Welcome to Mersea Island, the most Easterly inhabited island in the UK where at certain high tides the causeway which connects the island to the mainland is flooded making us, for a time, truly an Island.
Mersea has a laid back and peaceful atmosphere, favouring the simple pleasures of life like building sandcastles, sitting or strolling on the beach, crabbing off the jetty and enjoying the beautiful views over the Blackwater Estuary. Mersea is famous for its oysters and there is a thriving fishing village community. The island is very popular with Windsurfers and Kitesurfers and on most days they can be seen out on the water just across from the Café.
Seaview Beach Diner is situated at the entrance to West Mersea Holiday Park ( formerly Seaview )who own the beautiful pastel coloured beach huts which stretch all along the shore into the distance and are widely admired and photographed by both locals and visitors. Mersea is ideal for those looking for a peaceful way to pass the time, however for the more adventurous the round the island 14 mile walk is popular.
Mersea itself is only five miles long by 2 miles wide but manages to offer a very diverse range of activities to satisfy pretty much everyone’s taste. There is a Museum that tells the rich history of the Island, a Vineyard where wine and ales are made and sold, Cudmore Grove Country Park where those who love wildlife and fauna and flora can while away a few hours and boat trips can be taken either from here over to Brightlingsea or from the jetty at the Hard where Stacey Belbin, who is descended from a long line of Mersea fishermen, operates the Lady Grace boat trips, a short and inexpensive 20 minute boat trip from where you can view Mersea from the creeks and inlets. The Regatta held in August every year is a fantastic day out where visitors can combine a day at the beach with a hearty meal from the Diner with an afternoon and evening of sailing races, water based events and music and fireworks later in the evening.
Mersea is a beguiling place for either a day trip or a holiday and if you are in search of a place where you feel like the pace of life is slower and people are just enjoying the simple pleasures in life, then look no further. Mersea Island is the place for you.
