With Britain’s second-longest coastline at 563km, Essex has more beach than many give it credit for. OK, so we’re talking more cockle shells, cheekily named beach huts, briny breezes and goosebumps-giving dips in the Thames Estuary than white sands and blue seas, but who’s complaining?
Each day, the tides undo and remake these shores. And whether you’re spotting migratory winter birds among the salt marshes and mudflats, scoffing fish-and-chips on the sand or watching the sun plop into the North Sea from the terrace of a historic boozer, there’s plenty to love. Read on for our pick of the best beaches in Essex, many within an hour’s train ride of London.
Brightlingsea
Backed by a promenade and beach huts in chalk-box pastels, Brightlingsea’s almost mile-long stretch of sand waves the Blue Flag for cleanliness. Besides swims and happy hours spent crabbing near historic Bateman’s Tower, the beach is popular for sailing and heading up the creek to St Osyth aboard an impressively sailed Thames barge. Check tide times: high tide means little sand, low tide means little water.
Insider tip: If you don’t fancy plunging into the sea, you can swim at Art Deco Brightlingsea Lido instead. There’s a big open-air pool for laps plus a splash pool for kids.
How to get there: Colchester is the nearest major train station, with fast links to London. There’s pay-and-display parking on the seafront at Promenade Way.
Mersea Island
With its ever-changing light, shifting tides, trilling seabirds and bobbing boats, Mersea Island is magical. A rainbow of beach huts frames West Mersea’s sand-and-shingle beach; rent one for the day.
The Little Beach Hut has a trio of pretty front-row huts (named Peggy, Kittie and Lottie), with deckchairs, windbreaks, beach toys, parasols and little kitchens with whistling kettles. You can make yourself at home and use one as your base for stand-up paddle boarding or kayaking with Mersea Island Watersports, or hire an e-bike to pedal along the rewilded sea wall
Insider tip: Book a table for a tasting menu to remember at Michelin-starred Stark, or slurp local oysters at the Company Shed. Mersea Island Vineyard sells crisp white wines and oyster-laced ales.
How to get there: The nearest train station is in Colchester, from where Bus 86 runs to West Mersea in 50 minutes. There’s also parking in the Victoria Esplanade pay-and-display.
Frinton-on-Sea
Ask Essex locals to rattle off their favourite beaches and you can bet Frinton-on-Sea makes the grade. Bookended by Clacton to the west and Walton-on-the-Naze to the east, this two-mile expanse of gently shelving sand invites strolls past Victorian-style beach huts (some of which you can rent for the day) and chilly paddles in the sea.
If you’re up for a longer ramble, tackle the 3.5-mile walk to the wild, gorse-clad cliffs of The Naze, gateway to the Hamford Water National Nature Reserve. Its inlets, mudflats and salt marshes are a magnet to migratory birds including dark-bellied brent geese, redshanks and shelducks, as well as common and grey seals.
Insider tip: Bring a picnic or grab brunch at the Bird & Bean in town before heading down to the beach.
How to get there: Frinton is on the Sunshine Coast line. The train ride to London Liverpool Street involves a change at Thorpe-le-Soken (a total journey time of 1.5 hours).
Southend-on-Sea
Southend is Marmite. Admittedly, its funfair rides, bingo halls, arcades and summer crowds are not everyone’s cup of tea. But it still has a whiff of old-school seaside charm. Right next to the pier, Three Shells Beach has a lagoon for gentle paddles. For more peace, trot west to Chalkwell Beach, where kids can go crabbing at low tide. Look out for the 1836 Crowstone obelisk, which once marked the seaward limit of the River Thames.
Insider tip: Walk along Victorian-era, 1.3-mile Southend Pier, the world’s longest pier, then take the narrow-gauge train back.
How to get there: Direct trains run from London Fenchurch Street to Southend Central in an hour. Seafront car parks are plentiful, but spaces fill in a flash in summer.
Thorpe Bay
Southend’s quieter sister is Thorpe Bay, a long ribbon of sand and shingle with broad views across the Thames Estuary and wading birds in the shallows. Crunch over oyster shells and pass pastel-painted beach huts, walking east to Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges Nature Reserve. Winter walks ramp up the atmosphere, with moody skies, a pewter sea and migratory birds like spotted flycatchers and ring ouzels. If you’re lucky, you might also see seals. Sunsets are pretty special, too.
Insider tip: Book a table for lunch at the glam beachfront Roslin Beach Hotel. Whether you go for beer-battered fish and chips, Sunday lunch or season-spun specials, it’s all delicious.
How to get there: The beach is a 15-minute walk from Thorpe Bay station, with direct trains to London Liverpool Street. There’s also parking on the Esplanade.
Shoebury East
Southend residents craving more peace swing over to Shoebury East. This appealing quarter-mile stretch of sand, shingle and shell is backed by a grassy area where you can unpack a picnic. Alternatively, nip into The Beach House cafe for proper coffee, cake and ice cream. Kids in tow? Bring nets and visit at low tide for paddling in the shallows and crabbing in the rock pools. Beware the school holidays: crowds swell on hot weekends in summer.
Insider tip: Stiff breezes make for ideal kitesurfing conditions. You can rent gear and arrange lessons with the Essex Kitesurf School.
How to get there: There are pay-and-display car parks right on the beachfront. Trains run from London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness in just over an hour.
Bell Wharf Beach
Down by the cockle sheds in Leigh-on-Sea, tiny Bell Wharf Beach has just enough sand to whip out a towel and cool off with a paddle. Afterwards, nose around Old Leigh’s knot of cobbled lanes, lined with boat sheds, clapboard cottages, art galleries, cafes and boutiques. Order a cracking seafood platter at Osborne’s, then head over to 16th-century pub The Crooked Billet for drinks and estuary views – never lovelier than at sunset.
Insider tip: It’s a half-hour stomp west to Two Tree Island Nature Reserve, where salt marshes slide into the Thames Estuary. In winter, it’s a haven for migratory birds, including dark-bellied brent geese.
How to get there: Direct trains run from London Fenchurch Street to Leigh-on-Sea in an hour. Park at Victoria Wharf or Belton Bridge.
Walton-on-the-Naze
For classic bucket-and-spade fun, Walton-on-the-Naze delivers. Backed by rows of brightly painted beach huts, its Blue Flag Albion Beach has gently sloping sands, groynes providing wind shelter and water shallow enough for safe paddling. Throw in funfair rides on Britain’s second-longest pier and it’s an old-school family winner even if the weather is iffy. Get fish and chips in town or bring your own snacks.
Insider tip: Stride half an hour along the beach for a wilder feel at the Naze headland, where cliffs sheer into the North Sea. Keep an eye out for fossils (especially shark teeth) in the crumbling clay.
How to get there: There’s a pay-and-display car park on Mill Lane near the beach. Trains run from London Liverpool Street to Walton-on-the-Naze (journey time 1.5 hours).
Manningtree
A little wedge of sand on the banks of the River Stour, Manningtree Beach is nicer at high tide when the estuary mud vanishes. It’s such a popular swimming spot, in fact, that it has its own wild swim club, the Manningtree Mermaids – apparently open to all merfolk. Kids will love the box of use-and-return toys at the back of the beach. Combine sand time with a stroll along the Georgian high street, stacked with indie shops, delis and cafes.
Insider tip: Book lunch at the Mistley Thorn for the freshest local seafood in a beautifully converted 18th-century coaching inn, then spot birdlife along the River Stour from the Mistley Walls.
How to get there: Direct trains run from London Liverpool Street to Manningtree in 55 minutes. There’s free parking at the beach.
Irlam’s Beach
Harwich delivers blow-away-the-cobwebs breezes and big North Sea views on its sand-and-shingle beaches, which get prettier and quieter the further from the port you stray. Blue Flag Dovercourt is a family hit, with gently shelving sands, a promenade, boating lake, playground and a pair of 19th-century lighthouses.
Wander half an hour south and you come to lovelier still Irlam’s Beach, flanked by dunes and marshes. For seal watching ops, book onto a boat trip through the nearby Hamford Water Nature Reserve.
Insider tip: The Pier has riveting Stour Estuary views and a menu brimming with boat-fresh seafood. Go for local Colchester rock oysters and the catch of the day.
How to get there: Trains run from London Liverpool Street to Harwich Town (1.5 hours). Lower Marine Parade car park is handy for the beaches.
How we choose
Every beach in this curated list has been expertly chosen by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of areas and styles, from popular city beaches to lesser known corners – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.
About our expert
Kerry Walker
Kerry grew up in Maldon (of sea salt fame) and has been singing the joys of her home county for the past two decades. Kerry likes to shine a light on the beauty of Essex beyond the clichés, and is constantly finding fascinating places on her doorstep – from islands swirling in Viking history to ancient woodlands and half-timbered villages.