Earlier this year, Skegness, not for the first time, was voted the worst seaside town in the UK.
Skegness was our go-to holiday destination in the 1990s, along with its neighbouring town, Ingoldmells.
I have fond memories of paddling in the sea, eating ice-cream, doing the hokey cokey at the kids’ discos and exploring family attractions such as the Model Village (now gone but not forgotten!).
Despite these nice memories, as I entered adulthood (and became a bit grumpier with age) I wasn’t completely shocked whenever I stumbled across an article announcing that Skegness had been voted the worst in the UK.
This was partly because I’d seen more places during my adult life than I did as a child.
Places that were quieter, with better-looking beaches and bluer sea.
Adult me believed that Skegness was just a pleasant memory that should be left in the past. I went there so many times as a child and there were many other parts of the UK that I wanted to explore in adulthood instead.
So, when my parents suggested a family holiday there for the first time in over 20 years, I was a bit apprehensive. After visiting all those lovely locations during my adult life, would the place I loved as a child now be too loud and crowded? Would the colour of the sea bother me? Would the people be unfriendly?
Now being a parent myself, I realised that my opinions of Skegness as an adult didn’t really matter.
I wanted to give my children the same experiences of this seaside town that I had as a child.
And so…
For anyone put off by all those articles announcing that Skegness has been voted the worst seaside town in the UK – don’t pay any attention to them! If you’ve been there before, then you’ll already know that it isn’t THAT bad. If you haven’t been there before, go there with an open mind.
Sure, it isn’t the most picturesque location in the UK, but there are parts of it that are pretty, especially at night when all lit up.
Yes, it’s loud, but if you’re a parent of small children, then you’ll already be used to lots of noise!
Yes, it’s overcrowded, but that’s just proof that this seaside town remains popular, despite the negative press.
Sure, the sea isn’t blue, but I can guarantee that your kids will still have a great time on the beach – honest!
And…
The people were very friendly! Much friendlier than some of the people in my town back home! Everyone was polite, pleasant and generous! I lost count of how many people handed us their pots of arcade tickets! The people honestly made our holiday experience even better.
And finally…
The attractions are decent!
And so to finish off my rave post of Skegness (also known as Skeg, Skeggy and SkegVegas), I’ve compiled a small list of attractions that are worth visiting if you do decide to ignore all the articles claiming that this is the worst seaside town in the UK!
Natureland Seal Sanctuary
I first visited this attraction in the 1990s (and it was already nearly 30 years old by then!). After my visit in 2024, I can honestly say that it’s just as good as it was back then. My children loved watching the seals swimming around.
There are more than seals to see too. We saw Alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits, birds and reptiles. There was an aquarium too, but we somehow missed that and only realised after we’d left!
TIP: Make sure you get a good spot near the seals during feeding times. It’s wonderful to hear the stories about each seal and watch them being fed, but these areas get very overcrowded. I’d recommend getting to a section of the seal enclosures at least ten minutes before the feeding times start!
Skegness Aquarium
This was my favourite attraction! There was SO much to see! The kids loved it too and our favourite part was the Aqua Theatre, where you can watch loads of colourful fish, stingrays and even sharks swimming around (for those who visit this and think of that scene from Jaws 3 where the shark breaks out of the glass in the aquarium, you’re not alone!).
Don’t worry though, the sharks in this tank were zebra sharks and actually looked quite friendly!
We loved watching the divers in the tank too!
Jurassic Falls Dinosaur Land
Located outdoors as part of the Skegness Aquarium on the site of what used to be the Model Village, Jurassic Falls Dinosaurland is the perfect attraction for…people who love dinosaurs. If you’re a Jurassic Park fan, then you’ll love this attraction (it even plays the soundtrack too).
It’s informative and interesting and my 5-year-old loved it!
And despite being 40, I loved the talking tree! I’m easily entertained though. Definitely worth a visit for families with young children!
The arcades
More than 50% of our holiday to Skegness was spent in the arcades. It’s a bit difficult to avoid them, as they take up most of the road leading towards the beach.
TIP: Save up your tickets! We earned over 800 in total during our stay and walked away with a toy tool set for the 5-year-old and a stencil chalk set. Okay, so we probably spent over £50 in total to get enough tickets for them, but arcades are all part of the Skegness holiday experience, right?!
In conclusion…
As you’ve already gathered from this post, Skegness, in my opinion, is NOT the worst seaside town in the UK!
It is what it is – a simple seaside town packed with fish and chip shops, ice-cream stalls, noisy seagulls and loud arcades that still offers an enjoyable holiday experience for many families.
“I don’t understand why this place gets voted the worst seaside town in the UK!”, I said to my parents several times during our week-long holiday. Both longtime fans of good old Skeggy, they agreed that it doesn’t deserve such a title.
Who says you need palm trees and blue sea to make good memories?!
