Southport
Southport is a seaside town on the Sefton coast in Merseyside, north of Liverpool. It was laid out as a resort, and it still feels planned: a wide shopping street, gardens, a lake, and a beach that is famous for how far the tide goes out. It is a calmer day than Blackpool, which is up the coast and much louder.
Lord Street is the town's set piece, a broad boulevard with arcades and gardens along the centre. It is where you walk if the beach is too windy. The seafront is a separate area, with King's Gardens, Marine Lake and the pier. The pier has spent long periods closed for structural repairs, so check whether it is open before you promise anyone a walk to the end.
What to spend the day on
Marine Lake is the boating lake behind the sea wall. King's Gardens are the formal gardens beside it. The beach is wide, sandy and often a long walk from the promenade to the water. That suits a kite, a dog or a horse more than a quick swim at the bottom of some steps. Follow the coast south and you reach Ainsdale and Birkdale, a run of dunes and pinewoods. Formby, a little further south, is a National Trust coast with a red-squirrel population in the woods. It is a short trip, not a stroll from Lord Street.
Royal Birkdale, one of the courses on this dune coast, is the golf reason people know the name. You do not need to play to walk the seafront. If the weather is bad, Lord Street and the arcades are the indoor-outdoor compromise. Liverpool is a train ride away if you want a city for the evening.
Where to stay
Hotels and guest houses divide between Lord Street, which is convenient for dinner and shops, and the streets nearer the marine lake if you want to wake up by the promenade. Southport is a town, so you can also stay slightly inland without losing every amenity. Book ahead for the Open Championship when it is held at Royal Birkdale, and for any summer weekend when the beach weather is forecast to be good. Ask about parking. The town centre has car parks, and not every guest house has a space of its own.
Getting there
Trains run to Southport from Liverpool, which makes it an easy coast day from the city or an easy city day from the coast. By car it is straightforward from the M58 and the coastal road. Blackpool is the alternative if you wanted the tower and the Pleasure Beach. Southport is the one if you wanted the boulevard and the dunes.
Guide me to UK is an independent information site. We do not own hotels or take bookings. Fares, opening hours and timetables change, so confirm them before you travel. Reviewed October 2026.