travel
Boat trips, swimming and seafood: 10 of the UK’s best harbour towns and villages
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TL;DR
- Pittenweem, Fife: A working fishing port with a Victorian swimming pool, arts festival, and a coastal path linking to nearby villages.
- Carnlough, County Antrim: Features a historic harbour, a footpath with panoramic views to Cranny Falls, and boat trips.
- Solva, Pembrokeshire: A harbor at the bottom of a valley, popular for paddleboarding at high tide and rock pooling at low tide.
- Craster, Northumberland: Known for its kippers produced at a smokehouse overlooking the harbour, with ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle nearby.
- Clovelly, Devon: A privately owned village with a tiny harbour at the foot of a cliff, accessible via a steep cobbled street.
- Staithes, North Yorkshire: A historic fishing port offering wildlife-watching trips with potential to see minke whales.
- Porthleven, Cornwall: A picturesque village with a double harbour lined with pubs, restaurants, and galleries, hosting a food festival.
- Lyme Regis, Dorset: Features the Cobb breakwater, opportunities for dolphin spotting, and is a prime location for fossil hunting.
- Lymington, Hampshire: A market town and yachting hub with two marinas and an old town quay, offering seawater baths and a lively market.
- Plockton, the Highlands: A planned harbour village known for its palm trees, offering fresh fish, sea-kayak tours, and seal-watching trips.