Benacre National Nature Reserve

The shingle beach at Benacre stretches on for miles, backed by low cliffs and a reserve that feels properly wild compared to the tourist beaches around Lowestoft. You're looking at a mix of coastal habitats - fresh and brackish water lagoons inland, reed beds, and those distinctive pebble ridges that the East Anglian coast is known for. The whole thing's a working nature reserve, so you're not wandering into some manicured park.

Bird watchers will get the most from it, especially in spring and autumn when migration's happening. The lagoons pull in waders and wildfowl that you won't see on the built-up bits of the Suffolk coast. But you don't need binoculars to appreciate the raw, somewhat bleak landscape - it's the sort of place where you can walk for an hour without seeing another soul. Not everyone's cup of tea, mind you. If you want arcades and ice cream vans, head to Lowestoft proper.

Access is straightforward enough from the beach side, and there's parking nearby. It's genuinely free, which is rare these days. Allow a good couple of hours if you want to explore properly rather than just a quick stroll. If you're camped at Parkdean Resorts Kessingland Beach or Henstead Fields, you're just a few miles down the road - worth pairing with a reserve visit to break up the holiday park routine. Winter's actually decent here when the light's low and moody. Summer gets more footfall, but it's never going to feel crowded.