A Day by the Sea in Lowestoft

Ever dreamed of having your own slice of coastal life? Live like a local and hire a beach hut! Newly installed in 2022, the Eastern Edge beach huts are located across two levels on Lowestoft’s award-winning South Beach and are a striking addition to the landscape with their angular outline and palette of aquatic blues and greys.

Designed by architects to face partially south to maximise their sunny aspect and to have one corner pointed Eastward, you can soak up the sun on the the stylish veranda, and make the most of the the spacious interior for relaxation, changing and storage. 

Many of the huts also have level access and can be linked together for those needing a larger accessible space, and you're just a short walk away from the boardwalk; which offers greater accessibility to the beach and sea for people with disabilities and parents with pushchairs. Beach wheelchairs are also available for hire, providing access to the sand and sea. For more details on hiring beach wheelchairs, please contact Lowestoft Beach Office by emailing lowestoft.beach@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or calling 01502 586167.

Huts for hire come fitted out in various styles with benches, storage and hooks, and some have kitchen-style floor and wall units to store your towels, swim suits and buckets and spades! Just along the prom you will find Zaks Cafe serving sandwiches, snacks, hot drinks, ice creams and most importantly, bacon rolls for those early morning sea swims! 

Click here for more information and to hire a beach hut

Home to Suffolk's longest and sandiest stretch of beach, the award-winning Lowestoft Beach is perfect for a day by the sea. The wide sands have oodles of space for building sandcastles, a game of rounders or laying out on your sun-lounger. The sand slopes away gently into the sea and the waves are generally calm so its ideal for children wanting to paddle and swim. In the spring and summer months, you can even join in with weekly yoga sessions on the beach (in winter the classes relocate to East Point Pavilion), and there's a popular sea swimming group who take to the seas for a dip throughout the year!

Lifeguards are on patrol from May to September, and there are toilets and showers located along the promenade for washing the sand off at the end of the day. 

Loved by locals, this gem of a beach is starting to become a favourite from those further afield, as thousands of festival-goers flock to it each year in June for First Light Festival. Taking place on 17 & 18 June 2023, the free multi-arts festival celebrates culture, creativity and community with a weekend of music, DJs, dance, poetry, science and wellbeing. It is the UK's only beach festival, taking advantage of Lowestoft's position as the UK's most easterly point.

If you can set your alarm early enough there is an enchanting programme of events taking place on the beach at dawn, celebrating Lowestoft being one of the first places to see the sunrise.

The light and airy Victorian style building positioned by the Royal Plain on the seafront has had many uses through the years, but 2022 saw the East Point Pavilion take on a new incarnation, as a unique destination for independent street food traders, barista coffee, craft beers, wine and cocktails as well as monthly markets, weekly yoga and wellbeing workshops, live music, film screenings and family events. 

Sitting in the space amongst the jungle of plants and unusual seating, it’s hard to imagine the Pavilion being put to better use in any other way, the architecture is expansive and bright; perfect shelter from the sun, wind or rain outside, making the Pavilion a perfect microclimate in which to hang out all year round, with sea views that make this unlike any other space you’ll visit on the Suffolk coast. The food is fresh and flavourful, with Mexican, loaded burgers and fries, homemade cakes and pastries, toasties and poke bowls served up to order. 

East Point Pavilion also boasts a Changing Places toilets. Situated by the public toilets, this expansive facility offers a large and spacious area kitted out with specialist equipment such as a changing bench, a hoist and an adjustable sink, designed to support people with disabilities in getting ready to enjoy the beach. In addition, the Pavilion itself is step free, with extra wide doors and a lowered bar area for wheelchair users. 

What better way to explore the glorious Suffolk Coast than by boat! Walk past East Point Pavilion and you will come to Heritage Quay - here you can step onboard Jet Adventures boat 'Shearwater' and take trips to spot seals at Scroby Sands and Horsey Beach, as well as taking in the sights of the Suffolk Coast from Lowestoft to Southwold. 

Heritage Quay is also home to 'Excelsior' - one of Suffolk's historic sailing vessels and one of the only remaining Lowestoft sailing trawlers. Book a sailing experience onboard and you can enjoy sailing days out to sea, or even a 4-day trip sailing from Lowestoft to Bruges! 

Whether you're onboard for a day or longer, the trips give you hands-on experience of sailing this historic vessel. Raise the sails, take the tiller and scrub the decks – or just sit and enjoy the salty air in your face, the sound and feel of the sea around you.

Boasting Suffolk's largest golden sandy beach, it's no wonder Lowestoft is a favourite with windsurfers, kite surfers, kayakers and SUPs. Kitesurfing, powerkiting and stand up paddle boarding (SUP) are fantastic ways to have fun, keep fit, learn something new and get your adrenaline pumping.  Blitzkiting based in Lowestoft, offers kite sports and paddle board lessons/hire around the Norfolk and Suffolk coast and waterways.

Enjoy a morning hack along the beach with Pakefield Riding School. One of the oldest and best-known horse riding centres and stables in East Anglia. Situated in the coastal village of Pakefield, a short distance from Lowestoft, the School offers a wide range of activities for novices, experienced and advanced equestrian enthusiasts, including lessons for all abilities, and any age from two years upwards, hacks and beach rides.

No day at the seaside is complete without a visit to the amusements to play on the penny slot machines and in Lowestoft you've got two Piers to choose from! South Beach is located at the end of the promenade towards the town, whilst the Claremont Pier is on Lowestoft's South Beach. Both boast an array of amusement games for children, teens and adults, alongside kiosks serving ice creams, hot donuts, drinks and fish and chips.

Just a stone's throw from the beach on the Upper Promenade you will find the enchanting Kensington Gardens. The immaculately mowed lawns and tended flowerbeds are intersected by winding pathways, weeping willows and bridges over ponds - a peaceful spot for a picnic or to read a book.

The Gardens are also home to tennis courts (available to hire), bowling lawns, and a lake - on which you can hire a canoe to paddle across during the summer months. There's a cafe too, serving light lunches, snacks, teas, coffees and ice creams should you need some light refreshment during your day by the sea.

The Suffolk Coast Path follows rights of way and footpaths along the Suffolk Heritage Coast, starting in Lowestoft, the route takes you along the glorious golden beach, and continues along Pakefield and Kessingland beaches, passing through the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which covers 150 square miles in East Anglia. On your route to Felixstowe, you will pass through wildlife-rich wetlands, ancient heaths, shingle beaches and historic towns and villages - the ideal way to discover the whole of the stunning Suffolk Coast.

Check out our Lowestoft Guide to plan your visit or stay!