| When temperatures soar and the skies are blue, | | | | of the coastline. |
| there's no better place to be than beside the sea | | | | Walk along the beach towards Thorpeness and |
| - pack up a picnic, dig out the buckets and spades | | | | you'll see the newest addition to the Aldeburgh |
| and head to the beach for some good | | | | skyline, the Scallop - a Maggi Hambling sculpture |
| old-fashioned fun on the sand and in the shallows. | | | | which is dedicated to Benjamin Britten, founder of |
| At cooler times wrap up well and enjoy a bracing | | | | the Aldeburgh Festival held at nearby Snape in |
| walk, where you can watch the fishermen who | | | | June each year. |
| still depend on the sea for their living, or comb the | | | | Thorpeness |
| water's edge for washed-up treasures such as | | | | Originally a small fishing hamlet and, according to |
| the fascinating amber commonly associated with | | | | folklore, a route for smugglers into East Anglia, |
| the Suffolk coast. | | | | the Thorpeness of today was created by |
| Here's our pick of beaches you simply must not | | | | Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie who, in 1910, developed it |
| miss while you're on holiday in Suffolk. | | | | into a private coastal resort complete with |
| Southwold | | | | country club, golf course and holiday homes. |
| Visitors return year after year to the seaside | | | | Ogilvie's vision for his quirky model village included |
| town of Southwold, famous for its iconic beach | | | | mock Jacobean and Tudor architecture and |
| huts, lighthouse and historic pier. Select shops, | | | | extended to cladding in wood the necessary but |
| renowned restaurants, the Adnams brewery and | | | | not aesthetically-pleasing water tower known |
| a mix of Georgian, Regency and Victorian | | | | today as 'The House in the Clouds'. More |
| architecture... all add to Southwold's | | | | traditional in look, the nearby windmill is equally |
| picture-postcard appeal. | | | | photogenic. The beach at Thorpeness consists of |
| But it's the beautiful golden beach - a regular Blue | | | | steeply shelving shingle, with some sand at low |
| Flag winner for its cleanliness and facilities - which | | | | tide. Dunes and low cliffs start to the north of |
| is the biggest draw. A holiday hotspot all year | | | | Thorpeness, while the southern end forms the |
| round, Southwold is busy but in no way spoilt. The | | | | Haven Nature Reserve. |
| epitome of the perfect seaside resort, it's an | | | | Felixstowe |
| idyllic location for a cottage holiday. | | | | Felixstowe first became a fashionable holiday |
| Walberswick | | | | resort in the 1880s and has retained many of its |
| Rural life is never far away from Suffolk's | | | | Victorian and Edwardian houses, hotels and |
| heritage coast. Across the River Blyth from | | | | attractions. The unspoilt town sits above a |
| Southwold is affluent Walberswick, popular with | | | | beautiful seafront which is over four miles long |
| ramblers and nature lovers as well as crabbing | | | | and has a wide promenade that stretches almost |
| enthusiasts - every summer the village is home | | | | the entire length of the sand and shingle beach. |
| to the annual British Open Crabbing Championship! | | | | The sea here is excellent for swimming in: |
| Once a thriving port, Walberswick is now a | | | | Felixstowe's South Beach boasts a prestigious |
| bustling tourist attraction and an attractive location | | | | European Blue Flag award and the water at both |
| for a selection of self-catering accommodation. | | | | its South and North Beaches is Marine |
| Over a thousand acres of heath and marshland | | | | Conservation Society Recommended. |
| around Walberswick are protected as an Area of | | | | North of the town is the fishing village of Old |
| Outstanding National Beauty. The beach is an | | | | Felixstowe and, at the mouth of the River Deben, |
| unspoilt mix of shingle and sand backed by dunes, | | | | the quaint little outpost of Felixstowe Ferry with |
| perfect for paddling and picnics. | | | | its gallery, golf course, cottages, boatyard and |
| Aldeburgh | | | | inns. Here you can explore coastal paths, buy |
| Traditional with a twist... that's Aldeburgh, once | | | | fresh fish and catch the small ferry boat across |
| one of the East Coast's leading ports and today a | | | | the estuary to Bawdsey. |
| thriving seaside resort with fashionable shops, | | | | Kessingland |
| cosy holiday cottages and a world-famous music | | | | Close to Lowestoft but feeling like a million miles |
| festival that shares its name. Aldeburgh has | | | | away, Kessingland beach is unspoilt and spacious - |
| something for everyone, and its seashore is a | | | | one of Suffolk's best-kept secrets! The beach is a |
| favourite with visitors of all ages - it's a long | | | | mix of marshland, shingle and sand, and it |
| stretch of predominantly shingle shelving quite | | | | stretches for miles towards Lowestoft to the |
| steeply to the sea, with some sandy areas | | | | north and Southwold to the south. There's a wide |
| exposed at low tide. Here you can buy your | | | | variety of self-catering accommodation around |
| dinner from the fishermen who sell their catch | | | | this part of the heritage coastline, giving you easy |
| each morning, or go beachcombing for the | | | | access to many of the county's top holiday |
| precious amber which is found on this unspoilt part | | | | attractions. |