Old Hunstanton is just a couple of miles from Hunstanton proper and is a lovely little place, with charming beach huts tucked in the sandy dunes. It has an ‘old fashioned’ air to it, with many attractive cottages and an 18th century lighthouse which you can hire as a holiday home. There’s a very good golf club and the beach is popular with kite surfers who are amazing to watch as they can reach speeds of up to 20mph.
The Lodge Hotel is an attractive venue for all ages, is dog friendly, and does great pizza, while the equally dog friendly Old Town Beach Cafe is everything you’d hope for, with strong mugs of tea and large cakes.
The Neptune restaurant (and it has four rooms) is a real treat. It’s been run by Kevin and Jacki Mangeolles since 2007 and they've had a Michelin Star since 2009 - what an achievement! Expect locally landed lobster, fish, plus Norfolk pork and plenty of game. The village also has a couple of other hotels, plus a shop and an arts centre with a gallery.
Hunstanton, or Sunny Hunny as it's often called, is a family friendly resort with plenty of facilities for all ages. It’s famous for its red and white striped cliffs and the fact that the resort actually faces west, across The Wash, so you can enjoy stunning sunsets.
There are schools, supermarkets, doctor’s surgeries, plenty of cafes and amusement arcades and great fish and chips! The Norfolk Deli, run by Mark and Rosie Kacary for eight years, is a good hunting ground for local produce and they run a cafe, too.
Apart from the obvious delights of a lovely Prom, there’s a wide sandy beach, plenty of water sports and fairground rides. The Esplanade Gardens, dating back to Victorian times, are delightful and The Princess Theatre is a real asset, showing both live acts and films. Alive Oasis is a great sports centre, complete with a pool and flume, a wide selection of exercise classes and a well equipped gym. There’s also a prestigious annual tennis tournament in August, when the town really comes alive. Children enjoy The Sea Life Sanctuary which has a touch pool and underwater tunnel, and the town has an 18-hole adventure golf course, too.
Nearby Heacham became popular as a seaside resort with the Victorians due to the opening of the railway line between King’s Lynn and Hunstanton in the early 1860s. There’s a North and South beach, a junior school, three pubs, a butcher’s, bakery and a supermarket and a good football team!
It’s also home to Norfolk Lavender where you can visit 100 acres of lavender fields, a visitor centre, shop and cafe, while Heacham Manor Hotel, built in 1680, has an 18-hole golf course, spa and a AA rosette restaurant.
The 4000-acre Wild Ken Hill estate is between Heacham and Snettisham and could be familiar to you because of the Beeb’s SpringWatch series. It’s a fascinating place to explore and learn more about sustainable farming, regeneration and conservation.
Then it’s on to the RSPB reserve at Snettisham, with its lagoons and bird hides, and a quiet beach, with stones and sand on one side and heathland, marsh and wildlife on the other.
The village has good facilities including a school, surgery, vet and a smattering of shops, and Snettisham Park Farm is a working farm, popular with children who can get up close and personal with various animals, enjoy a deer safari or simply explore the 330 acres.
Snettisham is quite a foodie hub with the award winning Rose and Crown hotel, which has lovely gardens, and The Old Bank Bistro, another highly recommended family-run restaurant, and the new Old Store for brunch - and cheese platters with wine in the evenings!
Dersingham is the final stop before King’s Lynn and is another popular village with good facilities including a village hall, school, medical centre, vets, two pubs, garden centre, supermarket - and a very good butcher, EH Prior. It's only a couple of miles from the beach and also the nearest village to Sandringham, with its glorious woods, play area, cafe and the Queen’s private retreat which opens to the public at certain times of the year.