Have a great summer holiday in Greater Yarmouth

Everyone knows Greater Yarmouth is home to miles of sandy beaches, bright lights and amusement arcrades, theme parks and adventure golf, but dig a little deeper and there's so much more to explore.  

Sharks, seals and summer fun in Greater Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth is the perfect destination for a beach holiday where wide, sandy Central Beach stretches as far as the eye can see along the Golden Mile. A wide esplanade runs the length of the seafront from North Beach all the way to South Beach and has plenty of friendly cafés, tea-rooms and ice-cream shops along the way. The esplanade overlooks the clean, wide bucket-and-spade beach, where you'll find RNLI lifeguards patrolling the shore, deck chairs to hire, donkey rides and fantastic bouncy castle fun. The beach is so big that it doesn't matter whether the tide is in or out in Great Yarmouth, there's always a huge expanse of beach for you to find your spot for the day.

Between Britannia Pier and the Pleasure Beach, the Golden Mile is packed with loads of fun activities for all the family to enjoy. Create great holiday memories indoors and out at theme parks and adventure golf courses. Marvel at the antics at the circus, see worlds in miniature in the model village or enjoy fantastic inflatable swimming sessions at the tropical swimming pool. It's just a short walk along Regent Road, which has a beautiful ceiling of light to get to the town centre and the heritage quarter.

Take a boat trip to see the seals bobbing in the sea around you or sunning themselves on the sandbank at Scroby Sands next to the elegant wind turbines or for marine enthusiasts, explore the Sea Life Centre where you’ll find penguins, jellyfish, seahorses and the east coast’s largest diverse species of sharks in a huge ocean tank.

Enjoy tiger walks and water sports in Greater Yarmouth

Just north-west of Great Yarmouth, near the beautiful village of Filby, explore Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens where, through their extensive conservation work, you can see a special collection of rare Asian animals including tigers, Amur leopards, reptiles and monkeys. The reptile house is home to some scary-looking alligators and the amazing tiger walk gets you right up into the trees and up close with the big cats who often sun themselves on the platform at the top.

Discover the beautiful land-locked Trinity Broads at Filby, Rollesby and Ormesby where there's lots of fun things to do. Go for a stroll, hire a rowing boat or climb aboard the Edwardian wooden launch, Gentleman Jim, for a genteel glide through the water at The Waterside, which is also a fabulous lunch stop with stunning views over the water. Alternative places to eat in the area, both with fantastic waterside views include Filby Bridge Restaurant and the newly refurbished Boathouse pub at Ormesby where there's also a great play area.

For proper messing about on the river, jump in a canoe, hire a paddleboard or day boat just up the road in the lovely village of Martham and enjoy spotting the birds and local wild life such as otters, swallowtails, kingfishers or bitterns as you sail along the Broads.

Explore the beach at Gorleston-on-Sea, Roman ruins and the Angles Way National Trail

Gorleston-on-Sea, just over the river from Great Yarmouth, has the biggest, sandiest beach for miles around, perfect for sandcastle building and kite flying. Float your model boat on the yachting pond, cool your toes in the paddling pool and explore the wide esplanade below the grassy cliffs where there are some great cafes and a lovely seaside pub. The beach is patrolled by RNLI life guards in summer and the curved bay is a great place for boogie boarding and paddle boarding too.

Just inland, ramble around the majestic flint walls of the Saxon Shore fort at Burgh Castle, the ideal place for a picnic with loads of space for the family to play at re-enacting gladiator battles. On a clear day, you can see for miles with beautiful views across the river Yare to the marshes and Berney Arms windmill.

Climb down to the water’s edge and join the Angles Way National Trail to walk to Great Yarmouth along the river, arriving at Breydon Water where the sea meets the Broads and watch the sun dip below the horizon for a stunning sunset. Alternatively, for a much shorter walk, turn left along the Angle's Way instead and head for the Fisherman's Arms at Burgh Castle Marina. Keep your eyes peeled for local birds and wildlife like otters, kingfishers, waders and bitterns.

Longer and shorter circular walks are also available in the area, perfect to let off some steam before the evening.