Blackpool Beach

Blackpool Beach is the archetypal British seaside day out, running along the Promenade of Blackpool in Lancashire, on the Fylde coast of north-west England. The sand is wide, flat and golden-brown, and at low tide it opens into a huge expanse, while at high tide the water laps close to the sea wall. The Irish Sea here is murky grey-green and cold even in July and August, and strong rip currents and fast tides mean swimming is advised only between the red and yellow lifeguard flags. The beach is long and entirely open, backed by the sea defences, with no sheltered coves, and onshore winds can be brisk. The character is loud, busy and unmistakably family and group oriented: the shoreline sits beneath Blackpool Tower and alongside three piers, the Pleasure Beach amusement park, arcades, fish-and-chip shops and donkey rides in summer. In the evenings and during the autumn Illuminations season the front is lively and crowded, with stag and hen groups adding to the party atmosphere in the town centre. Amenities are plentiful. Toilets are spaced along the Promenade, lifeguards patrol in season, and cafes, kiosks and restaurants are never far away. The historic Blackpool tramway runs the length of the front, which makes it easy to move between the North, Central and South piers without walking. Getting there from Greater Manchester is simple: Northern trains run from Manchester Victoria to Blackpool North in roughly an hour and a half, and the town centre and Tower are a short walk from the station. Drivers can use the M55, though car parks near the Tower and Promenade fill quickly on bank holidays and sunny weekends, and traffic builds up in the afternoon. Walkers can follow the promenade north towards Cleveleys or south towards the Pleasure Beach and South Shore. Visitors looking for a quieter stretch usually head away from the Tower area, while those wanting entertainment stay in the central section between the piers.