The best campsites in Suffolk

If you’re looking for the best campsites in Suffolk you’ve come to the right place. The Cool Camping team have handpicked East Anglian camping and glamping sites that offer something special to feature in this collection. With unspoilt countryside that inspired many of Constable’s paintings, meandering waterways and a coastline with truly beautiful beaches, we think Suffolk is a great choice for a camping holiday. Its flat landscape and 50-mile coastline offer sweeping views and big skies that are perfect for star-gazing as you sit around the campfire. It’s no surprise that parts of this easternmost county’s coast and countryside have been officially designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; ideal places for walking, cycling and wildlife watching – activities that go hand-in-hand with camping.

While some might complain that there’s no motorway across East Anglia, we think that’s part of its charm. Much of the county is rural and there are historic houses, towns and villages that look, on the surface, almost untouched by time; quaint, fascinating and revealing places to visit on days out during a camping or glamping holiday in Suffolk.

Tent camping in Suffolk

Some of the best campsites in Suffolk are also some of the most basic; farms that have opened a meadow to campers and places that exist to make the most of a special location. There are classic tent camping sites in Suffolk countryside, woodland and by the beach – including some within the county’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We’ve tried to make it easy for you to pinpoint a Suffolk campsite near the locations you want to visit by giving you the option of a “Map View” of the Cool Camping Sussex campsite collection.

Classic camping sites vary from places where campervans and caravans are part of the landscape to places where only canvas is allowed. These types of campsites often manage to remain perfectly in keeping with their surroundings, offering a low-impact, sustainable and eco-friendly way to holiday. If you’re the type of camper who values a view over the number of loos, these might be the sort of places you’re after. If, on the other hand, having your own private bathroom is your idea of camping heaven – you might want to move on to the next paragraph and stray in to the realm of luxury camping and glamping.

Glamping in Suffolk

Glamping in Suffolk seems to have really taken off and the result is a great range of places to choose from for the would-be glamper. The Cool Camping team have scouted out sites with bell tents, yurts, gypsy caravans, shepherd’s huts, safari tents, camping pods and more in Suffolk to add to our collection. But the list of great glamping sites continues to grow with more quirky and unusual options appearing all the time; think treehouses, tipis and geodesic domes. In fact, let your imagination wander – we’ve seen it all: horseboxes, double decker buses and planes have all been converted to give glampers more unique and unforgettable experiences. It’s impossible to predict what will pop up on the Suffolk glamping scene next but rest assured we keep an eye on the options and make sure we showcase the best Suffolk glamping sites we can find.

But back to those all-important facilities. If having your own bathroom is a must, you can sift through our collection of cool campsites by using the nifty “Refine Search” feature which allows you to tick the things which are important to you. Want a private bathroom? No problem. Fancy a place that allows campfires or somewhere with a short walk to the nearest pub? Just check the box and you’ll be presented with the Suffolk glamping sites that meet your particular needs.

Family camping in the Suffolk

If it’s family camping in Suffolk you’re looking for, the “Refine Search” feature is handy too. Use it to hone in on the sites that have the facilities you need for you and your family. There are plenty of family-friendly sites around the county with a wide range of facilities so you’re sure to find somewhere that suits you whether it’s a campsite with no cars so your toddlers can trundle about freely or a place with a playground for older kids to practice their climbing skills.

If you’re considering a camping or glamping holiday with children for the first time, rest assured: children seem to love camping and everything that goes with it. You won’t need to worry about monitoring screen time as they are likely to quickly forget about TVs and tablets when they have the new-found freedom of a campsite, the excitement of the outdoors and the opportunity to make new friends. If it’s the adults in the family who are wary of a first family holiday under canvas, perhaps you should settle on a compromise and try glamping: where you get to enjoy the great outdoors but have the option of an easy retreat if it’s raining when you arrive!

Constable country, The Broads and Thetford Forest

If you’d like a dose of pastoral bliss with your camping then head for a campsite in Suffolk countryside. The sound of birdsong, the smell of the earth being warmed by the sun, the sight of tractors ploughing the fields and the feel of running your fingers through the cool waters of a stream… all are daily pleasures when you’re holidaying in Suffolk. In places life seems to have changed little since the 18th-century when painter John Constable was finding inspiration in this neck of the woods. His paintings, including his most famous work The Haywain, depict bucolic scenes that are not so very different from those you’ll see today. In fact, you can still see the house depicted in that painting: Willy Lott’s House in Flatford, now owned by the National Trust. It’s in the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in the south of the county – characterised by rolling countryside and meandering rivers punctuated by some of Suffolk’s most charming villages. Wandering their streets, picking up local produce for picnics, hiring boats for a day on the river and walking are about as hectic as life gets here.

The north of Suffolk offers countryside that can be just as restorative with the peaceful waterways of The Broads. Normally prefixed with “The Norfolk”, The Broads National Park actually spreads over the county border. The Suffolk section is known as the Waveney Valley, centring on the river of the same name. Suffolk or Norfolk, The Broads are a great area to camp in or explore with 125 miles of peaceful waterways perfect for cruising, kayaking and wildlife watching. The north of Suffolk is also where you’ll find The Brecks: a landscape of heather moorland and pine woodland. Most of those trees are in Thetford Forest, the largest manmade lowland forest in the country which offers a bit more adventure (if you want it) with a wealth of walking, running and cycling trails as well as some high ropes adventure.

The Suffolk Coast

If you prefer a pitch or a cabin with easy access to the beach you’ll want to browse campsites near the Suffolk shoreline. The county has 50 miles of coast, most of which falls within the Suffolk Coast and Heath Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – even if you’re camping inland we’d recommend a day trip. There are sweeping dune-backed beaches, nature hotspots and seaside towns with family-friendly sands and seafood.

There’s unbeatable wildlife watching at RSPB Minsmere which has a range of marshes, lagoons and woodland along with a great visitor centre and hides to help you catch sight of some of the rare birds that frequent the reserve. A full exploration of Minsmere will take you to some of Suffolk’s wildest shoreline. You can also enjoy a walk on the wilder side at Covehithe beach, a quiet cliff-backed beach where there are no facilities and very few people. If you’re looking for an ice cream or a tub of cockles during your day at the seaside, you might prefer to head to trendy Aldeburgh which has a shingle beach. This pretty town on a river estuary has working fishing boats landing daily which ensure its eateries and fish and chip shops are kept well-stocked for the London crowd it attracts. A little north up the coast is Southwold, another popular but quirky place with a pier and a sandy beach.

Things to see and do while you’re camping or glamping in Suffolk

There’s nothing wrong with doing nothing on a camping or glamping holiday in Suffolk. But if you do get itchy feet and want to get out exploring there’s plenty to choose from. We’ve put together a list of our top things to do in Suffolk to give you a few ideas…

1. Spend a day on the beach

With 50 miles of coast and dozens of beautiful beaches there’s bound to be one you like the look of. Enjoy a windswept walk on a dune-backed beach, swim or paddle in shallow waters, find a place for watersports or sit down with fish and chips or an ice cream: Visit Suffolk has a good run down of beaches in the county to help you find your favourite.

2. See Willy Lott’s house

The house that features in Constable’s most famous painting, The Haywain, still stands in the village of Flatford. Now maintained by the National Trust, it is not open to visitors but you can see the view Constable captured on a self-guided walk and learn more about Constable’s connections to the area in the John Constable Exhibition nearby.

3. Kayak on the River Stour

One of the best ways to see the wildlife and natural beauty of the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is to hire a kayak (or take your own) and paddle along the river or its tributaries. There are plenty of places from where you can rent out kayaks – including some of the campsites on the river banks.

4. Visit a medieval village

Suffolk was a wealthy county in the 15th-century when it was a centre for wool trade. Many of the towns and villages that were built during this time remain and are distinctive with half-timbered buildings and large, ornate churches that were funded by wealthy merchants. If you fancy a look around one of these Wool Towns, perhaps head for Lavenham which is considered one of the UK’s best-preserved medieval villages.

5. Explore The Broads National Park

The peaceful waterways of The Broads National Park are well worth exploring on foot or by taking to the water. There are plenty of places to hire kayaks or canoes or you can hop aboard a river cruiser to sit back and take in the scenery.

6. Take to the trees at Thetford Forest

Thetford Forest is the largest man-made lowland forest in the UK with walking running and cycling trails to keep active families busy – but if that’s not quite enough adrenaline for you, there’s also the chance for a treetop adventure of zip lines, rope bridges and tightropes at Go Ape.

7. Stroll down Southwold Pier

Can a pier have a sense of humour? It seems like Southwold has one and a good one at that. It lays claim to being Britain’s only 21st century pier, replacing the first pier which was built in 1900. It’s home to shops, eateries and quirky amusements that’ll keep all the family entertained.

8. Go birdwatching

You don’t have to be a bona fide twitcher to enjoy a day out at Minsmere RSPB. It’s a great place to see a variety of birds and even if you don’t know bearded tits from bitterns, you might still appreciate the sheer numbers  that congregate on the coastal lagoons. There are self-guided activities for kids too as well as a play area and child-friendly café.