A look at the best campsites by the coast
Inspiration
What’s not to love about a coastal camping and touring holiday? In summer, the family can build sandcastles in the sun, or enjoy an ice cream after a splash in the sea.
In the winter, you can take a bracing walk along a quieter seafront, taking in panoramic views as far as the eye can see. Let our guide to Britain’s best beach campsites inspire you for your next coastal holiday.
Claire Tupholme Content Editor: Travel/Campsites
Claire Tupholme Content Editor: Travel/Campsites
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What do you need to know about beach camping?
Whether you want to be right on the sands of the beach, or pitched up on a clifftop enjoying panoramic sea views, there’s a coastal campsite in Britain to suit everyone.
Britain is home to some of the most beautiful beaches and dramatic coastlines and campsites where you can get among all the bucket-and-spade action of the beach, or simply sit back and admire the coastal view.
And who doesn’t love a trip to the coast, especially when the summer days draw nearer? Paddling in the sea, eating an ice cream while relaxing on the sand, or fish and chips overlooking the waves – there’s something for everyone on a seaside holiday. You can enjoy a coastal holiday all year round, though – hit the beach to soak up the rays in summer, or take a refreshing walk along the coast in winter – either way, life is better at the beach!
While you can’t actually camp on the beach in Britain, you can find coastal campsites with the beach close by or just a short walk away. The best beach campsites in England, Scotland and Wales can be found a stone’s throw from golden sands. Beach campsites tend to have special outdoor showers for hosing off sandy shoes, wetsuits and even pets! You’ll also find the beast beach campsites are located near popular beaches with facilities like toilets, refreshments and watersports equipment hire – making them an ideal location for families.
Best campsites on the south coast
Whether you want all the seaside fun of a bustling seaside resort like Bournemouth and Brighton, or prefer the more relaxing, fossil-rich beaches of Dorset's Jurassic Coast, the south coast of England is perfect for a coastal break.
Dorset
Monkton Wyld Holiday Park
Being only three miles from the Jurassic Coast, Monkton Wyld is the perfect campsite for anyone who enjoys uncovering lots of history and geology. There are walking routes to the seaside resort of Lyme Regis with its harbour, museum, and winding alleys. Also nearby is Charmouth, where there is a sandy bathing beach – ideal for any grandchildren who may be in tow.
The campsite is divided into several paddocks, with hardstanding and grass pitches with electric. Facilities include toilets and showers, family rooms, a laundry room, a shop, dog walking areas, dog wash and motorhome waste point.
Dorset
Bagwell Farm Touring Park
This campsite is set in a quiet valley within five miles of Weymouth's sandy beach and bustling harbour. It is a short walk to the South West Coast Path and the Fleet Lagoon on Dorset’s incredible Jurassic coastline.
This award-winning campsite is perfect for people looking to get closer to nature – without losing touch with their home comforts.
Facilities include super pitches with electric, bathrooms, and The Red Barn bar and takeaway which is open at weekends during mid-season and nightly in high season.
Dorset
Ulwell Holiday Park
Close to the sedate and beautiful little resort of Swanage and backed by the Purbeck Hills, Ulwell Holiday Park is an ideal base for exploring this genteel coastline. The horseshoe-shaped beach of fine sand is sheltered and ideal for swimming, paddling and sunbathing.
Swanage also offers water sports, boat trips and a railway. Ulwell Holiday Park has its own bar and restaurant which offers both takeaway and eat-in meals. Many pitches are on terraces, with hardstandings available.
There’s also an indoor swimming pool, play area, shop and WiFi.
Dorset
Birchwood Tourist Park
Birchwood Tourist Park is in an ideal position for exploring Dorset. It is centrally located for visiting Bournemouth, Pool and The Purbecks. The campsite is situated within Wareham Forest giving unrivalled direct access for walking, mountain biking or riding.
A sandy beach is only eight miles away. Attractions that are all about half an hour away include Studland Beach, Corfe Castle, Monkey World, Durdle Door, Lulworth Castle, Swanage and Poole harbour. It is only a short drive to Sandbanks where there are lovely sandy beaches and dogs are allowed on a large section here throughout the year.
Dorset
South Lytchett Manor
South Lytchett Manor is a five-star, family-run campsite in Poole, Dorset, and was recently named AA Campsite of the Year.
Just five miles from Poole and seven miles from Bournemouth and the Jurassic coastline, South Lytchett Manor is ideally placed for exploring the Dorset coastline and urban landscape. Facilities on the campsite include a shop, café, bakery, information hut and several large, award-winning amenity blocks for guest use.
The local pubs are a 10 and 20-minute walk and the bus stop is just outside the gates for direct access to Poole and Swanage.
Hampshire
Fishery Creek
Fishery Creek Park is a tranquil oasis that runs parallel to a tidal creek connected to Langstone and Chichester harbours, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A 10-minute stroll from the campsite leads you directly to the beach. Campsite amenities include The Galleon Bistro and a tidal slipway which is a great place for all sorts of water-based activities. The campsite is a mixture of well-drained grassland and shingle pitches with electric hook-up.
Creekfront and lakeside prime pitches offer fantastic views. There are plenty of walks directly accessible from the campsite. Local shops, restaurants and pubs are all close by. Further afield the historic coastal towns of Chichester, Portsmouth and Bournemouth can be easily reached by car.
Hampshire
The Oven Campsite
The Oven is a popular choice for family camping holidays on Hayling Island. It's close to the villages of Mengham and West Town and just 20 minutes on foot to the main beach area and fairground. Facilities include a heated outdoor swimming pool, a toilet and shower block, shop, café, play area and football field. There are plenty of nearby restaurants and eateries.
The campsite is home to 280 plots including a large dedicated camping field for tents and space for touring caravans and campervans. The Oven is perfectly located within easy reach of beautiful fields, farms, woods and the sea.
Best campsites on the east coast
From sandy family beaches to wilder, nature-rich beaches designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the east coast of England certainly provides a range of the best beaches to choose from.
Norfolk is popular and home to several large seaside resorts, while Suffolk offers quieter, pebbly beaches perfect for a winter's walk. And then there's Essex, with Mersea Island providing the coastal charm and a sense of adventure.
East of England
Woodhill Park
Discover the perfect coastal getaway at Woodhill Park, East Runton, on north Norfolk’s scenic cliffs. This park offers spectacular views and is surrounded by the beauty of the Norfolk countryside, ideal for a memorable touring break. Wake up to the sounds of the coast, with traditional seaside towns and sandy beaches nearby.
The various pitches welcome caravans, motorhomes, or tents, and the park is equipped with a shop to cover all your essentials, a launderette, and toilet and shower facilities.
East of England
Waldegraves Holiday Park
Escape to the coast and enjoy a touring or camping break on the beautiful Mersea Island at Waldegraves. The campsite is situated on beautiful and historic Mersea Island overlooking the sparkling Blackwater Estuary.
The holiday campsite has pitches for tents, touring caravans and motorhomes as well as holiday homes for hire. The campsite is family owned with a private beach and access to boat launching facilities. The campsite is dog-friendly with plenty of designated exercise space for your pets.
There is so much to do at Waldegraves – there's no time to get bored. Alongside the fun-packed family entertainment programme, there are activities to suit the whole family, including crazy golf, FootGolf, pitch and putt, a driving range, games room, coarse fishing lakes, and outdoor heated swimming pool (open May-September).
Best campsites near the beach in Cornwall and Devon
Some of the most popular and best beaches in England can be found in Devon and Cornwall and a variety of coastal campsites, too. You'll find many are right by golden, sandy beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, and with plenty of space for everyone.
Others will be ideally located on clifftops, with panoramic coastal views to enjoy direct from your pitch. Some Cornwall and Devon beach campsites are a short walk from hidden coves, or pretty seaside towns that are perfect for exploring.
Cornwall
Porth Beach Holiday Park
The campsite is just 100 metres from one of Newquay’s best family beaches. There are 186 beautiful, level grass pitches (177 with 16A electric, and nine non-electric), plus 36 hardstandings and 11 premium pitches with electric, water, waste and TV hook-up.
The picturesque layout, fringed with flower beds and palm trees, is set in a tranquil wooded valley bordered by a bubbling stream. The modern, immaculate, heated toilet block has privacy cubicles, a baby changing area with bath, and an outdoor covered dishwashing area, plus a large, modern laundry room with two wheelchair-accessible rooms. Porth is an ideal location for visiting Padstow and the north coast of Cornwall.
Cornwall
Pentewan Sands Holiday Park
Set on the shores of a privately owned beach, this five-star holiday park is the perfect Cornish seaside escape. With half a mile of golden sands on your doorstep, spend your days sunbathing, building sandcastles, and exploring the waves with resident thrill-seekers Cornwall Watersports – all within a couple of minutes’ walk of your accommodation.
Whether you prefer to unwind in a luxurious holiday home or pitch up beside the sea, the award-winning facilities at Pentewan Sands have something for everyone. Explore the two indoor swimming pools, bars and restaurants with sea views, two tennis courts and an arcade. Just a stone’s throw from some of Cornwall’s biggest attractions and hidden treasures, you can catch a bus to the Eden Project, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, and the beautiful seaside town of Mevagissey, just two miles away.
Cornwall
Wooda Farm
Wooda Farm Holiday Park is set in 40 acres of parkland with stunning views of Bude Bay and countryside inland, with many safe, sandy beaches within two miles. The campsite caters for motorhomes, caravans, campervans and tents and has excellent facilities with plenty of open space, colourful flower beds, well-kept lawns and peace and quiet.
On the campsite is the Courtyard Bar and Grill, Lodge Takeaway, Loft Cocktail Bar, shop, children’s play area, pitch and putt, woodland walks, dog exercise field, gym, mountain bike trail, tennis and badminton courts and fishing lakes. There is also a handy bus stop at the campsite's entrance.
Devon
Newberry Valley
This is a peaceful campsite on the edge of Combe Martin village, which is less than 10 minutes’ walk from the beach and has pubs and shops. Combe Martin Beach is just around the corner and is a mix of shingle and pebble with sand close to the water. As the beach is backed by high sea cliffs, it is very sheltered, so ideal for swimming.
Newberry Valley Park offers a selection of pitches – grass or hardstanding with electric hook-up, plus fully serviced grass or hardstanding pitches. Facilities include a play area, fishing lake, toilets and showers, all-in-one shower rooms, a launderette and dog and wetsuit washing facilities.
Best campsites near the beach in Wales
Wales has scores of unforgettable seaside destinations, from secluded spots to tourist-friendly towns and villages. There are even beaches where you can drive your vehicle onto the sand for a comfortable day at the beach!
Choose the west coast for golden sands and world-famous locations, such as Portmeirion and Harlech, or head to the south coast for unforgettable beaches at Rhossili and Three Cliffs Bay.
Gwynedd
Islawrffordd Luxury Holiday Park
Located at the southern end of Snowdonia National Park, with direct access to the beach. The touring areas are well laid out with 75 fully serviced hardstanding touring pitches for caravans and motorhomes. Sanitary facilities are first rate – and new in summer 2020 were the ‘Cader Suites’, individual bathroom suites which need to be booked in advance.
On the campsite there’s a coffee shop, fish and chip takeaway, restaurant, and indoor swimming pool. A main attraction is the coast, right next to the touring field. Here the dog-friendly sandy beach provides plenty of opportunity for walks and relaxation.
Gwynedd
Hendre Mynach
This quality campsite, the closest to Barmouth, is just 100 metres from a glorious beach and 20 minutes' level stroll to the town centre. Barmouth is a little gem of a seaside town with a great harbour that is sheltered by cliffs and hills behind.
It boasts miles of clean and glorious sandy beaches. Hardstanding and grassed pitches are available, along with shower and toilet facilities, a shop and enclosed play area.
The campsite is screened by mature trees to shelter it from the sea breezes and separate it from the buildings of the town.
Swansea
Pitton Cross Caravan Park
Pitton Cross is only one mile from Rhossili village and its beach, which is often voted the "Best Beach in the UK”.
There is a large car park, a pub, a couple of cafés and a National Trust shop at the beach. The city of Swansea is only 16 miles away where you will find the National Waterfront Museum. The scenic coastline is within walking distance from your pitch.
Ramsgrove Cove is good for rock pooling, Mewslade and Fall Bay for bodyboarding, buckets and spades and climbing. Rhossili Beach is ideal for climbing, surfing, walking, and to see the Helvetia shipwreck.
Best campsites near the beach in Scotland
The beaches in Scotland, especially those in the Highlands, are some of the closest you'll get to being abroad without actually stepping foot on a plane – white sand, turquiose waters – highly popular in summer but equally as stunning in winter.
Fife
Elie Holiday Park
Abbeyford Leisure’s award-winning Elie Holiday Park in Scotland’s East Neuk of Fife is a real hidden gem and offers a fine selection of self-catering options, including fantastic touring and tent pitches with modern washroom facilities nestled behind the sand dunes at Shell Bay.
Set on the Fife Coastal Path, the campsite is also home to the free Robinson Crusoe Adventure Park, a superb restaurant, popular café and family-friendly bar, all of which welcome well-behaved dogs.
Fife
St Monans Holiday Park
A small and tranquil campsite on the outskirts of the fishing village of St Monans and overlooking the Fife Coastal Path. Guests can walk to the harbour or along the coastal path to the ruins of Newark Castle. Three miles away is the seaside town of Anstruther, from where boat trips to the Isle of May Nature Reserve can be taken.
The campsite’s small touring and tent field is located close to the entrance of the holiday park, which also has holiday homes to hire. Touring pitches are gravel-based, with hook-up. Facilities include toilets and showers, a launderette and play area. There is a shop nearby and guests can make use of the bar, restaurant and café at Elie Holiday Park (a 10-minute drive away).
Highlands
Sands Caravan and Camping
With its beautiful beachside location and views across to the Isle of Skye and Outer Hebrides, this spacious, family-friendly campsite has something for everyone.
Situated on the beautiful west coast of the Highlands of Scotland with unsurpassed views of the Isle of Skye and Outer Hebrides. Bring your own caravan, motorhome or tent and set up wherever you wish in the designated areas. Whether you choose a sheltered spot amongst the sand dunes or a raised pitch with unrivalled views, this large, spacious campsite has something for everyone.
Sands is an ideal base to explore the best of Wester Ross, with the famous Torridon Hills to the south, plus many other walks in the area, the world-renowned Inverewe Gardens to the north, and wildlife cruises as well as the newly built museum based in Gairloch itself.
Dumfries & Galloway
Auchenlarie Holiday Park
An award-winning campsite situated on the beautiful coastline of Dumfries and Galloway, with direct access to a secluded beach overlooking picturesque Wigtown Bay and only a short drive from the stunning Galloway Hills.
With its indoor heated pool, sauna, arcade, daily entertainment, children’s indoor and outdoor play areas, Auchenlarie is the perfect base for a fun-filled family holiday or a relaxing break away. On the campsite is a superb restaurant and takeaway plus a choice of three different bars and a well-stocked Premier convenience store.
Auchenlarie is perfectly situated to explore the surrounding area, with the towns of Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart and Castle Douglas all within a 20-minute drive from the campsite. The campsite is on the doorstep of the beautiful Galloway Forest Park. Why not try your hand at mountain biking or simply walk the trails and hills of this stunning area?
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