Hidden Gem Beaches Near Liverpool That You Should Visit
Whether the weather is absolutely glorious and you’re looking to escape to somewhere where you can take full advantage or winter has set in and you feel like going for a stroll to blow away the cobwebs, beaches are always an excellent place to head to.
The good news is that Liverpool has plenty of options on that front, especially if you’re willing to go slightly further a field. A trip through the Mersey Tunnel or on the ferry can see you on the Wirral Peninsula, for example, where it seems like there are beaches to spare.
There are plenty closer to home, though, so you can still enjoy a day at the beach without travelling to the ‘dark side’.
Formby Beach
If you want to head to one of the best beaches in the local area then you need look no further than Formby. To give you a sense of just how good it is, actually a National Trust nature reserve. If you’re the sort of person that likes a golden dune then you’re going to be delighted, whilst those of you that fancy going for a swim will be pleased to know that the water isn’t too cold if it’s a warm summer’s day. Perhaps the most important thing is that the beach is quite long, which means that you’ll be able to find a space for you and yours almost regardless of how popular it becomes, which is very popular when the weather is nice.
Formby beach as silent as a mouse… wonderful Saturday morning… bring on the weekend 🙌🏻🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/VKt9ogl8yS
— Pin (@pinheadhobbs) November 9, 2024
Located to the north of the city, Formby Beach can be reached on the train courtesy of its proximity to Formby Railway Station, which saves you driving and trying to find a parking space. That being said, there will be more than a few people who are keen to get along to the beach in order to five their dogs a run out, with the good news being that it is dog-friendly. There are also some attractions near by that will please people looking for something to entertain the kids, including the Red Squirrel Reserve, Formby Pinewoods and the ability to do a bit of bird watching if you remember to take your binoculars along with you.
There is a decent enough amount of parking on-site, which is free for National Trust members and blue badge holders. For everyone else, meanwhile, the charge is hardly the biggest you’ll experience. Typically speaking, the car parks, of which there are two, are open between 9am and 5pm. There are accessible toilets at the Lifeboat Road car park, for those that need them, with numerous accessible paths, boardwalks and walkways also on offer.
Crosby Beach
You might well be the sort of person that likes to combine a visit to the beach with some culture. If that is the bracket that you find yourself in then a trip to Crosby Beach should be high on your list of priorities. That is thanks to the fact that Antony Gormley’s Another Place piece is located at the beach, with the famous statues standing out in the sea. If the tide is out then you can all but walk up to them and have your photo taken next to them, such is the nature of the piece that Gormley has created. Of course, it isn’t only about culture, with plenty to offer those of you that just want to enjoy a beach for the beach’s sake.
If you’re looking to get there by train then you’ll have plenty of options, with Waterloo, Blundellsands and Crosby Train Stations all being close by. The beach itself is wide, with golden sand on offer in the summer and plenty of space to roam in the winter. Sitting within Crosby Coastal Park, there are plenty of other options to think about when you’re there, such as the ability to head to the Victorian gardens, walk along the coastal path or take your bike onto the cycle path. One thing to bear in mind is that this isn’t a bathing beach, with the muddy areas and changing tides making it very difficult to enjoy it in that sense.
Those quick-changing tides are also important to think about if you’re a dog owner and like to let your four-pawed friend head out for a roam into the water. There is normally plenty of parking on offer, whilst the coastal path is friendly enough for wheelchair users. You can get a drink at the leisure centre, where you can also buy postcards of the Iron Men if you wish to, along with pop in and use the toilet.
Oglet Shore
If you’re thinking of trying to find somewhere a little less overwhelmed with people then Oglet Shore might just be the place to go. It used to be extremely popular, with Sir Paul McCartney and his brother Mike McCartney regularly heading down there along with countless other boys and girls when the pair lived at Western Avenue. Nowadays, though, it is much more likely to be somewhere you’ll find some threatened birds, owls or even bats. It is considered to be the last ‘truly rural’ place that Liverpool has to offer, being located towards the south of the city. The fact it isn’t signposted also helps keep it relatively quiet.
Once you have parked up, you’ll have to search for the overgrown path that can take you down to the shoreline itself. That, of course, means that it isn’t exactly what you would call disabled friendly, nor is it somewhere that you are likely to find a wealth of different ice cream vans or other places you can buy yourself some treats. In fact, it is not entirely unreasonable to suggest that you might well find that you’re the only ones there, depending on when it is that you head along. You can take your dog here, with very few people around to snitch on you even if you weren’t really supposed to let them off their lead.
Oglet Shore runs close to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, so plane-spotters will be delighted to have to opportunity to get along and keep their eye out for some of the jets and aeroplanes that will be landing and taking off from there.
Southport Beach
You might well feel as though we’re pushing the realms of ‘Liverpool’ by talking about Southport Beach, but given the fact that we’re going to move onto the Wirral in a moment, we decided to let it go. Southport Beach is, as the name suggests, close to Southport, which is one of the country’s most-loved seaside towns. The beach itself stretches out for 22 miles, promising some amazing views and a chance to walk along a coastline that will present you with an incredible sunset if you’re there at the right time. Considered a gateway to the Ribble Estuary, it is where coast meets countryside and worth visiting just for that.
Lovely views of the northern lights over the house and at Southport beach tonight. Bonus points for spotting Blackpool.
— Dan Almond (@s17pur.bsky.social) 10 October 2024 at 23:19
If you attend Southport Beach at the right time of year then you might get to experience the Southport Air Show, whilst the length of it means that how much civilisation you’ll experience depends on where you position yourself. Obviously the closer to Southport you find yourself, the more likely it is that you’ll see other human beings as well as the sort of amenities that you could expect from such a location. The bad news is that Southport Beach is ‘dog free’ for parts of it. Between the Pier down towards Pleasureland, dogs are not welcome for some idiotic reason. The same is true at nearby Ainsdale Beach in parts.
Of course, the length of the beach means that are some areas that you can head to with your pooch without encountering some smug person telling you that dogs aren’t welcome. Some areas of the beach are more disabled-friendly than others. Again, the closer to Southport itself that you find yourself, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to enjoy good accessibility options.
The Wirral
As mentioned, the nearby Wirral Peninsula is somewhere that you can’t really avoid beaches, owing to the fact that it is almost entirely surrounded by water. It is definitely worth a visit from Liverpool if you want to take advantage of some of the best beaches in the country that not everyone knows about.
New Brighton Beach
If you want to spend some time on one of the best beaches that Merseyside has to offer then you’ll want to get yourself along to New Brighton. Firstly, if you head along it then you can get some genuinely spectacular views over the River Mersey to Liverpool, taking in the likes of the Liver Building, the Cunard Building and both Everton’s stadium and Anfield in the distance. In the summer, when the weather is good, you are likely to find yourself amongst thousands of others, with the atmosphere being relatively old-school in nature. That is probably thanks to the proximity of the fun fair nearby, as well as all of the fish and chip shops.
We love this! ❤️ 6 brand new beach wheelchairs are now available for people with mobility difficulties or physical disabilities to hire for free! 🦽 Available from Floral Pavilion, New Brighton and Wirral Water Sports Centre, West Kirby. 🏖️
More info 👇https://t.co/vg8wXJUFDk pic.twitter.com/C50hHOZ5WL
— Wirral Council (@WirralCouncil) August 8, 2022
Fort Perch Rock offers some quite fun bits, including an Escape Room, whilst the Lighthouse that is located nearby offers a dramatic backdrop for some photos. It is dog-friendly, though it’s obviously worth bearing in mind that taking your four-pawed friend there when it is heaving with people in the summer might not be the best idea. In the winter months, though, you can usually find yourself plenty of space to go for a walk and soak up those amazing views over to Liverpool. Head along at the right time and the sunsets can be genuinely breath-taking, so make sure that you’ve got your camera at the ready.
There is plenty on offer around New Brighton Beach, including a nearby bowling alley and cinema if it’s too hot or if the weather takes a turn for the worse. With a supermarket and a wealth of restaurants, you won’t be short of options when it comes to getting a drink or a bite to eat. The promenade is definitely disabled accessible, whilst the beach itself is also reasonably easy to get onto in a wheelchair. One of the only things that you’re likely to struggle with is finding somewhere to park, unless you’re there early enough.
Wallasey Beach
A little further along the shore away from Liverpool is Wallasey Beach. This is where you’ll want to head if you’re after somewhere a little bit quieter and is absolutely perfect for the dog walkers amongst you. There is some nice golden sand if you’ve got kids looking for something to play in, whilst the nearby Wirral Country Park offers somewhere more akin to a park than anything else. The two pretty much meld together, with dunes on offer to run up and down if the weather is on your side. The beach itself is dog-friendly, of course, but it is also popular with families looking for somewhere to have a lovely barbecue in the summer.
Last night on our local beach. Sometimes it’s like I live on holiday. #wallasey #wirral
— Emily Webber (@ewebber.bsky.social) 12 August 2024 at 12:42
It is a peaceful and lovely place to walk, although it would be untrue to say that it is all that disabled accessible. There are paths and a promenade in places, but the beach itself isn’t easy to get onto if you are a wheelchair user. Obviously the key thing to think about here is what the tide is up to, given the fact that there is basically zero beach on offer if you are then when the tide is high. When the tide is low, however, you will get a long stretch of gorgeous beach to stroll along, with Wales off in the distance to provide a lovely view. There is parking, but it can get crazy when the weather is nice and everyone flocks there.
It is also close to Wallasey Golf Course, which is the home of Stableford, and a stroll around will allow you to see some of the holes there. For golf lovers, it is an ideal place to head to at least dream of what it would be like to play there, given the fact that the exclusive nature of the course probably means that you’re unlikely to get the chance to actually play it yourself.
Hoylake & Meols Beach
It is perhaps mildly misleading to split the beaches up when it comes to the Wirral, given the fact that you can essentially walk all the way along the front if you’re there when the tide is out. Hoylake Beach is arguably the quietest of the three that are typically considered to be the ‘main ones’ on the Wirral, given the fact that both New Brighton and West Kirby are incredibly popular. That isn’t to say that it’s going to have any people on it if the weather is good in the summer, given people will turn up in their thousands desperately seeking a patch of sand to call their own and build some castles on.
Hoylake Beach and Meols Beach are right next to each and are, for all intents and purposes, the same beach. They are both reasonably disabled accessible, especially if your main hope is to just walk along the promenade and enjoy the views. There is a wealth of roadside parking all the way along, which is free, so you’re going to be extremely unlucky if you fail to find a space there. There is are toilets towards the eastern end of Meols Parade, whilst all of Hoylake, Manor Road and Meols will give you access down to the front and the beaches that you’ll find there. These beaches aren’t as filled with amenities as some of the others.
That being said, ice cream vans will turn up at pretty much any time of year, so you’ll be able to get a drink or something to eat from them, to say nothing of the pop-up cafes that tend to be on offer when you walk along. It is also worth bearing in mind that there are plenty of shops and restaurants in Hoylake itself, so you can always head for a walk up there if you need something. Finally, the two beaches are dog-friendly all year round, which is ideal for those of you with pooches that need to stretch their legs.
West Kirby Beach
Is West Kirby Beach the best in the Merseyside area? Definitely not, but it is good enough to mean that it becomes extremely popular if the weather is nice. It is also helped by the fact that there are plenty of places to get a bite to eat or a drink, not the least of which is the Morrison’s supermarket located close by. Walk along the front and you will find the Marine Lake, which you can walk around and watch the sailors and windsurfers taking advantage of what’s on offer. You can also use it as a jumping off point for a walk over to Hilbre Island if the weather is good and the tide’s on your side, which is a lovely place to go.
Lovely soft light and still waters leaving Hilbre Island and returning across the sands to West Kirby pic.twitter.com/sZGj3vU0nu
— Paul Dobraszczyk (@dobraszczyk) November 7, 2024
If you want to try to find somewhere a little more secluded then you can head off towards Hoylake Beach, taking up some space between the two areas. Technically, West Kirby Beach is just 300 metres long, but with space to the left and to the right, it isn’t outrageous to suggest that it is a bit longer than that. It is a dog-friendly beach, with the only exception being that you will need to put your pooch on a lead if you take them over to Hilbre with you. In terms of disabled access, the promenade is great and the Marine Lake path is also accessible to wheelchair users. The beach is tricker, whilst Hilbre Island is pretty much a no-go.
One of the problems that you might find is when it comes to parking. There are plenty of spaces along the front that are free to park in, but obviously how easy it is to get a space will depend on how busy it is. Get there early enough and you’ll be grand, but turn up later in the morning or into the afternoon and you might be driving around the one-way system looking for a spec. West Kirby itself is well with a visit for the shops and restaurants, though.
Thurstaston Beach
The last beach worth mentioning in the Liverpool area is Thurstaston Beach. It could easily be called Heswall Beach, given its location, and is nowhere near as accessible as most of the other beaches on this list. That, of course, is part of its appeal. It is quiet and promises a peaceful place to head to for gorgeous views over to North Wales. The quiet aspect of it is what makes it an ideal spot to head to if you’d like to take the dog for a walk or you don’t have kids and you just want to get some fresh air. There are long stretches of sand that you can wander along, soaking up the sun in the summer or admiring the views in the winter.
Went for a walk past my dream home today. Love this place.
Artist’s Cottage
Thurstaston Beach
Wirral, UK— Dan Howarth (@danhowarth20.bsky.social) 24 September 2023 at 20:46
It is nestled within clay cliffs, which makes it an ideal place to head to to enjoy some bird-watching if that’s the kind of thing that you’re in to. There are a few cafes on offer nearby, so you can pick up a drink or a bite to eat if you’ve forgotten to get yourself one before you head along there. This is far from the most popular place, but that doesn’t mean that it is empty all-year round. Get along to enjoy it when the weather is slightly dreary and you’re much more likely to have it all to yourself.
