Why You Need to Visit these Beautiful Wearside Beaches

August 2023

Reading time 3 Minutes

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Quickly becoming the go-to stretch of the coast for foodies, families always enjoy a day out at these Wearside beaches

Whitburn is known for its dramatic cliff-top views, surrounding greenery and rare limestone rock formations, as well as its iconic windmill. Birdwatchers will want to stop by Whitburn Point Nature Reserve with their binoculars. A little further south, in Seaburn, families can have hours of fun in Seldons Leisureworld, with its 2p machines and children's rides, then take a stroll to Roker for an iconic pier and lighthouse tour.

Let your children burn off some steam in Roker Park, home to its own miniature steam train, or head to Adventure Sunderland where you can try something new or hone your watersport skills. The pier jump will build your confidence in the water and raft building will test your teamwork. Let the kids loose in Marine Walk play area, stroll around Sunderland Marina and take a peek in the RNLI shop. Plus, the National Glass Centre is only a stone’s throw away, offering culture vultures plenty of creative activities to try.

Roker

Base Camp

Right on the seafront, The Seaburn Inn is a pub with rooms, an outdoor terrace and great views of the North Sea. Or why not try The Roker Hotel (one of longest standing and most loved hotels in Sunderland)? Choose from one of their 43 ensuite rooms, all with their own unique character, and refuel in the hotel’s Let There Be Crumbs tearoom, Poetic License bar and Antico restaurant.

Perfect Weekend

A visit to the coast isn’t complete without fresh seafood – and you can get the best of the catch at Latimers Seafood in Whitburn. If you’re a fan of craft ales, Whitburn is also home to the small and popular Blue’s Micro Pub. Sunderland’s new seafood restaurant North promises small plates but big flavours. Ice cream is a must too, and Toney Minchella is the place to be for the best scoops. Seaburn is home to STACK which means there’s plenty of street food to cater for all tastes, from mac and cheese and loaded fries to baos and gyozas. Prego serves up Italian-inspired food with a modern twist, House of Zen is your go-to for authentic Asian food and The Salt House Kitchen is a popular choice for brunch. Take a stroll along to Roker and take a caffeine pit stop at Emmys Coffee Pod, your four-legged friends are welcome at Grannie Annie’s (we love the cocktails here), or stop by Cole Kitchen for a hearty sandwich. If you fancy a decadent sweet treat, Love Lily is the place to be – but beware the portions are hefty! Whether you pop in for a coffee and a bagel at lunch or fancy a pizza and a pint, Fausto Coffee has it all. They have plenty of sweet treats too, which always prove popular. If you’re looking for fine-dining, try Six, a charcuterie-style restaurant and wine bar. Last but not least, and new to Sunderland’s seafront, Tin of Sardines (which made headlines when it opened the world’s smallest gin bar in Durham) now has an outpost on the coast.