Coastal Circular Walk: Cromer to Overstrand
One of our absolute favourite North Norfolk walks is the circular walk from Cromer to Overstrand.
It’s the kind of walk that seems to work in every season - crisp winter mornings wrapped in coats, blustery autumn beach adventures, or summer days with an ice cream in hand. Best of all, it’s a walk that genuinely works for all generations - from grandparents to the little ones - they all seem to love this one equally.
This circular walk takes you around 2.5 hours (depending on how many little ones you have with you) and is approximately 5.5 miles (8.5km) long. You can follow the full walking route on Komoot here.
Begin in the centre of Cromer and make your way down to the promenade. If the tide is right, head along the beach and begin walking east towards Overstrand. You’ll pass colourful beach huts, dramatic cliff edges and wide open sea views the entire way. Children usually love this section where there’s endless opportunities for stone skimming, beach exploring, collecting shells and spotting crabs in rock pools.
Once you reach Overstrand, walk up the ramp up from the beach to the cliff top where you’ll find your midway point to take a breather and grab a drink, ice cream or lunch at Cliff Top View Cafe.
Once refuelled, start your journey back to Cromer along the coastal cliff path, accessed through the main carpark, heading westwards. This walk gives you completely different views across the Norfolk coastline. The elevated path offers some of the best sea views in the area and is particularly beautiful as the light begins to soften later in the day.
The paths takes you along the edge of The Royal Cromer Golf Club, bringing you slightly inland to reach Cromer Lighthouse, leads you downhill towards Warren Wood and back down the ramp, past the play park and down into the town.
And of course, no walk is complete without stopping off at a good pub. And you’ll feel like you’ve earned it after this walk!
Back in Cromer town there are many wonderful restaurants - our favourites are listed in our free Family’s Guide To North Norfolk Guide below. One of our favourites is The Red Lion in Cromer, with sea views and a stunning menu for all ages, with fresh, locally sourced foods.
Once you’ve fully relaxed and refuelled you can make your way back to Coast House (or take a short drive back to Bacton) for a long soak in the hot tub or curl up on the sofa with a drink by the fire, or sit outside and share your highs of the day at the table.