The Pier Hotel is central, just five minutes from the Pier, beach and the town centre!
Even out of season Clacton-On-Sea has plenty of entertainment and places to visit.
There’s a fantastic seafront walk that runs from the Southern end of Clacton’s promenade to Walton -on-the Naze. The walk is good for buggies and wheelchairs and there are cafés and toilet facilities along the seafront, although some facilities are seasonal.
Clacton Pier is an obvious start, with rides, amusements, bowling, bars and more. The rides are seasonal and weather dependent but just about everything else is year-round.
Clacton beach is known for the soft sand. It is supported by Beach Patrol personnel during the summery months.
In Clacton itself there are two theatres – The Princes Theatre in Station Road (within the Town Hall building) and the West Cliff Theatre on Tower Street, next to Clacton Hospital.
There are numerous restaurants, cafés and bistros covering just about every taste you could want
Clacton Golf Club has 18 holes.
Clacton is well connected on the A133, with direct trains to & from London and an excellent local bus service. Buses locally currently have a £3 top fare (Nov 2025)
But you can also use Clacton as a base whilst you explore North East Essex
Frinton & Walton-On-The-Naze
You can reach Frinton and Walton on foot (or wheels) along the seafront, or take the bus. There’s also an indirect rail route.
Frinton is known to have carefully manicured lawns and, for many years, no pubs! There is a Summer Theatre but despite the name has productions throughout the year.
Walton-on-the-Naze has a pleasure pier with 10 Pin Bowling but check website for opening hours!
The Naze itself is a chalk headland that is known for fossils. There is a tower here, once used by Marconi, and there’s a gallery & café (seasonal)
Colchester
Colchester can be reached by train or bus from Clacton.
Colchester was England’s first city, in fact the capital of England during the Roman occupancy from AD42 (before London took that title). It regained city status in 2022. Evidence of the Roman occupation is plentiful, both in plain sight or in the various museums … including Colchester Castle which dates from the 1100s and is built on a Roman temple.
There’s a lovely parkland behind the Castle (Upper Castle Park & Lower Castle Park). Lower Castle Park is also used for summer open air concerts and festivals.
There are three indoor theatre locations in the city centre:
The Mercury Theatre is close to the top of the High Street, look for the tall redbrick water tower! The Colchester Arts Centre is a base for multi-genre productions and handily located only 50m from the Mercury. Finally the Headgate Theatre is on Chapel Street North (behind Wetherspoons).
As befits a city, Colchester has plenty of shops, cafés, restaurants and award winning pubs. History is everywhere in Colchester, you can literally go back 2000 years!
Manningtree
Reachable by direct bus and indirect train (use Mistley Station) from Clacton
Manningtree was home to the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins. There’s a river walk, with Suffolk on the far bank. Manningtree is credited with being Britain’s smallest town.
Harwich
Reachable by direct bus and indirect train (use Harwich Town Station) from Clacton. Beware – Harwich International is a different location!
There is a tourist information centre on Ha’Penny Pier 5-10 minutes from Harwich Town Bus and Railway station.
Harwich has been a port since the thirteenth century and a ferry port since the 1800s. The Mayflower was built in Harwich and its master Christopher Jones lived there. His house is open to the public (check the site for opening times).
There are plenty of historic buildings (and a Sunken Fort) going back to the 1500s but opening times vary and are seasonal.
Harwich is the operational HQ of Trinity House, which helps protect shipping around UK waters. On the Quayside is retired lightvessel LV18 which is a floating museum and radio station
There’s plenty to see if history is of interest. The local cinema, Electric Palace, is one of the oldest purpose built cinemas in the UK and is also used as a venue for music and arts.
Plus award winning pubs & restaurants plus quirky cafés. Oh,and the river sunsets are just special!
