Kayak under big cliffs – Devon
Paddle along the shores of Exmoor National Park for water-level views of the Hangman cliffs – the highest in mainland Britain. Nose into otherwise-inaccessible caves and coves and keep an eye out for seabirds, dolphins, sunfish and seals. From £35pp.
Swim stirred-up seas – Argyll & Bute
The Gulf of Corryvreckan is a wild swim indeed – at times, this passage between the isles of Jura and Scarba is a broiling whirlpool. Make a guided crossing of the gulf (when it’s safe) to tick off an open-water swim icon. From £150pp.
Slurp oysters – Essex
Oysters have been grown off Mersea Island since Roman times and, aboard the Lady Grace, you can float past old oyster beds, spot oystercatchers and enjoy a picnic (ordered separately) from West Mersea Oyster Bar. From £100 for up to six.
Stroll beneath big skies – Norfolk
There are few better ways to spend six days than on a slow-paced, self-guided North Norfolk walk. Stride across sandy beaches, pass reserves teeming with birds, relax in flint-and-brick villages and eat mussels fresh from the sea. Six nights from £795pp.
Survey cetaceans – Ceredigion
Dolphins, porpoises, seals and seabirds all love Cardigan Bay. Join a Dolphin Survey Boat Trip for up-close sightings, to chat to on-board researchers and to listen, via hydrophones, to the underwater action. From £17.50pp, private charters £95 per hour.
Bike by the bay – Lancashire
The 130km Bay Cycle Way skirts Morecambe Bay. Largely flat and low on traffic, it is an easy way to ride beside the seaside. E-bikes make it easier still, and charging points dot the route. E-bikes from £36 a day.
Canter along the coast – Cumbria
Hit the Cumbrian coast on horseback. Experienced riders can mount massive and magnificent Clydesdale, Shire and Ardennes heavy horses to gallop along miles of empty dune-backed sand, with a backdrop of the Lakeland Fells. From £200pp.
Hike with giants – Northern Ireland
Plan a multi-day walk to experience all aspects of Northern Ireland’s edges: trek up into the Mourne Mountains, which sweep down to the sea, hike along the fabled Causeway Coast and roam around puffin-loved Rathlin Island. Five nights from €1,395pp (£1,187).
Dive with seals – Lundy Island
The Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone is a top choice for divers: it is home to 40-plus dive sites, 130 wrecks, basking sharks in summer and 200 grey seals (inset) year round. Dive from April to September, when visibility is at its best. From £137pp.
Be more waterbaby – Isle of Wight
Adventures abound in the calm waters of Bembridge Harbour. It is an ideal spot for watersports from kayaking to stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, canoeing and dinghy sailing. Activities from £30pp.
SUP after dark – Hampshire
Feel the full serenity of the New Forest seaside on a nighttime paddleboard expedition. Set off from Keyhaven at 9pm and paddle to Hurst Castle and back, guided only by the glimmer of moonlight on the waves. From £45pp.
Raise a sea-spritzed glass – Suffolk
Sitting on Aldeburgh’s shingle beach, next door to the elegant Brudenell Hotel, Fishers is the closest gin distillery to the sea in the country. Take a tour to taste the coastal botanicals that go into every bottle. From £30pp.
Sleep over the sea – Anglesey
For the wildest night’s sleep, camp above the Welsh waves in a cliffside hammock. Climb or abseil down to your private ledge, dine while dangling and watch the sunset in mid-air, serenaded by the sounds of the sea. £480 for two.
Make a pilgrimage – Northumberland
Pilgrims have been walking to tidal Holy Island since the seventh century. Follow in their footsteps with a guide to cross safely, learn about Lindisfarne’s history and watch out for seals and seabirds en route. From £17.50pp.
Hang out above the harbour – Portsmouth
The sail-shaped Spinnaker Tower soars 170m up from Portsmouth Harbour, with views stretching across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Add a shot of adrenalin to your outlook by abseiling 100m down its sides. From £100pp.
Yomp along – Yorkshire
Test your stamina on North Yorkshire’s wild shores. Held four times a year, the Castles to Abbey Coastal Challenge is an organised 24-mile walk from Scarborough to Whitby, along a dramatic stretch of the Cleveland Way National Trail. From £39pp.
Link the best links – East Lothian
East Lothian has some of the country’s best seaside links courses. So plan a tour of “Scotland’s Golf Coast”, stopping at the grand old Marine North Berwick Hotel – overlooking the Firth of Forth, it will reopen after a revamp in August.
Forage the foreshore – South Wales
Discover Mother Nature’s coastal larder on a guided forage. Scour the rock pools, mud flats and sand dunes, searching for crustacea, shellfish, sea veg and other goodies before cooking them into a wild feast. From £80pp.
Set sail – Isles of Scilly
Help to crew a tall ship or classic boat bound for the Scillies. Learn to tie the ropes, hoist the sails, tack and jibe as you glide around England’s sunny southerly archipelago, dropping anchor in its tropics-like coves and bays. Seven days from £980pp.
Spot seals – Lincolnshire
The Lincolnshire coast is a prime spot for seal-spotting – Donna Nook Nature Reserve is home to one of the UK’s largest breeding colonies of grey seals, with 2,000 pups born here each winter. It is brilliant for birding, too.
Go gillying – Norfolk
For a traditional Norfolk coast pastime, go gillying – aka crabbing. In Wells-next-the-sea, cut out the unnecessary plastic by hiring a reusable metal bucket and eco-friendly tackle from the Gilly Hut on the Quay. Kit £6 (£5 refund on return)
Get creative – Kent
Take a roadtrip along Kent’s “Creative Coast”, 333km of inspirational seashore, where you will find outdoor art (some new this spring), Folkestone Artworks (the UK’s largest urban outdoor exhibition), Margate’s Turner Contemporary gallery and new installations at Gravesend’s Cement Fields.
Play castaway – Cornwall
The craggy Cornish coast has caused a covey of shipwrecks. Could you survive one? Test yourself on a Castaway adventure, reliving shipwreck legends and combining wild swimming, coasteering, bushcraft and rescue raft navigation. From £69pp.
Dig for dinosaurs – Dorset
The Unesco-listed Jurassic Coast is rich in fossils. The state-of-the-art Etches Collection at Kimmeridge Bay houses an impressive array. There is also the chance join founder Steve Etches on a museum tour or fossil walk. Walks from £15pp.
Snorkel with sharks – Inner Hebrides
Swim with one of the world’s biggest fish – basking sharks, which can measure up to 10m long. Tours offer the chance to snorkel with these gentle leviathans as they migrate past the Isle of Coll between July and September. From £195pp.
Coasteer a classic – Pembrokeshire
Coasteering was pioneered on Pembrokeshire’s craggy cliffs, and there are still few better places to leap, climb, clamber and whoosh about the seashore than here. Join an excellent expert tour with B Corp-certified TYF Adventure. From £70pp.
Feel the need for speed – Carmarthenshire
Opening in autumn, the Sands of Speed Museum will provide an interactive introduction to Wales’s second-longest beach, which has witnessed many land speed records. Learn about the record-holders, race Guy Martin by simulator and stay in the new eco-hostel.
Patrol with puffins – Channel Islands
Get a fresh perspective on one of Europe’s most southerly puffin colonies by kayaking out to see them. Between April and July you can paddle from Herm’s dazzling Shell Beach to the aptly named Puffin Bay with an expert to watch the birds. From £40pp.
Pick up a paintbrush – Cornwall
The light and landscapes of south Cornwall have drawn artists since the late 19th century, keen to paint “en plein air”. Enrol on a workshop with the Newlyn School to have a go at capturing the coast yourself. Three days from £395pp.
Comb the beach – Yorkshire
The North Sea churns up all sorts, so head out to glorious Runswick Bay and Robin Hood’s Bay with a local guide to look for gems such as amber and jet as well as fossils and dinosaur footprints. From £15pp.
Paddle off-grid – West Highlands
Plot a sea-kayak expedition around the Sound of Arisaig, taking in skerries, seal colonies, crystal-clear waters, Jacobite history and views to Skye’s Cuillin ridge, wild camping on white-sand shores each night. Six nights from £935pp.
Learn to surf – Portrush, Co Antrim
Abundant breaks, clean and consistent waves, laid-back surf culture, uncrowded beaches – Portrush is the surfing
capital of Northern Ireland, ideal for novices and pros alike. Quality surf schools offer lessons. From £40pp.
Cruise half the way around
Can’t decide on a specific spot? Board the hybrid-powered MS Maud to sail from Dover up to the Hebrides and back, via highlights such as Rathlin Island, Iona and St Kilda, the Isle of Man, the Isles of Scilly and Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. 15 days from £3,229pp.