Blakeney Point

Blakeney Point is a four-mile shingle spit reaching into the North Sea from the Norfolk coast, home to one of the largest grey seal colonies in England and an important breeding ground for terns in summer. The seal trips from Blakeney and Morston quay are brilliant — boats take you close to the point where hundreds of seals haul out on the sand, and in the pupping season (November-January) the beach is covered with white-furred seal pups. In summer, the terns take over — sandwich terns, common terns, little terns, and Arctic terns nesting on the shingle. The point is managed by the National Trust, and wardens protect the nesting birds while allowing visitors to walk the spit (it's a long walk — about 4 miles from Cley Beach car park). The boat trips are the easiest and most dramatic way to visit. Several operators run from Morston and Blakeney — Beans Boats and Bishop's Boats are both well-established. The whole stretch of coast from Cley to Blakeney is gorgeous — the Cley Marshes nature reserve is one of the finest birdwatching sites in Britain. The village of Blakeney itself is charming, with a pretty quayside and the excellent Blakeney Hotel.