A short visitor's guide to Hunstanton, Norfolk: things to do, places to eat and drink, and what's on through the year.
Hunstanton is a seaside town on the north-west Norfolk coast, facing west across The Wash with a population of around 4,370. It is the only east-coast resort in England that faces west, giving it famously good sunsets and a light that draws visitors as much as the beach itself. The town lies about forty miles north-west of Norwich and about fifteen miles north of King's Lynn.
Most visitors come for the beach, the colourful striped chalk cliffs, and the traditional seaside attractions. The town has a compact centre with a good range of fish and chips shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants, a small theatre (the Princess Theatre), and a golf club that ranks among the top championship links courses in England.
Hunstanton's most distinctive historical landmark is visible from the clifftop: The Wreck of the Steam Trawler Sheraton, a 1907 fishing vessel that served in both World Wars and now lies stranded on the cliffs of the B1161 above the beach at Old Hunstanton. With 367 reviews it draws significant visitor interest year-round, with rock pools below the wreck accessible at low tide. For local context, the Heritage Centre in the town covers the area's history and is a well-rated compact museum. The Coastguard Lookout on Lighthouse Close offers a viewpoint over the coastal scenery.
Boston Square Sensory Park at Boston Square is a pleasant green space in the heart of town with over 180 visitor reviews. For golf, Hunstanton Golf Club on Golf Course Road is one of the top-100 championship links courses in the country, with over a century of tournament history. For something more casual, Pitch and Putt near the seafront is the easy option for a family afternoon.
Hunstanton Library on Valentine Road is a well-regarded branch of the Norfolk Library Service with over eighteen reviews averaging 4.8 stars. For browsing local art and crafts, The Country Cabin gallery on Cromer Road is a small independent showing local work.
Hunstanton has a good range of pubs and bars spread around the town centre and waterfront. The busiest is the Waterside Bar on Beach Terrace Road, a vintage-building pub right on the waterfront with outdoor seating and food served all day. The Mariner Inn on Golf Course Road is a large pub with a dining room, spacious terrace and views over the surrounding countryside. Marine Bar on St Edmund's Terrace is the most highly rated of the three with over nine hundred reviews. The Sunset Wine Bar inside the Princess Theatre on The Green is a refurbished sea-view wine bar, good before or after a show.
The fish and chips are the headline: Henry's of Hunstanton on The Green and Fishers of Hunstanton on Greevegate between them have nearly five thousand reviews and are the two names visitors consistently mention first. Supafry Fish & Chips on Greevegate is the third strong chippy option. For something more substantial, Chives Wine Bar & Brasserie on the High Street offers Mediterranean-styled dining with pizza, pasta and classic British dishes. The Neptune on Old Hunstanton Road is the town's fine dining option: an ivy-clad 18th-century coaching inn with creative British cooking and well-reviewed guestrooms. Northgate Indian Restaurant covers curry on Northgate, while Fossil House at Le Strange Terrace is a well-loved family-run restaurant and cafe.
Hunstanton has a strong cafe scene spread along the clifftop, seafront and High Street. Old Town Beach Cafe at 50 Sea Lane in Old Hunstanton is one of the most popular, opposite the RNLI with dog-friendly seating inside and out. The Copper Kettle on the High Street is a long-established breakfast and lunch spot open from 8am and known for award-winning gluten-free cakes. Salad Bowl Cafe on Cliff Parade has sea views over the famous striped cliffs and serves breakfasts, hot meals and ice cream. The Coffee Pot at Le Strange Terrace and Berni Beans at the bottom of the High Street are the independent coffee specialists. The seafront Cliff Top Cafe & Beach Shop on Lighthouse Close rounds out the clifftop options.
Hunstanton is the easiest of the north-west Norfolk coastal towns to reach by public transport. By bus, Lynx operates a frequent service linking Hunstanton to King's Lynn; other Lynx routes run to Sandringham, Wells-next-the-Sea, Sheringham and Cromer, making it a viable hub without a car. King's Lynn is well connected by rail to Cambridge and London King's Cross.
By train, the nearest station is King's Lynn (Greater Anglia services from Cambridge and London). Hunstanton had its own railway station until 1969, when the line to King's Lynn was closed as uneconomic.
By car, the A149 runs along the coast and the A148 connects inland towards King's Lynn. The town centre has pay-and-display parking close to the seafront.