Beaches in Southend On Sea, Essex

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Located on the Essex coast, on the northern side of the Thames Estuary, is Southend-on-Sea, a popular and traditional seaside resort. As with many seaside towns, Southend-on-Sea became popular during the Victorian era and despite the decline of British seaside holidays in recent years, it still attracts over six million tourists every year. read more...

The beach guide has 4 beaches listed in and around the town of Southend On Sea. We have arranged these beaches in order of closest to the town first (distance in brackets).

  • Three Shells (Southend) Beach (0.9 miles)

    Three Shells (Southend) © Edward Clack | BY-SA

    The Blue Flag award-winning Three Shells beach is a family favourite in Southend. The "Lagoon" means it's possible to swim even if the tide is out and the beach is sandy. It's just a couple of hundred metres away from Southend-on-Sea's Adventure Island, which is the location for most of the town's theme park rides. 

    There's…

  • Southend - Westcliff Bay (1 miles)

    Southend - Westcliff Bay © Edward Clack | BY-SA

    Southend's Westcliff Beach is a mix of sand and shingle, interspersed with groynes.  At high tide the beach can be entirely submerged, whereas at low tide a large expanse of wet sand and mud is exposed.  The family-friendly beach is used for bathing, kayaking, paddle boarding and walking. 

    Between this beach and Chalkwell Beach a…

  • Southend - Jubilee Beach (1.4 miles)

    Southend - Jubilee Beach © Phillip Perry | BY-SA

    Southend-on-Sea is an established seaside resort on the north side of the Thames estuary. It offers a wide variety of entertainments and amusements, including a Sealife Centre, The Kursaal Theme Park, Adventure Island, and much more. Southend's 19th century pier is also the longest pleasure pier in the world. The town offers a choice of…

  • Southend - Chalkwell Beach (1.3 miles)

    Southend - Chalkwell Beach © Edward Clack | BY-SA

    Southend is a resort town at the mouth of the River Thames. It is home to the world's longest pleasure pier, a Sealife Centre, an amusement park, a theme park, and all the facilities and entertainments that one would expect of an established seaside resort. Chalkwell Beach is backed by a promenade and there is…

Southend On Sea beaches map

Map featuring Southend On Sea beaches. Click on pins to view beach details

About Southend On Sea

Located on the Essex coast, on the northern side of the Thames Estuary, is Southend-on-Sea, a popular and traditional seaside resort. As with many seaside towns, Southend-on-Sea became popular during the Victorian era and despite the decline of British seaside holidays in recent years, it still attracts over six million tourists every year.

Southend-on-Sea

Boasting seven miles of sandy beaches including three blue flag beaches and seven quality coast awards, much of Southend-on-Sea is centred on the sands and seafront. There is a modern lift that links the main street in the town with the seafront and new pier, along with the older Southend Cliff Railway further down the promenade.

Southend Pier is the longest leisure pier in the world, stretching out 1.33 miles (2km) from the shore. It was built in 1830 during the Victorian heyday of the town. There has been a railway running the length of the pier since 1890, originally an electric service, but was replaced with a modern version in 1986. At the entrance to the pier is an amusement park called Adventure Island with over 50 rides, as well as the Sea Life Adventure aquarium. The pier is also home to the Royal Pavilion which regularly hosts various events and exhibitions.

Southend-on-Sea pier

Numerous events take place in Southend-on-Sea throughout the year, with one of the most popular being the airshow which happens in May every year. It is one of Europe's largest free airshows showcasing military jets and aerobatic displays over the seafront. The Southend Carnival is another popular event, taking place in August every year along the Golden Mile promenade it starts with the lighting of the illuminations.