6 Of The Best Beaches In Lincolnshire You Need To Visit
When it comes to the best beaches in Lincolnshire, there are plenty to choose from. Holidaymakers can visit a string of beautiful beaches, from old-school seaside resorts like Skegness, home to a funfair and donkey rides, to lesser-known gems stretching for miles along the Lincolnshire coast.
Skegness, Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea have all been awarded Blue Flags for safety and water quality, while the long stretch of unspoilt coast around Moggs Eye (or Huttoft Beach) and nearby Anderby Creek is renowned for sand dunes and natural coastline. Dog-friendly beaches include Chapel St Leonards, home to the North Sea Observatory, and Theddlethorpe, at the heart of a wetland nature reserve.
Whether you’re looking for sandy beaches with family facilities or just a quiet stretch where you can read a book, there’s a beach to suit you here. And as an added bonus, most have pet-friendly holiday parks and campsites nearby.
Here’s our list of the best beaches in Lincolnshire that you have to visit:
Skegness Beach
With a wide strip of sand, donkey rides and a busy promenade, Skegness is a classic British seaside resort with plenty to keep the whole family busy. Small children can build sandcastles and fly kites to their heart’s content, while parents sit back in a deckchair and watch the wind turbines spinning offshore. There’s a wealth of activities for teenagers too, including fairground rides and ten-pin bowling, not to mention an outdoor swimming pool and a go-kart track.
With a multitude of cafés and fish and chip shops around here, you won’t have to bring food with you. And if anyone needs a new bucket and spade, there are plenty of places to pick those up. Dogs need to keep to the area between South Parade and Gibraltar Point – but don’t worry, that still leaves them with miles of sand where they can run.
Search for a Skegness campsite.
Sutton on Sea
A little wilder and quieter than its better-known neighbours, Sutton on Sea still has enough facilities to keep families happy. Its broad sweep of sand is backed by a promenade with colourful beach huts, gardens and a large paddling pool for kids, and lifeguards in summer and a Blue Flag award for cleanliness make it a popular spot for a swim.
In summer, dogs are allowed on many areas of the beach – just keep an eye out for the signs. If you want some exercise, you can pedal along to Maplethorpe on a flat, wide section of the England Coast Path in around 15 minutes, or south to Chapel St Leonards in half an hour.
Find places to stay near Sutton on Sea.
Theddlethorpe Beach
Peaceful, unspoilt Theddlethorpe, with a huge expanse of salt marshes, wetlands and dunes behind the beach, is a big favourite with nature lovers. Paths for walkers and wheelchair users wind through the Saltfleetby Theddlethorpe Dunes, part of a National Nature Reserve where you can look out for flowering orchids, butterflies and migrating birds. If you’re keen to learn more about the area, Natural England organises free nature walks and activities for kids.
Dogs are allowed everywhere on the beach, and if you’re off on a long walk, it’s worth watching out for the remains of a World War II Comet tank, believed to have been used for target practice by the Ministry of Defence, and now a thrilling landmark for inquisitive children.
Moggs Eye/Huttoft Beach
If you’re looking for a quiet beach without any frills, try Moggs Eye (also known as Huttoft Beach). This long sandy strip in the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park is popular with surfers, fishermen, hikers and birdwatchers. You’ll probably meet a few dog walkers too – the whole stretch is dog-friendly all year round, with no restrictions, and there are grassy dunes where your pup can explore.
If the kids get restless, jump in the car and head a couple of miles inland to the Radcliffe Donkey Sanctuary, where they can pet the residents and feed them carrots, or the On Your Marques museum, which has a model car collection and a 50-metre Scalextric track.
Need a few more things to keep the kids busy? Try our list of the best things to do in Lincolnshire.
Chapel St Leonards
Chapel Saint Leonards is a long, clean sandy beach where you can swim, hunt for shells and walk for miles. Parents will be delighted to hear that there’s a pub right on the seafront with an outdoor terrace (in the form of a pirate ship), where you can enjoy a pint with sea views. The promenade is good for cycling and dog walking, and there are shops in the village just inland where you can pick up a picnic lunch.
The North Sea Observatory at Chapel Point, an easy stroll north along the sand, has an art gallery and natural history exhibits, as well as a café that will lend out binoculars for birdwatching.
Find a campsite near Chapel Saint Leonards.
Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe is another traditional seaside resort, complete with donkeys, fairground rides and, of course, places to buy fish and chips. It’s popular with watersports enthusiasts and just the place for sandcastle building. Budding surfers can ride the waves around Trusthorpe Point to the south, and you can also hire bikes on the seafront to pedal along the promenade.
A leisurely stroll along the beach (or a quick trip on the Beach Train) will bring you to the Seal Sanctuary Wildlife Centre, an educational rescue centre home to seals, meerkats, monkeys and birds of prey. And if your kids have energy to burn, there’s a huge floating obstacle course with trampolines and slides at Lincolnshire Aquapark, a 15-minute drive inland.
Find campsites near Mablethorpe.
Want to park or pitch up near the coast? Check out the best campsites and holiday parks in Lincolnshire.
Love a stroll? Check out our list of the 6 best walks in Lincolnshire.