Countryside and environment

Stunning coastal scenery, acres of green space, award-winning parks and nature reserves - it's out and about in the great outdoors where Sunderland really comes into its own with its range of varied and accessible landscapes.

A stroll along one of the UK's longest stretches of city-side beaches at Roker and Seaburn will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed. You can fill your lungs with fresh air at one of Sunderland's two country parks, Herrington and Hetton Lyons, and there's a wealth of interesting wildlife habitats to visit, including the wetland nature reserve at Joe's Pond and the Washington Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre, where unusual and beautiful birds overwinter and breed.