The best beaches near Liverpool

Formby Beach is a National Trust nature reserve and definitely one of the best beaches near Liverpool.

It has golden sand, dunes, a shallow shoreline and water that isn’t too cold on summer days. It’s also miles long, so no matter how many people want to visit, there will always be space for more.

Formby Beach is north of the city and served by Formby railway station so is relatively easy to get to.

Crosby Beach is closer to the city than Formby so is more accessible. Get there via Waterloo or Blundellsands and Crosby train station and walk a few minutes to the beach.

It’s where you’ll see the ‘Another Place’ sculptures by Antony Gormley as well as wind turbines. It’s an interesting as well as relaxing beach to try.

There’s a long coastal path, a cycle patch and a wide golden beach. With views out over the Atlantic and to Wales on a good day, it’s a very cool beach to visit.

New Brighton Beach is across the Mersey from the city centre and is home to the Perch Rock lighthouse and a lovely stretch of golden sand.  It’s also home to New Brighton train station, which makes it quite convenient.

New Brighton Beach isn’t a sunbather’s haven like the other beaches in Liverpool but is a great place to take photographs, walk, explore and generally wander around.

Make sure you check out Perch Rock Fort and the handmade boat that looks like a pirate ship if you go there!

Ainsdale Beach is in Southport, north of Liverpool and Formby. It’s a tourist area with a Pontins, golf club and Ainsdale train station so there’s plenty going on.

It’s a short journey from the city centre, making this one of the most convenient beaches in Liverpool.

You’ll often see lots of kites here as well as sunbathers. It’s very similar to Formby, with lots of sand, dunes and shallow seats but also has an old pier and Natural England Nature Reserve.

Blackpool Beach is a rail journey north of Liverpool but is well worth the trip. Blackpool is a great day out, whether you want to relax on the beach or enjoy life as a holidaymaker for a day.

There’s plenty to see and do but gets exceptionally busy in tourist season. It’s also louder, more raucous and will have lots more going on.

If you’re looking to chill, Blackpool Beach probably isn’t for you. If you want to have a great day out, it probably is.

West Kirby Beach is southwest of the city centre access from West Kirby train station and is one of the best beaches near Liverpool for the more adventurous.

It’s more rocky than sandy but does have nice stretches of sand.  Some areas of the beach get cut off by the tide so careful timing is essential to avoid having to clamber to get home!

Otherwise, West Kirby Beach is a great place to visit with great views of the city on one side and north Wales on the other.

Southport is between Liverpool and Blackpool and is a popular tourist destination. The beaches are huge and sandy, the seas are shallow and there’s always something going on.

There’s the pier, tram, shops and all the usual trappings of a seaside town, plus Southport train station, Princes Park and lots of other things to see and do.

If you’re bored of Formby and Ainsdale, Southport is two train stops along so it’s a great place to try.

Meols Beach is between New Brighton Beach and West Kirby and is another great beach near Liverpool.

Meols Beach is popular for horse riding and sand buggies, so is the place to go if you fancy either of those. It gets busy but there’s plenty of space for everyone and Meols train station is 10 minutes’ walk from the beach.

There isn’t quite as much sand here like some of these other beaches, but at low tide, there’s plenty of space and some of the best sunsets in the area!

Just because Liverpool is a working city, doesn’t mean people don’t like to relax by the seaside when weather allows.

If your staying at one of our two student properties in Liverpool, you’ll have easy access to all the beaches in the list, you can get a train, bus or drive to these beaches. That makes them easy for students to get to and cheap too, which is another great reason to try them.

It’s one of those aspects that people rarely consider when looking at studying in the city. Which is great news for us as we get to use the beaches as much as we like without the hordes of tourists!

Which of these is the best beach near Liverpool? We have our favourites, what about you?