School Coasts Trips

Trips to coasts in the UK

Cornwall is the ultimate seaside destination in the UK so makes a perfect choice for a trip focused on coasts.

Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Cornwall’s north and south coasts have very different characters.

The county’s northern coast is exposed to the prevailing winds coming in from the Atlantic, resulting in a rugged, dramatic coastline with dramatic cliffs, such as those at Lizard Point. The southern coast is more sheltered, with several rias that have created deep water harbours.

Your students will love exploring the tidal island of St. Michael’s Mount and the dunes of Hayle Towans. And you can even take part in a beach clean, allowing them to give something back and help to protect this precious landscape.

Further north, the North York Moors are also home to some of the UK’s best-loved coastline – including the seaside resorts of Whitby and Scarborough. This coastline is famous for its dramatic cliffs, sandy bays and rocky shores.

A 36-mile stretch has even been designated a Heritage Coast, which requires the local authorities to take steps to protect it – something your students can learn more about on your trip.

Trips to coasts abroad

A visit to the Amalfi Coast can demonstrate how the interaction of winds and waves has developed such a unique landscape. It also offers the opportunity to explore how mass tourism has affected the local area.

Similarly, in Barcelona and the Costa Brava, your students can explore how tourism has impacted the resort of Lloret de Mar. They can discover more about beach management along this coastline, exploring the various management techniques and how they have to take into consideration the financial importance of tourism, alongside the need to protect this important habitat.

A trip to Tenerife provides a chance to see an entirely different type of coastal landscape, with volcanic black beaches and basalt cliffs.

Alternatively, Sicily provides a great location for comparing river and coastal landforms.

Why arrange a coastal trip?

Explore coastal landscapes and management

If your students are learning more about coastal landscapes, there’s really nothing better than getting out of the classroom and out to the coast to see these for themselves.

Whether you want them to learn more about erosional landforms such as cliffs, wave-cut platforms, bays and headlands, or depositional landforms such as beaches, bars and spits, we can help you choose the right coastal landscape for your specific learning objectives.

And, wherever you choose to go, your students will learn more about the importance of coastal management and some of the ways that this has been implemented in the coastal landscape you’re exploring.

Discover the impact of tourism

When we think about summer holidays, most of us think about being by the seaside, and so coastal locations often draw in huge numbers of tourists, particularly during the summer. This influx of tourists is often hugely important to the local economy, but it can have a big impact on the landscape and the environment.

Your students will have the opportunity to explore this impact. Barcelona and the Costa Brava, in particular, are fantastic destinations in which to explore this. Your students will love the opportunity to visit the town of Lloret de Mar, which became a popular resort after package tourism arrived in Spain.

Around 40% of all visitors to the Costa Brava stay in Lloret de Mar, which is estimated to have over 30,000 hotel beds.

Another great destination in which to explore the impact of tourism on coastal landscapes is the Amalfi Coast. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this spectacular coastline is famous for its beautiful, colourful towns and villages built into the cliffside. A hugely popular destination for wealthy tourists, the infrastructure here was built for local use and as such is extremely susceptible to over-tourism, especially during summer and Easter.

Enjoy the trip as much as your students

Originally founded by former teachers, we understand the value of geography school trips and how to make them successful.

Your trip will be completely tailor-made, to ensure that it meets your specific requirements and learning objectives. And we’ll be on hand throughout the process to answer any questions you have.

In fact, we’ll be with you every step of the way, from now until you return home at the end of your trip. While abroad, you’ll be able to reach us with just one phone call, at any time of the day or night. And, with this comprehensive level of support while you’re away, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy immersing yourself in geography as much as your students.