Pleasant seaside walks and gardens.. All very well kept.. However if you want razzmatazz.. visit the pier or Pavilion funfair on the front.. Good choice of restaurants in town, and plenty of cafes or little teashops. Clacton has a very retro old style charm.. But is very clean.. Plenty to do for all ages, as childrens swings etc dotted along the marine walks at intervals. Very central for touring surrounding Essex towns and countryside.. Regular trains and buses. Ideal for a short weekend break for adults or family seaside holiday.

On the day I was there it seemed full of roadworks, and road names were hard to spot. I don't use a satnav so I was relying on a Google street map. I can't sum up Clacton in a day because I only saw one hotel and one pub, I was there for a family funeral.

We went in January so it was freezing plenty of shops mainly eating and charity...you wouldn't know it was a seaside resort. Thank god for weatherspoons where we opted to eat at a reasonable price. Walking around was fine although plenty of roads to cross.

The penny arcades made the trip, the dismal view of wind turbines and the constant feeling of despair the place carries with it is overwhelming. Everyone is angry or depressed, everyone is not in a rush but very impatient. No one seems to want to be there. Meet a friendly crack addict on the beach who had been mugged by a hooker. He was trying to get away from London, but like everyone else who had tried that, had just found a new level of crushing defeatism. The food choice was burgers or chips. The beer was cheap, but that's compared to London. I recommend it as a great exercise in examining if your life really is that bad, Clacton may convince you otherwise.

The new beach stretching eastwards from the pier is a real bonus and has done wonders to increase Clacton's attraction for family breaks. Kids were just loving the sand when we were there for the Airshow. The gardens are really spectacular too, and there was a vibrancy and sense of fun everywhere during the two days of the Airshow. That too is worth going to Clacton to see. Just make sure that you have a word with the Met.Office first as sea mists and low cloud can lay havoc with the flying programme. Clacton is compact enough to be able to walk around easily and there are walkways all along the front enabling continuous and very good views of the coast. Mixed feelings about the massive wind farm out to sea though. For those who find walking difficult or tedious, there is a land train that runs the length of the esplanade at very reasonable rates. Lots of places along the route to hop off for a cup of tea too. The pier is also great fun. Loads of rides and amusements for all, best topped off by a visit to the Jolly Roger restaurant at the end of the pier, probably the best fish and chips you can get in Clacton. There's even a small airfield near the lifeboat station where you can take a joy ride and see the coast from the air. Clacton has much more to offer than a lot of seaside towns and is well worth a visit whatever your age.

We loved the walks along the beach,.. many areas dog friendly with water bowls outside cafe's,.. Stopped for Burger & Chips at the Boardwalk and ended up staying for 3 hours chatting to locals and listening to live music in the blazing sunshine,!!!!