Essex Boat Trips

Getting out on the water from Clacton-on-Sea beats another afternoon on the beach, frankly. Essex Boat Trips run from the seafront and give you a proper look at the Essex coastline - the kind of perspective you simply don't get from the promenade. You'll see the pier from a different angle, spot the way the town sprawls back from the shore, and if you're lucky, catch sight of seabirds working the shallows.

The trips work well for families who've exhausted the amusement arcades, and older kids who aren't quite ready for the full seasickness experience of crossing to the continent. It's gentle stuff - nothing hairy - but the commentary (when skipper's in the mood) adds actual local knowledge about what you're passing. Allow a couple of hours including queuing and getting aboard.

We couldn't pin down exact sailing times or prices from here, so ring ahead before you visit. Summer runs more frequently than winter, naturally. It's the sort of thing that slots nicely into a holiday park break - you stay somewhere like Seawick Holiday Park or St Osyth Beach Holiday Park, do a day trip to Clacton proper, and squeeze this in between fish and chips and the arcade. Doesn't eat up your whole day but breaks the routine of land-based seaside entertainment. Not life-changing, but genuinely worth an hour if the weather's decent and you've got the time.