Dovercourt Bay, a short walk south of Harwich town centre, is one of the better beaches on the Essex coast. The sand and shingle beach is gently shelving — safe for swimming — and has held a Blue Flag rating. Two cast-iron lighthouse towers, now redundant but still standing, mark the beach as distinctively Victorian. The promenade is calm and untouristy; there are deck chairs and an ice cream van in season but not much else. If you want a quieter alternative to the more popular Suffolk beaches across the estuary, this is it.