Broads National Park

Great Yarmouth is uniquly located in the Broads National Park where the North Sea meets the Broads and where salt water eventually gives way to fresh. Travel inland from the port of Great Yarmouth and you will find mile after mile of slow winding rivers and unspoiled waterways. The rivers Yare, Bure and Waveney are just the start of the Broads National Park, a huge network of rivers, lakes and man-made waterways stretching for 125 miles over parts of Norfolk and into Suffolk.

Altogether there are 30 Broads, linked together by the rivers Bure, Thurne, Yare and Waveney  in Great Yarmouth with the exception of Fritton Decoy, Martham Broad and the Trinity Broads between Rollesby, Ormesby and Filby which are not fed by a river.

Fritton Decoy, Trinity Broads and the slower paced Thurne river at Martham are especially good for messing about on the river under your own steam, with options for rowing, canoeing, and stand up paddleboard hire, all great family fun activities and perfect for getting out on the water.

Plenty of visitors come to The Broads for sailing holidays every year, with the Yacht Station being a popular place to moor up and explore the town for a couple of days.

Day boat hire is really popular too if you're looking to spend a few hours or a day cruisng along the winding waterways with boats to hire at Martham, Burgh Castle and St Olaves locally. Alternatively, stress free tours are available, where you can sit back, relax and let someone else do the sailing.

The Broads are now the largest nationally protected wetland in the UK and are a haven for wildlife and birds with lots of opportunities  for fishing and bird-watching as well as walking, cycling and water sports. Rare insect species such as the Norfolk Hawker dragonfly thrive, while birds such as the Kingfisher and Greylag attract birdwatchers from far and wide.

The RSPB Reserve at Breydon Water is a great location for bird-watching, as is Martham Broad, run by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, but neither location is for the faint-hearted as both are accessable by foot only.

Many visitors spend a day or two exploring the Broads in the area and it's easy to see why. With activities for the energetic and for those just wanting to admire the view from a great riverside location. They're an easy to reach alternative to the beach in a stunning countryside setting, for the best of both worlds on holiday.