Manchester is closer to the sea than people think. Within an hour or two there are beaches for walking, paddling and fish and chips, from wild dunes and pine woods to classic seaside resorts with piers and amusements. On a sunny day, a trip to the coast is one of the best days out from the city.
Here are seven beaches within reach of Manchester. Distances below are rough and by road from the city centre. Traffic on the motorways to the coast can be heavy on sunny weekends and bank holidays, so leave early.
1. Formby, Merseyside (around 40 miles)
Formby, on the Sefton coast north of Liverpool, has one of the finest natural beaches in the North West. It is a wide expanse of sand, backed by high sand dunes and pine woods. It is looked after by the National Trust.
The pine woods are one of the few places in England where you can still see red squirrels, which have almost disappeared from much of the country. A squirrel walk leads through the trees. Look up to spot them in the branches.
The dunes are among the largest in Britain, and walking over them to reach the beach is part of the fun. On the beach, erosion sometimes reveals ancient footprints of people and animals, left in the mud thousands of years ago. It is a fascinating place.
The car park at the National Trust site fills quickly on sunny days, and it may need to be booked in busy periods. Formby has a railway station, but it is a walk to the beach. A car dropping you off makes it easy.
2. Crosby Beach, Merseyside (around 40 miles)
Crosby Beach, just north of Liverpool, is home to one of the most remarkable art installations in Britain. Another Place, by the sculptor Antony Gormley, is made up of a hundred cast iron figures spread along the beach, all staring out to sea. They are cast from the artist’s own body.
The figures stand across a stretch of beach about two miles long. As the tide comes in, they are slowly covered by the sea, and then revealed again as it goes out. Many are encrusted with barnacles and seaweed.
The beach is especially beautiful at sunset, when the figures stand silhouetted against the sky. Huge ships sail past on their way in and out of the Mersey. It is a haunting and moving place.
The sands and mud can be dangerous, so do not walk out too far, and watch the tide. The beach is close to Crosby and Blundellsands stations. See our Liverpool guide.
3. Southport, Merseyside (around 45 miles)
Southport, on the Sefton coast, is an elegant Victorian seaside resort. Its beach is huge, and at low tide the sea retreats so far that it can seem to disappear. It has a long history as a place for holidays and days out.
Southport Pier is one of the longest in Britain, and it has been through long periods of repair, so check whether it is open when you visit. The seafront has a marine lake, gardens and the Pleasureland amusement park. It is a classic seaside day out.
Lord Street, the town’s main shopping street, is lined with elegant shops under glass canopies and gardens. It is one of the finest Victorian shopping streets in England. There are cafés and restaurants.
Southport is also home to Royal Birkdale, one of the great golf courses of the Open Championship. The dunes and nature reserves along the coast are lovely for walks. Southport is about an hour from Manchester by road.
4. Blackpool, Lancashire (around 50 miles)
Blackpool is Britain’s most famous seaside resort, and it has been drawing holidaymakers from Manchester and the mill towns of the North since the Victorian age. It has miles of sandy beach, three piers and a long promenade. It is loud, colourful and great fun.
The Blackpool Tower, opened in 1894 and inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, is the symbol of the town. You can go up to the top for views along the coast, and dance in the famous Tower Ballroom below. The tower also has a circus.
The Pleasure Beach, an amusement park with some of the biggest rollercoasters in Britain, stands at the southern end of the promenade. The trams along the seafront are among the oldest electric tramways in the world. There are amusements, shows and fish and chips everywhere.
Every autumn, the Blackpool Illuminations light up the promenade with millions of bulbs, and they are one of the great sights of the British seaside. Blackpool is about an hour from Manchester. The roads are very busy during the Illuminations.
5. Lytham St Annes, Lancashire (around 50 miles)
Lytham St Annes, just south of Blackpool, is the gentler neighbour to its famous resort. It is actually two towns, Lytham and St Annes, joined together. It has an elegant, relaxed atmosphere.
Lytham has a white windmill standing on the green beside the sea, one of the most famous landmarks on the coast. The green is a lovely place for a stroll. The town has independent shops, cafés and restaurants.
St Annes has a long sandy beach, a Victorian pier and sand dunes, part of a nature reserve. The beach is quieter than Blackpool’s. It is great for families.
Royal Lytham and St Annes is one of the great golf courses of the Open Championship. The town hosts festivals through the year. It is about an hour from Manchester.
6. Llandudno, north Wales (around 80 miles)
Llandudno, on the north Wales coast, is one of the most elegant Victorian seaside towns in Britain. It sits on a curving bay between two limestone headlands, the Great Orme and the Little Orme. Its promenade is lined with grand hotels.
Llandudno Pier is the longest in Wales, and it has amusements, cafés and wonderful views. The Great Orme Tramway, a cable hauled tram opened in 1902, climbs to the top of the Great Orme. A cable car also runs to the summit in good weather.
The Great Orme is home to a herd of wild Kashmiri goats, and it has walks, Bronze Age copper mines and views across the sea. Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired Alice in Wonderland, spent holidays in Llandudno, and a trail of statues of the characters runs through the town. The West Shore, on the other side of the town, is quieter.
Llandudno is about an hour and a half from Manchester. Conwy, with its castle, is just a few miles away. It makes a lovely day trip or weekend.
7. Morecambe, Lancashire (around 60 miles)
Morecambe, on the shore of Morecambe Bay, has one of the most beautiful views of any seaside town in Britain. Across the bay, the mountains of the Lake District rise on the horizon. The sunsets over the bay are famous.
On the promenade stands a statue of the comedian Eric Morecambe, who took his stage name from the town. Visitors love to have their photo taken with him. The Midland Hotel, a striking art deco building, stands beside the sea.
The bay is famous for its shrimps, and Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, cooked in spiced butter, are a local delicacy. The stone jetty has a small lighthouse. The promenade is lovely for a walk.
Morecambe Bay has dangerous tides and quicksand, so never walk out onto the sands except with the official guide. Lancaster is just a few miles away. Morecambe is about an hour and a quarter from Manchester.
A car and driver for the day means you can do two in one trip: Formby in the morning and Southport for tea.
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