From cycling and swimming to fishing and golf, the region has a host of activities to keep you occupied.
Walking
Thanks to the easy-going gently undulating landscapes and variety of wildlife, the region is ideal for walking. Tourist information offices and visitor centres at nature reserves provide leaflets on local footpaths (often chargeable) of varying lengths. The Ordnance Survey maps, either the Explorer or Landranger series, mark footpaths and are invaluable for walkers.
Norfolk Coast Path sign.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Several long-distance footpaths cross the region. One of the best known is the 46-mile (74km) Peddars Way, from Knettishall Heath Country Park in Suffolk to Holme-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk coast. This joins the Norfolk Coast Path which runs from Hunstanton to Sea Palling, covering some 63 miles (101km) and taking in salt marshes, working fishing harbours and miles of sand dunes. The best way to explore a section of the footpath is to take a one-way walk and use the Coasthopper bus (tel: 01553-776 980; www.coasthopper.co.uk; for more information, click here) to return to your starting point. The Weaver’s Way (60 miles/96km) from Cromer to Great Yarmouth takes in some of the best Norfolk Broads scenery and links with the Wherryman’s Way (35 miles/56km), which connects Great Yarmouth with Norwich, mainly along the riverside. The Suffolk Coast Path (52 miles/83km) from Felixstowe in the south up the coast to Southwold takes in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
One toe in the sea
If you’re used to indoor pools or Mediterranean waters you’ll find the sea temperatures on the chilly side, even in mid-summer. Most beach-goers do no more than paddle, leaving the seas delightfully crowd-free for serious swimmers. Favourite activities for youngsters are fishing around in pools when the tide goes out and catching crabs – usually with a piece of bacon tied on string. Walberswick and Blakeney are two of the most popular crabbing spots.
There are some great crabbing spots along the coast.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Cycling
With physically undemanding terrain and abundant cycle paths, both Norfolk and Suffolk are popular with cyclists. Tourist information centres offer a comprehensive selection of cycle leaflets and maps, many of them downloadable. The Norfolk Coast Cycleway goes all the way from King’s Lynn to Great Yarmouth, and is part of the Sustrans National Cycle Network (tel: 0117-926 8893; www.sustrans.org.uk). Some of Suffolk’s prettiest countryside is covered by three lovely routes – Suffolk Coastal, Heart of Suffolk and South Suffolk – designed for leisure cyclists and using quite lanes (www.discoversuffolk.org.uk). The routes are clearly signposted all the way so you’re unlikely to get lost. The Painter’s Trail is a 69-mile (110km) route exploring the locations painted by the famous East Anglian landscape painters, which can be broken down into shorter stages. For well-organised cycling holidays in Norfolk and Suffolk contact Cycle Breaks (tel: 01449-721 555; www.cyclebreaks.co.uk). High Lodge Thetford Forest (Tour 2, for more information, click here) offers highly enjoyable cycling on trails through the woodland.
On the beach at Wells-next-the-Sea.
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications
Beaches and swimming
Norfolk and Suffolk’s long coastline is fringed by numerous beaches, many of them, especially on the Norfolk Coast, long and sandy. Resorts range from the archetypal bucket-and-spade destinations with sticks of rock and amusement arcades to unspoilt little hamlets by the sea where the main activity is catching crabs. On the Norfolk coast you’ll find huge expanses of flat sand at Brancaster, Holkham and Wells-next-the-Sea. Many of the beaches along this coast shelve very gradually, which means wading out some way before you find water deep enough for swimming. And because of the vast expanses of sand revealed at low tide it can be up to a mile (1.6km) even for a paddle. Visitors should be aware of fast incoming tides and rip currents. Lifeguards operate at main resorts during the peak season. Cromer, Sheringham, East and West Runton, Mundesley and Sea Palling are all Blue Flag beaches.
Suffolk’s coast is wilder with pebbly beaches as well as some sandy ones with dunes. One of the best beaches is at Southwold, holder of a Blue Flag award.
A river cruise in Suffolk on board the Lady Florence.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Leisure centres and lidos
If the sea water is too cool there are always the leisure centres and the lidos. Hunstanton has the Alive Oasis centre (tel: 01485-534 227; www.aliveleisure.com), and Great Yarmouth’s Marina Centre (tel: 01493-851 521; www.marinalc.co.uk) has a pool, wave machine, slide and fun sessions.
Beccles Lido (tel: 01502-713 297; www.beccleslido.com; end May–early Sept), next to the River Waveney, is a traditional, good-sized outdoor pool, heated to 80ºF (27ºC), with a 1-metre (3ft) springboard and a slide at the shallow end. There are separate heated toddler and paddling pools, and grassy areas for sunbathing and picnics.
Boating
The Norfolk Broads offers all kinds of boating opportunities, whether you’re a seasoned sailor or have never been on a boat in your life. You can stay on a motor boat or sailing cruiser, hire a canoe or rowing boat, take a cruise with live commentary and lunch on board or a wildlife trip on a little electric boat (for more information, click here) through scenic waterways. In Suffolk one of the loveliest boat trips is the river cruise from Orford on the Lady Florence (tel: 01473-558 712; www.lady-florence.co.uk), offering brunch, lunch, dinner and sunset supper cruises (maximum 12 people). The boat sails year-round, with a cosy coal fire in winter, and the chance to see the elegant avocet.
Hiring a boat requires no qualifications – provided you’re not sailing. Hoseasons (tel: 0844-8847 1112; www.hoseasons.co.uk) has a large choice of cruisers, from budget boats to chic contemporary vessels, and five main departure points from which to explore the Broads. BarnesBrinkcraft (tel: 01603-782 625; www.barnesbrinkcraft.co.uk) rent out canoes and diverse leisure crafts which can be rented for an hour, half a day or a whole day.
Sailing off Blakeney Point.
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications
Sailing and surfing
The north Norfolk coast and the Norfolk Broads are both popular for sailing, and Blakeney is the favourite spot for those with their own boat. Based in Ludham on the Norfolk Broads, Hunter’s Yard (tel: 01692-678 263; www.huntersyard.co.uk) offer a variety of Royal Yachting Association Qualified sailing courses and, for those with some experience, there are traditional wooden sailing keelboats (no engine or electric power) for hire. Cromer is a popular spot for surfers, just by the pier. You can learn the skill or improve your technique at the Glide Surf School (tel: 07966-392 227; www.glidesurfschool.co.uk).
Place your bets
Newmarket, Great Yarmouth and Fakenham all have racecourses. Newmarket is easily the most famous with two racecourses – the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Meetings are held between April and October (visit http://newmarket.thejockeyclub.co.uk/ for information). Great Yarmouth stadium is East Anglia’s premier greyhound racing venue with races Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings. It offers grandstand seating, a restaurant and two bars. Bookings required (www.yarmouthstadium.co.uk).
The thrill of the race.
iStock
Canoeing and kayaking
Canoeing is a wonderful way to discover the Broads and it is suitable for all the family, including young children. Canadian canoes usually carry up to three adults. Full instructions are given and buoyancy aids provided. The Canoe Man (tel: 01603-783 777; www.thecanoeman.com) in Wroxham hires out canoes and kayaks, and also offers guided canoe trails, overnight canoe trails, wild swimming and bush-craft courses. To explore the Norfolk coast by kayak, Hunstanton Kayaks (tel: 07810-188 165; www.hunstantonkayaks.co.uk) have craft for hire and also run trips for all abilities. If you’re lucky you might see some seals.
Canoeing at Blakeney.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Fishing
With its rivers and shallow lakes the Norfolk Broads is one of the best locations in the region for fishing, either from boats or angling platforms along the river banks. The Broads support a variety of freshwater fish, including roach, bream, perch, tench, eels and pike, as well as estuarine species such as flounders, sea bass and grey mullet. The coarse fishing season runs from mid-June to mid-March and a current Environment Agency licence (www.environment-agency.gov.uk) is required.
The High Lodge activity centre on the Suffolk Coast (for more information, click here) offers coarse fishing in two lakes, with carp (up to 20lbs), tench (up to 4lbs), roach, perch and rudd. A reasonably priced day ticket or short break pass are available. Fishing licence required.
Fishing at Oulton Broad.
Sylvaine Poitau/Apa Publications
Golf
Norfolk and Suffolk have around 60 courses between them, catering for players of all abilities. For a list, visit www.golftoday.co.uk. In Norfolk, the Royal West Norfolk (or Brancaster as it is known), Hunstanton, King’s Lynn, Royal Cromer and Sheringham rank among the best; in Suffolk, top courses are Aldeburgh, Thorpeness, Stowmarket, Woodbridge and the Royal Worlington at Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket.
There are plenty of courses that are safe and fun for junior golfers to learn and play, such as Bawburgh (www.bawburgh.com) in Norfolk, which has won awards for encouraging juniors and beginners.
Horse-riding
Woodlands, beaches and bridle paths make for pleasurable horse-riding in the region and tourist information centres have details of riding schools and centres. The Squirrelwood Equestrian Centre (tel: 07586-292 149; www.squirrelwood.co.uk) situated between Holt and Sheringham is one of several Norfolk horse-riding centres, catering for all ages and abilities. In Suffolk, the Pakefield Riding School (tel: 01502-572 257; www.pakefieldridingschool.co.uk), established in 1946, offers lessons and rides to the beach and local woods.
BeWILDerwood – the Curious Treehouse Adventure
By far the best theme park in the region is BeWILDerwood (Hoveton; tel: 01692-633 033; www.bewilderwood.co.uk), a great breakthrough for sustainable UK family tourism. It is a magical playground of wobbly wires, tree houses, boat rides and jungle bridges, with weird and wonderful forest folk. Everything is built from sustainable wood and some 14,000 broad-leaf trees have been planted. A wonderful family day out which harks back to old-fashioned childhood adventures.
There’s fun for children and adults alike at BeWILDerwood.
BeWILDerwood
Activity and theme parks
Elveden Forest in Suffolk is home to one of the UK’s five Center Parcs, (tel: 03448-267 723; www.centerparcs.co.uk), the award-winning holiday villages for weekends and short breaks. Lodges in the woodland sleep 2–8 and activities are abundant: zip wires through the forest, canoeing on the lake, go-karting, roller skating, fencing, fitness classes or just splashing around in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise. Activities are organised for children of all ages but there’s plenty for parents to do too.
Easton Farm Park (near Woodbridge; tel: 01728-746 475; www.eastonfarmpark.co.uk) is a big hit with children who have the chance to meet Suffolk Punch carthorses, ride ponies and see baby lambs and donkey foals. In addition are barrel bug and family train rides, craft workshop and two indoor play barns.
Go Ape! (High Lodge, Thetford Forest; tel: 0845-643 9215; www.goape.co.uk) is an award-winning forest adventure, with zip wires, Tarzan swings and a variety of obstacles. The Tree Top Junior is designed for younger Tarzans.
Pleasurewood Hills (Leisure Way, Lowestoft; tel: 01502-586 000; www.pleasurewoodhills.com; Apr–Oct) is the biggest theme park in the East of England, offering over 20 family rides, along with half a dozen scarier thrill rides, including the region’s largest rollercoaster, Wipeout. Booking online saves you around 10 percent and season passes are available.