Cool Place of the Day: RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, Suffolk

Every day, a new place to discover or explore from coolplaces.co.uk

The RSPB nature reserve in Minsmere is an unusual and popular mix of woods, heath and marshland

Festival season is truly upon us, and this weekend it’s time for one of the best and most popular in Latitude. It’s true that if festivals were supermarkets, Latitude would be Waitrose, but the line-ups are always good (this year The National, New Order, Squeeze, among others) and its location in Henham Park, a few miles inland from well-heeled Southwold, is undeniably a good one.

But what to do if you want a break from the super-cool music and über-cool parents? Well, there’s Southwold and Walberswick for a dip in the sea and a bite to eat afterwards. But to really get away from it all we’d recommend a trip to the nearby RSPB nature reserve at Minsmere, an unusual and popular mix of woods, heath and marshland that is truly one of the most glorious spots along the entire Suffolk coast.

It can get crowded, but most of the time its wet woodland and marsh can feel supremely untouched by anything except nature. You can expect to see marsh harriers, avocets, little terns, and, if you're very (very) lucky, bitterns – Minsmere is one of the few places in Britain where these notoriously shy and rare birds breed – plus you might see an otter or two.

There are seven hides in total, and a large viewing platform, overlooking either woodland or reedbed habitats and various trails take in these in several combinations. There's a café that does teas, hot and cold lunches and so on, as well as a shop well-stocked with all manner of birding books and equipment.

Cool Places is a website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)