Just picture it. You’re sitting on a beach, with the waves gently lapping the sand in front of you. The sun has just slipped behind the horizon and you’re left with a sky containing a few wispy clouds, which are changing colour almost by the minute. One moment they’re burning orange, then they turn pink before fading into the darkness of the peaceful night that follows. It all sounds rather idyllic and like a Bounty Bar commercial doesn’t it? Indeed it does, yet I am describing what I was lucky enough to experience on the Norfolk coast in England. My first overnight stay on a British beach did indeed prove to me that camping by a beach is well worth trying.
Here are three reasons why I believe beach camping is well worth the try if you haven’t tried it already:
It’s Great For Mind And Body
You could argue that camping anywhere in nature is beneficial for well being. Having enjoyed many such experiences, I believe this to be completely true; beach camping offers benefits, which can’t be found in any other setting.
The most obvious one is being next to the sea or ocean. Yes the vast expanse of water can appear a pretty bleak place on an overcast windy day in the depths of winter, but it can offer a very different experience too, which has a surprising benefit for both mind and body. I was lucky enough to experience the better side of the deal on my first beach camp at Holkham.
I arrived at the beach after a long tiring week in a hot classroom, teaching thirty eight and nine year old children. Even just a couple of hours on the beach made work seem like a distant memory and by the following morning I was fully relaxed and refreshed. I could list all the reasons why here, but a bit of reading online revealed that it’s already been done. Click here to find out more.
You Sleep Like A Baby
OK I can’t guarantee this. If you bring the wrong gear and end up shivering through the night, then you aren’t likely to rest well at all. Take care of the basics though and I think a great night’s sleep is almost guaranteed. I think back to my travels around the world in my twenties and I always remember sleeping like a log when by the coast whether that was in Colombia, Thailand or Australia. I think the clean air, fine views and sound of the waves just works wonders. Is there anything more relaxing than the sound of the sea lapping the beach?
Maybe I’m slightly odd, but I find the twinkling lights out to sea really relaxing too. It could be the passing of a distant ship, a lighthouse or even wind farm, which was the case at Holkham. The light always looks warm, welcoming and peaceful in the darkness.
It’s Great For Sunset And Sunrise
In different ways, all beaches offer an ideal place to watch the sun slip behind the horizon or indeed climb to give birth to a new day. If you end up with an east or west facing beach, then it will offer one great experience each day, but if it faces north or south, then you may be lucky enough to catch both pretty well. This was certainly the case at Holkham Bay.
As I arrived in the quaint village of Burnham Over Staithe and followed the path towards the beach, so I enjoyed watching the golden sun sink slowly behind the tidal marshes and sand dunes that back it. This following video clip showcases this pretty well I reckon:
Sunrise on a beach is just a wonderful experience. Be there on a clear morning and you’ll be in for a real treat. What I most loved was the fact that the ruler straight horizon and flat sea provided no obstacles at all or distractions for what I was there to see. The view of the rising sun was perfect and the light it cast across the shimmering water made it all the more beautiful. Add in the sea birds starting their day and of course the waves as a soundtrack and it sure proves to be a great place to start any day.
I found that it just made me feel totally at peace and I wasn’t at all surprised to read about all of the benefits it has for our mental health. If you’d like to find out more about this then please click here.
You Can Start Your Day In An Active Way
You might scoff at this title, claiming to want to spend the entire time lazing away and being as physically inactive as possible. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this and indeed beaches are usually much less physically challenging to reach than great sports in the mountains. There might be a bit of descending and climbing to reach your beach of choice, but it’s highly unlikely you’ll be scaling anything tough or steep.
As a person who has always loved keeping fit, I think the beach offers the perfect place for an active start to the day without it being overly taxing. After the sun had risen, I took my shoes off and enjoyed a run along the sand, followed by a swim in the sea. Both were very easy to do and left me feeling truly alive and ready for the day ahead. Running barefoot was a wonderful experience and one I realize you can’t enjoy in many other places. I’d highly recommend giving it a try. The video below shows some of what I got to, partly inspired by Rocky Balboa. I’m a bit of the fan.
The Weather Is Usually Better
I’ll keep this one short, but this title is especially true if you stick to the east of The UK. Even if you’re in the west or in a totally different country altogether, being at sea level is likely to provide much better conditions than up in the mountains.
The upland areas generate their own weather conditions and it quite common to find it cloudy and rainy in the hills, while the coast is bathed in blue sky and sunshine.
To Camp or Wild Camp?
I used my bivvy bag to wild camp on Holkham Beach. Technically that was illegal, but I left as much of a footprint as a day visitor would. We all know that is the responsible way to do things. I won’t discuss the issues around whether this hobby should be made legal or not, as it is a huge topic in itself. This article discusses it well.
If you are worried about wild camping, then you’ll be glad to hear that there are almost countless opportunities to use a campsite on or very close to the beach. You also get the added advantage of toilets and a shower of course. The website links below will hopefully give you some food for thought. It obviously only just scratches the surface, so feel free to do some research of your own too.
To Wrap Things Up…..
If you haven’t already enjoyed camping on the beach, then hopefully this article has gone some way in inspiring you to maybe give it a try. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and when it looks dry and sunny, head to the coast and get a feel for it yourself. I reckon you might be planning a trip back sooner than you think!