With many miles of sandy coastline near Liverpool, you don’t have to go far to find beautiful beaches. Sweeping sand dunes at Formby Beach which you would typically find abroad in places like Fuerteventura will take your breath away. In fact, Formby is one of several examples of the UK beaches that can compete with those abroad.
The Sefton Coast sand dune system is the biggest in England. Many visitors come all year round to admire this long and wide beach. It is lovely location for enjoying a stroll by the sea, climbing sand dunes or swimming in a beautiful scenery.
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How to get to Formby Beach?
🚆 BY TRAIN
You can get to Formby from Liverpool Central train station in just 30 minutes. Then, it is 1,5 miles walk to the beach which should not take more than another half an hour. You can also take a 15 minutes train ride from Southport to Formby Beach. If you are travelling from Manchester, you will need to change a train in Liverpool to get to Formby Beach.
🚗💨 BY CAR
There are two car parks close to the beach. However, most of the visitors park on the nearby roads to avoid paying a fee for the car park. Also, parking spaces are limited, so make sure to arrive early to find the best spot.
📍 National Trust Formby: Lifeboat Road Car: Formby, Liverpool L37 2EB
If you are planning to go just to the beach, choose National Trust Formby: Lifeboat Road Car Park. It is close to Dunes viewing point, lifeguard station and historic landmarks such as Formby tide pole and Formby footprints. The erosion of the coast caused that ancient traces along the shoreline of the Formby beach are visible now.
📍 National Trust Car Park, Victoria Road: Formby, Liverpool L37 1YD
If you want to explore Red squirrel reserve, choose National Trust Car Park, Victoria Road. It is great area for a walk and talk, because a few times a week you can walk with others to learn more about winter woodland conservation. You will find more information on one of the noticeboards at Formby.
Near the car park there are also Formby Beach Toilets. Other facilities include Mr Whippy Ice cream van and short walk from National Trust Car Park, Victoria Road to the beach.
🚗💨 Rent a car at Manchester Airport or Liverpool Airport and head to Formby Beach.
Is Formby a good beach?
It is a great beach for families with many paths for those who also love woodland walks. For instance, kids can find single rope swing or climb tall sand dunes. Kite-flying, playing with dogs at the beach or building sand castles are just a few ideas for spending day at Formby.
On a clear day, Formby Beach provide excellent views and you can see Snowdonia National Park, Isle of
🐶 Read My Guide to Pet Friendly Holiday in the UK.
Swimming at Formby Beach
The quality of bathing water can be impacted by Phytoplankton. It is an algae that blooms between March – May and August – October. Phytoplankton is not harmful, but you might spot a sea foam which is a mix of organic materials.
Additionally, the River Alt may have an impact on water quality after a rainfall. However, during our visit in April the water was crystal clear with no sea foam or discolours.
Sand Dunes at Formby Beach
The area by Formby Beach is the Site of Special Scientific Interest. Sand lizards or Natterjack Toads are some of the UK rarest species that love sand dunes at Formby. However, this beautiful shoreline can be destroyed at any time due to harsh weather. In the past, coast was washed away by storm in just one night. The beauty of sand dunes is that they will never look the same so coming back to Formby will always give you different travel experience.
The frequent occurrence of powerful westerly winds is one of the factors of sand dunes creation at Formby Beach. In fact, hills of sands encourage kids to climb and provide excellent photography opportunities. Curved sandy forms are some of the most beautiful natural landmarks in the UK.
What is not allowed at Formby Beach?
Windsurfing, kite surfing, sand yachting and using personal watercraft is not allowed at Formby Beach. Everyone coming to the beach should be also aware of fast incoming tides and tidal cut off. There can be strong currents, but also shallow water, so please do not try to jump to the sea.
Also make sure, to always swim in the lifeguard zone. Inflatables are bad for the environment so don’t bring them to Formby Beach. Keep an eye out for gullies and mud, and dial 999 in an emergency only.
Moreover, you can’t use barbecue at Formby Beach to protect local wildlife. The Sefton Coast is the habitat of rare plants, birds, insects or reptiles and amphibians. In the past there were also rabbit farms on the Formby coast and you can still see these animals behind the fences.
Rabbits can cause lot of damage to asparagus which was always growing wild by the Formby Beach. According to the local legend, people should stop cutting asparagus by the middle of summer, otherwise you won’t have any next year. Sandy soil and easy access to the water, makes that Formby asparagus is very sweet. Some believe that it has the best flavour in the whole country.
Red Squirrel Reserve by Formby Beach
The red squirrels in the UK are being pushed out of their natural habitat by grey squirrels. Red Squirrel Reserve at Formby is one of the places in the country where you can still spot them. However, it is becoming increasingly rare and we did not see any of them during our visit at Red Squirrel Reserve. For the best chance, visit Formby during winter or explore Anglesey Island where you can observe red squirrels all year round at Newborough Forest.
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