The picturesque Cumbria coastal village with a lovely beach is often overlooked by tourists heading to the more famous Lake District, and locals are happy about it
Mieka Smiles and Milo Boyd Digital Travel Editor and Commercial Content Lead
11:21, 14 Jan 2026
A picturesque UK coastal village remains overlooked as tourists flock to a nearby popular destination, and locals are quite content with being passed by.
The Lake District is world-famous for its breathtaking landscapes that have inspired poets, authors and musicians throughout the centuries. Whilst visitors rush to well-known locations such as Lake Windermere, Kendal or Keswick, a small but stunning seaside village, praised by The Times as one of the finest coastal places to live in the country, often goes unnoticed.
Arnside provides a captivating mix of lush, rural scenery where pheasants are as frequently spotted as seagulls gliding above the white sands.
Jackie Ellis, 69, who lives in Penrith in the Eden Valley, Cumbria, travelled the 50 miles from her home to the magnificent seaside location. "I like to be beside the sea. It's near for me and it's very charming. It's an oasis of peace and it's beautiful," she said.
Nevertheless, she feels that the tourist board's emphasis on promoting the Lake District means that wonderful places like Arnside remain comparatively undiscovered, reports the Express.
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Jackie, a writer, added: "Cumbria Tourist Board is obsessed with the Lakes and don't take an interest in us! Who on earth wants to go to Beatrix Potter [a famous Lakes' museum] if you can come here! What's the point? You have beautiful countryside on your doorstep. People come and stay here as it's maybe that bit cheaper than Ambleside and use it as a jumping off point."
However, she observed that residents still enjoy a peaceful environment compared to Cumbria's busier tourist destinations. She commented: "But if I lived here I would be very grateful to be overlooked."
Visitors to Arnside should note that the village features two geographical phenomena which make it slightly more challenging to navigate than typical seaside locations.
The village is famous for its tidal bore, a distinctive tidal occurrence that takes place when the incoming tide meets resistance from the bay's sandy channels. As the wave surges up the waterway, an alarm sounds throughout the village, alerting residents and visitors to the approaching swell.
Situated on Morecambe Bay, Arnside is well-known for hazardous quicksand and mudflats, which frequently result in rescue operations by Coastguard teams and Bay Search and Rescue of individuals and animals trapped in the perilous, waterlogged sand as the tide advances.
Arnside lies up the bay from the location of a particularly tragic incident. On the evening of 5 February 2004, at least 22 Chinese workers drowned in an incoming tide whilst illegally collecting cockles off the coast.
Numerous other close calls have occurred, including in Arnside.
In 2009 a woman fell forwards onto her hands in quicksand. She started to sink, only to be rescued at the final moment, her nose six inches from the mud, the Guardian reported.
Beyond the bores and quicksand, Arnside remains a delightful destination. Trevor Brown, 72, made the move to Arnside from East Sussex 14 years ago.
He remembers how his first encounter with this charming village captivated him entirely. The retired industrial chemist now dedicates himself to landscape photography, taking breathtaking shots of his cherished local area.
He said: "Somebody said to me 'go and see Arnside' as the sunsets are the best in the world. The first time I came here the rain was hitting me horizontally but I came back when it was sunny. I fell in love with the place."
Though practically devoid of tourists during our visit, he notes the location's increasing popularity. He added: "If you come here in the summer it is very busy - you won't get a parking spot as it's like Brighton!".
Leonie Punter, 53, runs She Sells, a seafront enterprise she's owned for 15 years. A Manchester native, she currently lives in Lancaster, roughly 25 minutes away by vehicle.
She said: "On a sunny day it attracts lots of people but it's overlooked as lots of people go to the Lake District. Only people in the know come here. It's a hidden gem."
Tracey Leigh, 59, who runs Homeleigh Vintage, has been an Arnside resident for four years. Originally from Skipton, she bought a village house to renovate "from scratch". She said: "I fell in love with the property and obviously the views."
In addition to the breathtaking landscapes, Tracey emphasised that the region's excellent transport links are another significant attraction for business owners. She added: "The train links are good and you can get to Manchester Airport in one and a half hours and as we're only 15 minutes from the M6 we are also very accessible.