Southport Beach

What it’s like

Miles of open sand near Southport's Victorian seafront, with room to walk, paddle and build without another soul getting in the way.

Wide, flat sand stretches out for miles here, which means there's actually space to get a football game going or let a kite off without tripping over someone else's windbreak. Dogs are allowed too, so it's an easy one if you're bringing the family pet along as well as the kids.

There's no set way to spend a visit. Some families head straight down with buckets and spades for sandcastles, others just walk it, and with the tide well out there's plenty of firm sand to cover before you reach the water. It's worth knowing the sea at Southport can be a fair way out depending on the tide, so if paddling is the whole point of the trip, timing matters more than usual.

Getting there is straightforward. It's a ten-minute walk from Southport Train Station if you fancy leaving the car, and if you do drive there are parking spots close by. The genuinely odd bit is that you can pay to park directly on the beach itself when the tide is low, which feels like it shouldn't be allowed but is one of those Southport things.

Southport's Victorian architecture and the old iron pier sit right behind the beach. There isn't much here beyond the beach itself.

Need to know

Parking

Pay to park on the beach when tide is low, or many parking spots nearby

Dogs

Southport is dog friendly

Getting there by bus or train

Southport Train Station 10-minute walk

• Parking directly on the beach only works when the tide is low
• The sea can be a long walk out at low tide, so plan paddling around that
• The pier and Victorian seafront are right behind the beach if anyone needs a change of scene

Plan your visit

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