We've not long returned from a week in Wells Next Sea on the North Norfolk Coast. There is a wonderful caravan and camping site right next to the beach.
What makes Wells special is the combination of bustling traditional seaside town (but without all the slot machines) and the huge sandy beach fringed by sand dunes and fir trees.
The trees add an element of intrigue. It is easy to get slightly lost, but never in a scary sense, as you know you'll hit either the beach or the main path back to the car park if you just aim for the blue sky peeping through the trees.
Once you're on the beach, you will never be bored. Stay near the beautiful multi-coloured and multi-character beach huts if you want to be near the cafe and facilities, or, if you have the energy, tramp across to the sand dunes in the middle of the beach (yes, they're right in the middle of the beach!) When the tide is out the sand seems to go on forever, but a few hours after the warning siren, the tide will be covering the beach, with the sand dunes almost becoming an island. Just beware the strong currents in the channel when the tide is changing.
The evening is the best time to swim - the tide comes in over the hot sand and remains shallow, so it feels like a warm bath on a hot day.
Although the sand dunes are not entirely cut off by the sea at high tide, everyone wades back to the main beach at the end of the day rather than walking around the dunes.
There is something magical about wading up to your knees with the day's beach equipment, to return to reality.
If you're on the beach at night, the night sky is fantastic. Norfolk has less light pollution than some parts of the country so the stars are amazing. Just don't try to make your way back through the trees at night or you WILL get lost!