Merseyside's coastline offers a number of beautiful beaches, no matter what your plans for the day. From sandy shores to tidal pools, nature walks to amusement facilities, the region's beaches cater for all tastes when organising a coastal excursion.
Whether you're after an action-packed family outing with numerous attractions, seeking sandy stretches for children to enjoy, or hoping to discover local fauna along a picturesque nature route, there's no shortage of choices available locally.
Several of the finest beaches can be reached via public transport, with convenient access through the Merseyrail system. We've compiled a selection of Merseyside's most attractive coastal spots to lap up the summer heatwave.
Crosby Beach
Crosby Beach is the picturesque beginning to 22 miles of Sefton coastline. From the shore visitors can enjoy views across the sea to Wirral and North Wales hills. Due to the beaches' close proximity to the Port of Liverpool, visitors can often marvel at huge container ships and cruise ships that pass by.
The Burbo Bank offshore wind farm can be seen from the shore and adds to the unique coastal, industrial and artistic landscape that makes Crosby Beach so unique. Crosby Beach is a great place to watch the sun set - the opening to the Irish Sea leaves uninterrupted views as the sun seemingly melts into the ocean. However, be aware it is not a bathing beach and it is permanently red-flagged with a quick-flowing tide. This is due to the beach’s proximity to the River Mersey shipping lane, which effects the water quality.
New Brighton Beach
New Brighton Beach offers stunning sunsets, golden sands, lovely coloured benches along the sea wall, a lighthouse, rock pools teaming with life and historic buildings. It's a quiet, accessible coastline people of all ages can enjoy.
You can walk for miles on soft, shimmering sand. You can paddle in the salty waters, warmed by the currents of the Irish Sea. You can take in some stunning sunsets against a backdrop of a postcard-perfect lighthouse and fort. Photographers regularly set up in New Brighton to try to capture the beach’s glowing evenings as the skies fade from pink to red and orange.
Moreton Beach
Moreton beach is a popular spot with both locals and visitors to the area. This sandy beach is located next to Leasowe Common within the North Wirral Coastal Park. The common is used for picnicking and kite flying when the tide is in.
The adjacent four-mile-long North Wirral Coastal Park provides an opportunity to discover grassland, reedbed and sand dune habitats. Winter birdwatching is also popular here.
Meols Beach
Tucked between Hoylake and Wallasey is Meols Beach, a destination that's definitely worth a visit this summer. This four-mile stretch extends from Meols Dove Point to the King's Parade at New Brighton. On clear, sunny days, you'll likely spot kite buggying, sand yachting, and even a few horse riders.
What initially appears to be a small shingle beach transforms into a vast expanse of sand and mudflats when the tide recedes. When the sun sets, you'll witness some of the most breathtaking views in the entire region. The water is perfect for swimming so don't forget to bring the right clothes. There's also a lifeguard on duty to ensure everyone's safety and enjoyment.
West Kirby Beach
West Kirby Beach may only be 300 metres long but it lies between a kilometre of sand dunes and a further two kilometres of vast sand flats. Popular with locals and visitors alike, it offers a range of activities and facilities. At low tide, the beach extends for several hundred metres, providing a large area for walking, sunbathing and playing.
Ice cream and coffee shops as well as toilet facilities are only a few metres away from the main entrance at the end of Dee Lane. Watersports are popular here but windsurfers and kite surfers are asked not to come within 100 metres of the tide line to allow bathers to safely enjoy the clean waters. There is free parking along the nearby promenade along the length of the marine lake and a pay and display car park closer to the beach at Dee Lane.
Formby Beach
Formby Beach is a coastal nature haven with some of Europe’s best sand dune habitats, where many rare species, including natterjack toads, thrive. You can also catch glimpses of the past, from prehistoric footprints to old shipwrecks.
To help you find your way there's a selection of walking trails to follow on large map signs. The sands at Formby stretch for miles, with its gorgeous sand dunes, and hundreds of acres of woodland beside it. It's one of the most beautiful places in the UK. Visitors are advised the two small car parks fill up very quickly on sunny days, so it is recommended to travel by train. The nearest station is Formby station.
Ainsdale Beach
Ainsdale Beach is recognised as one of the best in the UK for extreme kite activities, with zones set aside for kite buggy and landboard use, and kitesurfing taking place on the sea.
The Ainsdale Discovery Centre, situated adjacent to the beach and Ainsdale & Birkdale Sandhills Local Nature Reserve, provides local information, a classroom facility, venue for events and free cycle hire. The nature reserve includes the stunning Ainsdale Hills, Birkdale Hills, Frontals, Sands Lake, Velvet Trail and Birkdale Beach and is home to rare dunes, beach and woodland habitats. There are marked footpaths to follow, and so tranquil and wild is it that you will forget within minutes that you are close to a major urban area.
