The city centre is easy to walk around, and with campsites available in the surrounding towns and villages nearby, such as Long Ashton and Bath, you can mix a country escape with a city break meaning that there is something for everyone.

Being on the River Avon and not far from the coast itself, Bristol is ideal for those wishing to take a trip to explore Bristol and Somerset’s coastline.

So here are the best beaches near Bristol for you to explore on your travels to the region.

Layde Bay’s little cove is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Somerset coast. A narrow strip of beach between the rocks, backing into densely forested cliffs.

This is a beautiful beach for sunbathing; however, swimming is not recommended, as is the case with many of the beaches around the Bristol Channel coast. There can be powerful currents as the tide moves, and the sand around the low water line is decidedly muddy.

However, slightly further along the beach is Clevedon’s sea pool, a sectioned off area of the sea built specifically for swimming in. Check the guidelines before you travel with your swimming costumes, as it is routinely closed for cleaning.

A must-see beach within a half an hour’s drive of Bristol, Clevedon is famous for being a Victorian seaside resort and the location of ITV’s Broadchurch drama.

Situated at the estuary of the River Severn, Clevedon is a long pebble beach that stretches south-west, with Clevedon’s famous Victorian pier to the east – one of the country’s oldest examples.

Clevedon beach is ever popular due to its many amenities. There are numerous places to eat, including pubs, trendy restaurants and quaint cafes, lots of local artisan shops, a sports centre, an arcade and a crazy golf course. A 15-minute walk inland, Clevedon has a more significant town centre to explore.

A long and wild beach that has remained relatively untouched due to being sandwiched between two larger towns, each with its own beaches. Sand Bay offers views across the Bristol Channel to South Wales and is ever popular with dog walkers and geography school field trips.

The beach offers few amenities, except a car park and a fish and chip shop. However, the pleasure it offers is in getting away from those things to a more naturalistic environment.

For example, the beach is a particular hotspot for amateur fossil collectors. Examples of well-preserved corals, bryozoans, algae, bivalves and brachiopods can be found on the average day of hunting.

Walkers might like to take the hike to the National Trust’s Sand Point headland on the coastal trail.

Weston-super-Mare has all of the amenities you’d expect from a long-established beach resort. The lengthy stretch of beautiful, golden sand between Marine Lake and Uphill Sands is a lovely summer months spot for anyone seeking a traditional British seaside getaway. Views from the beach include the stately pier, with its stunning pavilion, as well as Weston Bay and beyond.

The beach area around the Grand Pier has something for everyone, whether it’s relaxing in the sun, playing in the sand, or participating in one of the various activities available. During the summer, deck chairs can be rented, and donkey rides can be taken.

In 2008, a massive fire destroyed the historic Grand Pier, so the well-developed one we see now reopened in 2010 after a £51 million refurbishment. Open from 10 a.m. every day except Christmas Day, the pier provides something for everyone.

For example, children will love the variety of rides and attractions available, including a Go-Kart track and a children’s play area. Adults may enjoy drinking tea in the Edwardian-style tea rooms.

Uphill, located at the southern end of Weston-super-Mare’s long stretch of beach, is a world away from the rush and activity of the coastal resort. However, Uphill does not have the same variety of amenities as Weston’s main strip.

Uphill Local Nature Reserve is located behind the shore, following the path of the Axe. In addition to a variety of wildlife, a tower atop the hill provides excellent views of the beach and shore below.

Brean Beach is a 7-mile length of sand and dunes located just over two miles down the coast from Weston-super-Mare.

It has one of Europe’s longest expanses of sand, and during low tide, a wide area of mudflats is exposed. It is, however, dangerous to wander too far out at low tide, and there are signs warning people to avoid the mudflats on the shore.

The beach attracts walkers, dog walkers, and beach sports aficionados (both on and off the water), as well as theme park enthusiasts. Brean is known locally for its amusement park that features small and medium-sized rides, including roller coasters and swinging ships – ideal for a family day out.

Brean beach is also known for being an archaeologically significant site. For example, the remains of a 19th-century fort, built to guard against a probable Napoleonic invasion, may be located at the peak.

There is also evidence that the area was occupied during the Stone Age. On the south side of the down, the remnants of a Roman temple have been unearthed, while on the east side, the remains of an Iron-Age fort have been discovered.

This secluded, west-facing beach is part of the vast sand and mudflats between Brean and Burnham-on-Sea. Like Sand Bay, this beach is recommended for those who want to see a more naturalistic setting rather than those looking for amenities to browse.

The sand between Brean and Unity Farm is popular with dog walkers and watersports enthusiasts. Anglers like the beach and fishing is permitted an hour and a half before and after high tide. The large area of moist mudflats seen at low tide has sections of perilous sinking sands, so make sure you heed the safety warnings.

Because of its superb expanse of beach, Burnham-on-Sea is one of Somerset’s iconic coastal resorts. With its promenade lined with Victorian and Edwardian guest homes, Burnham was conceived as a rival to neighbouring Weston-super-Mare.

A century later, Burnham-on-Sea may have lost that competition, but it is all the better for it. The beach is bustling enough in the summer and preserves many of its historic pleasures, including donkey rides on the beach.

Burnham-on-Sea also has the UK’s shortest pier; built in 1911, it measures a little over 100 feet (37 metres).

Another beach ideal for those seeking to get away from the busier coastline areas, Kilve Beach is located amid the Quantocks near Minehead and Bridgwater.

Near low tide, the shoreline is largely stony, with plenty of rockpools to explore. The vast grassy space behind the shore, excellent for picnics, is one of the nicest aspects of Kilve beach.

Kilve has a lot of geological interest. The cliffs here are made of oil-rich shale and strata of yellow, brown, and blue lias, containing fossils. Because Kilve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it is illegal to remove fossils from the cliffs and bedrock.

The Strand at Minehead Beach is a large expanse of sand with some shingles and a variety of rock pools. As the tide goes out, this sandy stretch of beach becomes excellent for beach activities and sandcastle construction.

Along with the hotels and residences that line the promenade, the beachfront is overseen by a large Butlin’s holiday camp, which adds to the resort’s bustling ambience. Minehead is one of Somerset’s busiest holiday destinations, and the beach may get reasonably crowded during peak season.

Minehead is an excellent beach for walkers to begin a trek along the coastline despite the hustle and bustle. One end of the beach is also the starting point for the South West Coast Path, which runs to Poole in Dorset via Land’s End in Cornwall.

All of the beaches in the above list are located within a two-hour drive of Bristol, which has many great campsites either within the city limits or in the several towns and villages on its outskirts.

To find a campsite for your trip to Bristol, a good place to start are the sites owned, operated or affiliated with one of the UK’s two major leisure vehicle clubs: The Caravan and Motorhome Club or the Camping and Caravanning Club.

Each club has an easy-to-use site finder that allows you to filter campsites by location, facilities and price. To get the full benefit from either club, it’s worth signing up as a member for a small annual fee. Membership gives you access to their full range of approved sites and other member benefits, such as deals on insurance and entry vouchers for attractions.

View the Caravan and Motorhome Club site finder here.

View the Camping and Caravanning Club site finder here.

When camping in Bristol on a club site in your Bailey caravan or Bailey motorhome, there is a wealth of places to explore away from the coast.

Whether you decide to stay in one of the best sandy beaches Somerset has to offer or visit some of the popular spots over the Bristol channel in the Vale of Glamorgan, many great spots and attractions are waiting to be discovered.

The only question left is which to visit first?