfolk might not be top of your list for boutique beach destinations, yet its spectacular sandy coastline and rural heartlands have reared a crop of chic places to stay and award-winning eateries, alongside a mighty dose of history and culture, to boot. Skip along the vast sands of Holkham Beach, and you can be Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love or starring in the All Saints music video for their hit ‘Pure Shores’. Nearby Holkham Hall and Estate boasts a distinctly Downton atmosphere, with history by the bucketful, and the likes of hunting, shooting and fishing on offer from staff fitted out in tweed waistcoats. Bag a period holiday house in Wells-next-the-sea and slip into the luxury coastal life from there.
North Yorkshire
Luxury beach holidays don’t have to be all about tropical destinations. Head north to Whitby in Yorkshire, and enjoy the iconic British seaside experience of beach huts, ice cream and sandcastles, from a boutique beach pad with a hot tub. With its connections to Captain Cook and Dracula, this idyllic former fishing town is perfectly positioned between the coast and countryside. So you can explore harbour-side streets overlooked by the Gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey, pad along a plethora of pristine sandy bays, or don your hiking boots and tackle some of the 800km of trails weaving through the North York Moors National Park.
Suffolk
How about waking up in a plush beach pad in the first place in the UK to see the sunrise? Lowestoft is the UK’s most easterly outpost, and the perfect beach abode to make the most of every moment of glorious golden daylight. Immerse yourself in the saltwater lifestyle on the award-winning blue flag beach, stroll along the prom with ice cream in hand, and soak up the scenes of the thriving medieval port. Then, once you’ve had your fill of the coast and countryside, there’s no shortage of designer seaside cottages to slink back to.
Simply Sea Views is the UK’s go-to collection of handpicked luxury holiday cottages by the sea.
