Where the road meets the sea

Britain’s Great Coastal & Atlantic Drives

A look at Britain’s most compelling coastal and Atlantic scenic drives

How different coastlines shape the rhythm, pace and character of a journey
From exposed Atlantic edges to softer eastern shores, what to expect when driving the coast

Scenic Coastal Routes, Atlantic Edges and the Roads that Follow the Line of the Sea

Britain’s best scenic coastal drives are shaped as much by the seas they face as by the land they pass through. Along the Atlantic and South-West coastal routes, roads feel exposed and restless, moulded by long weather systems, breaking surf and wide horizons. Around the Irish Sea, coastal road trips soften into estuaries and broad shorelines, where mountains sit back from the water and the landscape opens out. On the North Sea and along the Channel Coast and South-East coastal routes, the experience changes again — cliffs give way to long beaches, dunes and big skies, and the road often runs just inland, offering glimpses of the sea rather than constant contact.

What unites Britain’s coastal road trips is not drama alone, but rhythm. Coastal roads rarely take the direct line. They detour to cross rivers, rise over headlands, and bend inland before returning unexpectedly to the shoreline. Progress is slower than on inland routes, but that is part of their appeal. The best coastal road journeys are not about covering distance, but about staying close to the edge — watching how light, weather and landscape shift as the day unfolds.

From Atlantic-facing cliffs in the south-west to the wide, open shores of the North Sea, these scenic coastal routes shape how we experience Britain’s coastline. Travelled slowly, they turn driving into something closer to exploration, where the road becomes a way of reading the landscape rather than simply moving through it.

The Coastal Routes Covered

Atlantic & South-West Coastal Routes

Atlantic Highway — England’s Atlantic coastal road through North Cornwall and North Devon
Wales’ Coastal Way — Wales’ official coastal touring route from Cardigan Bay via Pembrokeshire to the south coast
Jurassic Coast — A World Heritage coastal route shaped by geology, cliffs and historic shoreline towns
English Riviera — A sheltered south-coast scenic drive around Torbay’s bays and headlands

Northern Coastal Routes: Irish Sea & North Sea

Cumbria Coastal Route — A quiet coastal road trip along the Irish Sea, with the Lake District rising inland
Northumberland Castles & Coast — One of England’s finest North Sea coastal drives, combining castles, wide beaches and big skies
North Yorkshire Coast — Clifftop roads, fishing towns and dramatic headlands along England’s north-east coast
Norfolk Coast — A North Sea coastal route of big skies, marshes, dunes and water-led landscapes

Channel Coast & South-East Coastal Routes

Kent Coastal Route — A layered south-east England coastal road trip shaped by crossings, estuaries and historic ports
Sussex Coastal Route — Chalk cliffs, open beaches and downland-to-sea driving

Atlantic Highway — England Facing the Ocean

The Atlantic Highway is one of England’s most distinctive coastal road trips, following the western edge of North Cornwall and North Devon along a coastline shaped by long Atlantic swells and fast-changing weather. This is a classic Atlantic coastal route, where the sea is rarely far away, even when the road pulls inland and part of the complete Cornwall road trip.

Rather than clinging to the shoreline, the route weaves in and out of the landscape, creating a constant sense of anticipation — the feeling that the coast is always just ahead. Allow three to five days to experience it properly. Distances are short, but progress is naturally slow, shaped by narrow roads, small settlements and frequent stopping points. Wind, light and sudden sea views remain ever-present companions.

What defines this scenic drive is contrast. One moment you are high above the ocean on exposed headlands, the next descending into sheltered harbours or crossing quiet estuaries that pull you briefly away from the coast. Walking becomes part of the journey here: clifftop paths, long beaches and short coastal loops naturally break up the drive. As well as following the main Atlantic coastal route, many travellers combine the Atlantic Highway with nearby loops that branch off into Cornwall’s far west and south. Routes such as the Penwith & Land’s End Loop and the Fal River, Truro & Bodmin Moor loop add depth and variety, pairing exposed Atlantic scenery with river landscapes, historic towns and open moorland.

Key features along the Atlantic Highway include:

Atlantic-battered cliffs and headlands
Traditional harbour towns and fishing villages
Long beaches shaped by surf and tide
Sudden inland detours and estuary crossings
A strong sense of exposure to weather and light

Coastal Way — Wales along the Shoreline

Image copyright: Visit Wales

The Coastal Way follows the long western and southern shoreline of Wales, linking bays, headlands and coastal communities in a route that feels organic rather than monumental. This is a coastal drive shaped by villages and everyday life as much as by scenery, with the road often sitting just inland from the sea.

Allow four to six days to travel at a comfortable pace. Distances are deceptive, and progress is slowed by winding roads, frequent detours and the temptation to stop. The character changes constantly: Cardigan Bay feels open and spacious, Pembrokeshire more rugged and broken, and the south coast softer again as estuaries widen and beaches lengthen.

This route doesn't reward those who rush to see sights; instead, it rewards those who allow the coastline slowly develop. At the end of lanes, harbours appear. Coastal pathways rise gradually above the water, while inland detours make the trip more interesting.

Some important things to see along the journey are:

Long views of the bay and open skies
Small towns with harbors right off the main road
Parts of the coast are rough, while others are more moderate
A lot of chances to walk and stop
A strong sense of going from one community to another

Jurassic Coast — Time Written into the Cliffs

The Jurassic Coast is one of Britain’s most recognisable coastal routes, but it feels very different from a single, linear drive. Instead, it unfolds as a sequence of headlands, bays and inland detours along the Dorset and East Devon coast, where geology shapes not just the scenery but the rhythm of travel itself.

Allow three to five days to experience it properly. Driving distances are short, but the landscape encourages frequent pauses — walks down to beaches, climbs onto clifftops, and inland loops that reveal just how folded and complex this coastline is. The road often pulls away from the sea, returning at intervals rather than running beside it continuously, which gives each reappearance of the coast added impact.

What defines the Jurassic Coast is depth rather than exposure. Cliffs rise in bands and layers, colours shift with the light, and the coastline tells its story gradually rather than all at once. There are towns and villages set back from the edge, which makes it feel like this is a coast that people look at and approach, not speed over.

Some important things to see on a drive along the Jurassic Coast are:
Geological layers have formed dramatic cliffs.
Bays and coves that are easy to get to on foot.
Detours inland that show how big the seashore is.
A deep awareness of timing and how things happen in nature.

English Riviera — A Sheltered Coast of Bays and Headlands

The English Riviera is located in a softer area of the south coast, where the sea feels more subdued and the scenery bends inward. This coastal route, which is centered on Torbay, connects a number of headlands, sheltered bays, and seaside towns, forming a coastal route in south Devon that feels very different from the exposed Atlantic coast directly to the north.

Give yourself two to three days, or more if you like to explore slowly. The road frequently rises above the sea to provide expansive views across the bay before dipping back down into town, making driving simple and short distances. With its wooded slopes, light on the water, and the sea's constant presence, this coast is more about atmosphere than it is about raw drama.

The enclosed atmosphere of the English Riviera is what sets it apart.The coastline has a sense of continuity and peace because it bends in on itself. Excursions that provide variation without interfering with the coast's flow are made easy by the inland hills and valleys.

Along the English Riviera, some of the most well-liked activities include:

Protected bays and curved shorelines
High vantage points throughout Torbay
Little coastal towns with a lot of character
Easy detours into inland woodlands
A calmer, more laid-back atmosphere by the sea

Cumbria Coastal Route — A Quieter Edge of the Sea

The Cumbria Coastal Route offers a very different kind of scenic coastal drive. Along this Irish Sea coastal route, wide skies, red sandstone cliffs and open estuaries define the shoreline, while the Lake District’s fells rise quietly inland. It is a coastal road trip defined less by spectacle than by space — expansive, calm and unhurried.

Most travellers allow three to four days, combining easy driving with coastal walks, historic towns and short inland detours. Roads are generally straightforward and rarely pressured, making this one of northern England’s most relaxed coastal routes. The relationship between land and sea is subtle here: the coast feels lived-in rather than extreme, shaped by industry, railways and long promenades rather than sheer cliffs.

The balance of this route is what makes it distinctive. The sea is always there, but the mountains are never far away. Inland detours show Roman history and upland scenery, but the shore itself has lengthy, open views and varying light instead of continual drama.

Some of the best things to see along the Cumbria Coastal Route are:

Coastal walkways and cliffs made of red sandstone
Historic harbor villages and boardwalks along the beach
Estuaries that are wide and open into the Irish Sea
Faraway views of the fells in the Lake District
Simple changes from the shore to the country

Northumberland Castles & Coast — Big Skies, Long Beaches and a Quiet Frontier

The Northumberland coast is one of Britain's most quietly powerful coastal roads. It runs along the North Sea and is known for its wide open spaces, bright light, and almost constant sense of serenity. There are long miles of open shoreline, large beaches, and low dunes. Castles that seem to come out of nowhere stand strong and worn against the sea and sky. This coast feels wide open, even in the middle of summer.

Give yourself three to five days to really see it. The distances you have to drive aren't too long, but the fun is in stopping often: taking short hikes to headlands, going off the road to visit harbour settlements, and spending time watching light flow across sand, water, and stone. Most of the time, the coastal road is just inland, so you can see the sea every now and then instead of all the time. This makes you want to travel slowly.

What makes Northumberland so special is how history and the landscape are connected. The castles here aren't just landmarks; they're part of the shore, marking estuaries, headlands, and natural crossing spots. Ancient roads and borderlands make the trip more interesting on the inside. St. Cuthbert's Way walkers follow a line that runs parallel to this terrain. Longer drives, on the other hand, sometimes combine the coast with highland vistas as part of the larger Northumberland 250.

These layers come together to provide a coastal road journey that feels big, old, and quietly interesting. It's like a frontier coast where the road slowly shows its personality instead of all at once.

Some of the most important things to see along the trip are:

Open North Sea shoreline with castles along it
Beaches that are wide and typically not crowded, with dunes behind them
Crossings of tidal rivers and estuaries
Coastal settlements having a lot of maritime character
A sense of scale and space rare on England’s coastline

North Yorkshire Coast — Clifftops, Moors and the Edge of the North Sea

The North Yorkshire Coast combines two powerful landscapes into a single journey: high cliffs above the North Sea and the open moorland that rises immediately inland. This is a coastal route where the road often runs along the edge of the land itself, with sudden drops to the sea on one side and wide, empty uplands on the other.

Allow three to four days to experience the coast without rushing.The distances between stops aren't too far, but the terrain makes people want to stop often—walking along cliffs, visiting harbor towns in steep valleys, and taking excursions across the North York Moors that provide scale and contrast. The road doesn't often follow the shoreline closely; instead, it goes up high to give you a sense of how big and far away the sea is.

What sets this route apart is its sense of exposure. The coast feels high, open and weather-shaped, with long views and a strong feeling of being at the edge. Inland, the moors reinforce that impression, creating a journey that balances coast and upland rather than focusing on one alone.

Key characteristics of the North Yorkshire coast include:

High clifftop driving above the North Sea
Compact harbour towns set into steep valleys
Strong connections between coast and moorland
A feeling of exposure and northern scale
Clear contrasts between land, sea and sky

Norfolk Coast — Big Skies and Low Horizons

The Norfolk coast feels entirely different from Britain’s Atlantic and Channel edges. Here, the land lies low, the horizons stretch wide, and the sea is often felt more as a presence than a spectacle. Roads skim the edge of marshes, creeks and dunes, creating a scenic coastal route defined by light, weather and space rather than cliffs or drama.

This coastal road trip loosely mirrors some of Norfolk’s best-known long-distance trails. Sections run parallel to the Norfolk Coast Path, while inland detours echo the quieter rhythms of the Weavers’ Way, Wherryman’s Way and the Bure Valley Path — routes more commonly experienced on foot or by boat. Driving here offers a different perspective on those same landscapes, allowing you to move easily between coast, broads and riverside towns.

Allow three to four days to appreciate the rhythm of this coast. Driving is easy and unhurried, with long, open stretches broken by small villages, bridges and water crossings. The appeal is subtle but deeply atmospheric, especially as light and weather shift across the marshes and tidal flats.

This is a coast where road and water are inseparable. Rivers, broads and tidal channels shape the journey as much as the sea itself, and inland detours often feel just as important as time spent by the shore.

Key characteristics of the Norfolk coast include:

Expansive skies and open coastal plains
Marshland roads and tidal landscapes
Quiet seaside villages and long, pale beaches
Strong links between coast, broads and inland waterways
A calm, horizontal sense of scale unique to East Anglia

Kent Coastal Route — Cliffs, Crossings and Layered Shores

The Kent Coastal Route is one of Britain’s most compact yet varied coastal road trips. Along this south-east edge of England, the road stitches together chalk cliffs, tidal estuaries, working ports and seaside towns in quick succession, creating a journey that feels dense with history and movement rather than distance.

Allow three to four days to explore it comfortably. Driving times are short, but progress is slowed by the sheer number of places worth stopping. The coastline constantly shifts character: the high white cliffs around Dover give way to wide shingle beaches and Viking-era bays along the Thanet coast, before flattening into marshland and creeks on the north Kent shore.

What makes the Kent coast distinctive is its long role as a place of arrival and departure. This is a shoreline shaped by Roman ports, medieval Cinque Ports, cross-Channel trade and centuries of defence. Much of the route follows what can loosely be described as the Historic Kent Coast, where castles, harbours and old towns form a continuous narrative rather than isolated sights.

Different sections of the Kent Coastal Route reveal different moods. In the east, routes around Viking Bay, Botany Bay and the Thanet cliffs feel open and sea-led, with long views and exposed chalk headlands. Further south and west, detours inland connect Canterbury, Whitstable and the Oyster Coast, where estuaries and working waterfronts soften the landscape and pull the road away from the open sea.

Driving here often means skirting the edges of towns rather than passing through empty countryside, but the coastline itself is never far away. Views open unexpectedly, beaches appear at the end of lanes, and the sea remains a constant presence even when the road turns inland.

Key elements of the Kent coastal drive include:

Chalk cliffs and elevated coastal viewpoints
Historic harbour towns and Cinque Ports landscapes
Shingle beaches, tidal estuaries and creeks
Strong contrasts between east Kent and the north coast
A layered sense of maritime and defensive history

Sussex Coast & South Downs — Chalk Downs and Open Horizons

The Sussex Coast & South Downs offers a very different coastal road trip from its neighbour to the east. Where Kent feels compact and layered, Sussex opens out. The road here moves between high chalk cliffs, rolling downland and long, open beaches, creating a journey defined by contrast, flow and breathing space rather than density.

Allow three to five days to enjoy the full character of this coastal route. Driving distances remain manageable, but the landscape encourages longer pauses — walks along clifftops, time spent on wide beaches, and inland detours into the South Downs. Much of the drive loosely follows what is often described as the Seven Sisters to West Wittering stretch of coast, where the road sits just above the sea, offering wide, uninterrupted views rather than constant proximity.

One of Sussex’s defining features is how closely coast and countryside are linked. Chalk cliffs rise directly into open downland, and it’s easy to move from shoreline to rolling hills within minutes. Historic layers add further depth. In the east, routes through 1066 Country and the Seven Sisters connect dramatic coastline with battlefields and historic towns. Further west, the landscape softens as the road draws closer to West Wittering, Arundel and the South Downs, where estuaries, river valleys and parkland shape a gentler coastal rhythm.

Unlike more rugged Atlantic routes, Sussex feels open rather than extreme. Beaches are broad, headlands rounded, and light plays a major role in shaping the experience. Even at popular points, space and visibility give the journey a calm, expansive feel.

Highlights along the Sussex coast typically include:

Chalk cliffs and expansive coastal viewpoints
Long beaches backed by open downland
Seamless transitions between coast and South Downs
Strong historic links through 1066 Country
Easy connections between coastal and inland driving

Following the Line of the Coast

What these coastal routes share is not a single style of scenery, but a way of travelling. Whether along Atlantic headlands, the softer edges of the Irish Sea, or the open shores of the North Sea and Channel Coast, each journey follows the natural logic of the land and water rather than the shortest line between places.

Seen this way, Britain’s coastal road trips become more than collections of viewpoints. They are working landscapes — shaped by trade, defence, fishing and movement — where roads developed in response to tides, cliffs, estuaries and crossings. Drive them slowly and patterns begin to emerge: how chalk gives way to shingle, how estuaries pull routes inland, how weather and light change the character of the same stretch of road from one hour to the next.

Once you start recognising these scenic coastal routes for what they are, the coastline feels less fragmented and more connected. The Atlantic, Irish Sea, North Sea and Channel are not separate experiences, but parts of a wider coastal network — one that rewards curiosity, patience and the willingness to follow the road wherever it bends.

That really depends on what kind of coast you’re drawn to. If you like big weather and long horizons, Atlantic-facing routes in the south-west feel raw and energising. For something quieter and more spacious, the Irish Sea coast offers long views, gentle driving and a surprising sense of calm. On the east and south-east coasts, chalk cliffs, wide beaches and open skies create journeys that feel lighter and more expansive. The best coastal routes aren’t just about scenery — they’re about how the road moves with the land, and how often it invites you to stop.
The Atlantic Highway is the name commonly used for the A39 coastal road through North Cornwall and North Devon. It forms the backbone of several Cornwall coastal road trips and connects exposed Atlantic headlands with harbour towns, beaches and inland estuaries.
Very much so — especially if you enjoy space and subtlety rather than spectacle. The Cumbria coast doesn’t shout for attention. Instead, it opens out slowly, with wide skies, long estuaries and an easy rhythm that makes you want to linger. The Lake District is always there in the background, close enough to shape the light and the mood without dominating the drive. It’s a route that rewards patience, where the pleasure comes from long views, quiet towns and the feeling of moving gently along the edge of the land.
The Kent Coastal Route and the Sussex Coast & South Downs are the two standout coastal road trips in South East England. Kent offers dense layers of history, ports and chalk cliffs, while Sussex feels more open, combining the Seven Sisters coastline with rolling downland and wide beaches.
Most UK coastal road trips work best over three to five days, depending on the region. Driving distances are often short, but progress is slower due to narrow roads, frequent viewpoints and the appeal of coastal walks and detours.
The Northumberland Castles & Coast stands out for its sense of space. Wide beaches, low dunes and big North Sea skies are combined with dramatic castles and historic routes, creating one of England’s most distinctive and uncrowded coastal drives.
The Norfolk coast is ideal for a scenic drive focused on light, water and open horizons. Roads often follow marshes, creeks and broads rather than cliffs, and loosely parallel famous walking routes such as the Norfolk Coast Path, Weavers’ Way and Wherryman’s Way.
Coastal routes almost demand it. Roads follow the shape of the shoreline rather than the quickest line between places, which naturally slows everything down. You stop more often — for a short walk, a beach, a harbour, a view you weren’t expecting. Days feel fuller, even though you travel fewer miles. If you enjoy journeys where driving, walking and simply sitting still all feel like part of the same experience, coastal routes are hard to beat.
Each sea gives its coastline a very different character. Atlantic roads tend to feel exposed and restless, shaped by weather that’s always on the move. Along the Irish Sea, the landscape softens — the coast opens into estuaries, and the driving feels calmer and more spacious. On the North Sea and Channel coasts, the land often lies lower, the skies feel bigger, and the road drifts just inland, revealing the sea in flashes rather than constantly. It’s the same island, but three very different moods.
Yes. Many coastal routes naturally pair with inland scenic drives, historic routes or upland landscapes. For example, Cornwall’s coastal roads link with moorland and river valleys, Northumberland’s coast connects with Roman and borderland routes, and Sussex’s coast flows directly into the South Downs.