Holkham Beach, England

Holkham Beach is a panoramic beachfront flanked with windswept rushes, towering grasses, and spectacular sand dunes in Norfolk, England. It's a component of the Holkham National Nature Reserve, which covers 3,706 hectares (9,158 acres) of British territory. The walk from the car park is 4.8 kilometers (3 miles), which deters many visitors, resulting in crowds that are often pleasant. When the water recedes, the hazy beach is nearly completely submerged, leaving shallow streams and small lagoons. The romantic setting for the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love was Holkham.

In any case, why not build your own windswept dramatics on the kilometers of white-gold sand and the tangle of rivers and saltings, then cool down amid the shade pinewoods that surround the beach? Wells-next-the-Sea is a short stroll down the shore, where you may pause for a pint at the Crown on the village green. Alternatively, drive inland to Holkham Hall, which has a renowned film career, having appeared with Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes.