Are Hunstanton Cliffs on the Norfolk Coast Path?

Yes. The trail passes directly through the area between Hunstanton and Old Hunstanton.

Can you walk below the cliffs?

Yes, at lower tide levels the beach beneath the cliffs is accessible, though surfaces can be uneven around rocks and boulders.

What are the rock formations beneath the cliffs?

The exposed rocks are formed from chalk, carrstone, and other geological layers shaped by erosion and tidal movement over many years.

Is the lighthouse part of the walking route?

The lighthouse sits above the coastal section near Old Hunstanton and is visible from several points along the route.

What comes after Hunstanton on the Norfolk Coast Path?

Heading east, the route continues toward Old Hunstanton, Holme-next-the-Sea, and the dunes and marshes of the north Norfolk coast.

Walking Beneath Hunstanton Cliffs on the Norfolk Coast Path

Norfolk Coast Path Guide ›

The first natural landmark many walkers encounter along the Norfolk Coast Path is the dramatic stretch of cliffs between Hunstanton and Old Hunstanton. Rising above the shoreline on the western edge of the Norfolk Coast National Landscape, the cliffs form a striking introduction to the coast — layered rock faces, scattered boulders, tidal sand, and open views across The Wash.

For walkers beginning the route from Hunstanton, this section often feels like the point where the journey properly starts. The built-up seafront begins to fall away, the coastline opens, and the landscape becomes more exposed and natural.

The Cliffs and Boulder-Strewn Shoreline

Hunstanton’s Cliffs are unlike any others along the Norfolk coast. Distinct bands of carrstone, red chalk, and white chalk create the striped appearance the area is known for, with colours becoming especially vivid in late afternoon and evening light.

At the base of the cliffs, large fallen boulders and exposed rock formations spread across the beach. At low tide, long shelves of stone and darker rock platforms stretch outward toward the sea, shaped over time by erosion and tidal movement along the edge of The Wash.

These formations give the shoreline a far more rugged character than much of the Norfolk coast, where dunes and softer beaches dominate. Walkers moving below the cliffs at lower tide can weave between uneven rocks, shallow pools, and exposed layers of chalk and stone revealed by the retreating sea.

The combination of cliffs, boulders, exposed rock, and open sky creates one of the most visually distinctive sections of the early route.

The Lighthouse Above the Cliffs

Looking north along the clifftop, the white tower of Old Hunstanton Lighthouse stands above the shoreline overlooking the route.

Positioned close to the transition between Hunstanton and Old Hunstanton, the lighthouse acts as both a visual marker and a reminder of the coast’s long relationship with navigation and changing tidal conditions across The Wash.

For walkers, it becomes one of the first recognisable landmarks of the journey — visible from the beach below, the clifftop path, and the dunes further east.

The Start of the Coastal Landscape

This section of coast acts almost like a threshold into the wider landscape.

To the west:

sea walls
promenade
town seafront

To the east:

dunes
saltmarsh
open beaches
coastal nature reserves
long-distance walking routes

Beyond the lighthouse and cliffs, the route begins moving toward the quieter stretches of coast around:

Old Hunstanton
Holme-next-the-Sea
Holme Dunes National Nature Reserve

where the landscape becomes increasingly shaped by tide, wind, dunes, and marshland.

Walking This Section

The cliffs can be experienced from:

the beach below at low tide
the clifftop footpath
the Norfolk Coast Path itself

Conditions change with tide and weather, particularly beneath the cliffs where rock and sand can become uneven.

Many walkers pause here before continuing east along the coast, using the area as:

a starting point
a place to watch the tide
a photography stop
an introduction to the wider landscape ahead