Coastal Spring staycations are leading the way this year as Spring travel, it seems, has split into two clear directions. According to Expedia’s latest Spring Travel Outlook, some Brits are heading long-haul in search of guaranteed heat – Caribbean destinations like San Juan surging by as much as 245% – while others are staying closer to home, leaning into coastal resets and countryside breaks. It’s this second trend that’s quietly gaining ground, with places like Conwy, Tenby and Torquay all seeing a notable rise in interest as travellers look for something simpler: fresh air, open water, and a reason to be outside.
As Melanie Fish of Expedia Group Brands puts it, “Brits are planning spring with purpose this year… rediscovering the joy of a cosy holiday home rental” alongside more experience-led trips. This shift makes a strong case for a different kind of staycation, one built less around where you stay, and more around what you do once you’re there. And for that, the UK coastline, varied, accessible, and surprisingly adaptable, offers plenty for your next coastal Spring Staycation.
1. Spring Staycation Coasteering in Tenby, Wales
Coasteering, at its simplest, is a refusal to stick to the path. It’s the art of moving along a coastline without a boat, scrambling over rocks, slipping into surge channels, timing your leaps with the tide. Coasteering is equal parts swim, climb, and surrender to the cold water of the Camarthen Bay. In fact, you’ve almost certainly been ‘coasteering’ without even realising it.
In Tenby, Wales, it feels especially well-cast. The limestone cliffs of Tenby fold into coves and arches that seem designed for exploring, while the tidal rhythms keep the experience in a flow. You can edge along ledges that disappear beneath the tide, pause above inky gullies. What makes it work here isn’t just the geology, though that helps, but the contrast: the neat, pastel town of Tenby watching on from a distance while, just beyond it, the coastline turns quietly wild, making Tenby a perfect destination for your coastal Spring staycation. If you’re looking for more in Tenby than the watersports, we shared our top tips for 48 hours in the picturesque Welsh coastal town.
2. A Thrillseeker’s Spring Staycation in Aviemore, Scotland
Aviemore sits deep in the Scottish Highlands, tucked within the vast sweep of Cairngorms National Park.
Here on Loch Morlich, it dares you to keep up with it. The watersports in Aviemore skew unapologetically towards the restless and the brave – less gentle paddle, more full-body negotiation with current, cold, and consequence, making this the perfect location for the thrill seeker’s coastal Spring staycation.
The River Spey slides deceptively at first, all dark glass and quiet intent, before quickening into sections that demand you read the water properly or pay for the oversight. Kayaking feels immediate, responsive – every stroke a small correction against the river’s larger plan, while white water rafting turns it communal, a choreography of paddles and spray as you drop through churning rapids. In Aviemore, the water carries the same wild edge as the land, offering up a special kind of adventure. And if you’re in the mood for adventure, there’s no better way to explore Scotland’s coastal towns than in a camper van.
3. A Coastal Spring Staycation Spent Paddleboarding in Torquay, Devon
Paddleboarding in Torquay is a more relaxed way to spend a coastal Spring staycation in the UK: The bay is naturally sheltered, which means the water is often calm enough to make it accessible without prior watersport experience. You can launch from almost anywhere along the seafront and settle into a steady rhythm quickly. There’s no real learning curve, just small adjustments as the surface shifts beneath you. The appeal is in the perspective it offers: Low cliffs, pockets of beach that don’t quite reveal themselves from land, and a clear sense of the coastline’s shape as you move along it.
It’s not especially demanding, but that’s part of the point. Paddleboarding here works because it strips things back: no noise, no urgency, just time on the water and a coastline that’s easier to understand from a few metres offshore. If this sounds like your vibe, we’ve shared more about the beauty of Devon’s paddleboarding scene here.
4. Sailing In Conwy, Wales, For Your Coastal Spring Staycation
Sailing in Conwy is shaped almost entirely by its setting. The Conwy Estuary is narrow, tidal, and constantly shifting, which means you’re rarely sailing in a straight line for long. Sandbanks redraw the channel, currents pull harder than expected, and timing, more than technique, does most of the work.
You leave the shelter of the harbour, with Conwy Castle holding its position on the shoreline, and head out toward open water where the conditions settle slightly, though never completely. What makes it a compelling destination for your next coastal Spring staycation is that balance: controlled enough to feel manageable, but changeable enough that you have to stay engaged.
5. A Surfing Staycation in Newquay, Cornwall
Surfing in Newquay is less about discovery and more about infrastructure. It’s widely considered the centre of UK surfing, largely because everything is set up to support it. Fistral Beach is the focal point: a west-facing beach that consistently picks up Atlantic swell, which is why it hosts major national and international competitions and operates year-round as a reliable break. Beyond that, the town has an unusually high density of surfable beaches – Towan, Great Western, Tolcarne – each working in slightly different conditions, so there’s usually an option regardless of tide or wind.
The result is a surf scene that’s accessible and busy: strong on lessons, rentals, and events, with a mix of beginners and experienced surfers sharing the same stretches of water. It’s not especially remote or niche, but it is one of the few places in the UK where surfing feels like a central, organised part of the town rather than something happening on the margins, making it perfect for catching some waves on your next coastal Spring staycation.
