Looking for the perfect summer escape in Kent? ☀️🏖️
This blog highlights the top beaches to visit in Kent, each with its unique charm — from sandy bays and chalk cliffs to sheltered coves and wild shingle expanses. It includes approximate distances and travel suggestions to help you plan your beach day! 🚗🚆
1️⃣ Viking Bay, Broadstairs 🌊🍦
A classic sandy seaside with beach cafés, trampolines, deck chair rentals, and lifeguards. Perfect for families 👨👩👧👦, yet lively enough for teens wanting the full British seaside experience 🎡.
2️⃣ Botany Bay, Broadstairs 🏖️🪨
A Blue Flag beach backed by dramatic chalk cliffs and stacks 🏔️. Safe for swimming, kayaking 🚣♂️, and paddleboarding 🏄♀️, plus cafés and deck chairs on-site 🍰.
3️⃣ Joss Bay, Broadstairs 🏄♂️🌅
A surfer’s paradise with consistent waves 🌊, a relaxed vibe, and a handy beach café ☕. Ideal for those wanting a bit more space and fewer crowds than Viking Bay.
4️⃣ Tankerton Beach, Whitstable 🐚🍽️
A pebbly paradise with pastel beach huts 🎨, a seaside promenade 🚶♂️, and oyster bars nearby 🦪. Blue Flag quality makes it great for families and those craving fresh seafood.
5️⃣ Margate Main Sands 🎢🎠
A soft sandy stretch by Dreamland amusement park 🎡 and buzzy Old Town 🏘️. Winner of a Seaside Award 🏅 — great for fun days out with food stalls 🌭, arcades, and vintage shops 🛍️.
6️⃣ Deal Beach 🏰💨
A laid back shingle beach graced with Tudor architecture 🏯, Deal Castle nearby 🏖️, and windsurfing opportunities 🌬️. A mature, relaxing seaside vibe.
7️⃣ Folkestone Beach 🎨⚓
A sand-and-shingle mix under stone sea defences with a charming harbour arm 🚢 and coastal art 🖼️. Great for families and culture lovers alike.
8️⃣ Kingsgate Bay (near Broadstairs) 🐾🕶️
Secluded and dog friendly 🐕, nestled beneath high cliffs with natural caves 🪨. No facilities — just stunning scenery 🌄. Perfect for a peaceful escape.
9️⃣ Dungeness Beach 🌾🎞️
An eerie shingle "desert" backed by a nuclear power station ⚛️, remote and artistic 🎨. Visit the Dungeness Snack Shack for fresh seafood 🐟, or use it as a launchpad for birdwatching 🐦 and art-spotting 🖌️.
🔟 Camber Sands (just over the Kent border, East Sussex) 🏖️🏜️
Miles of golden dunes 🌅, ideal for sunbathing, kite flying 🪁, and beach games 🎾. Recognised as one of southern England’s best long sandy beaches. Although slightly beyond Kent, it's worth the visit!
📝 Planning Tips:
• 🚆 Travel: Trains to Broadstairs, Margate, or Ramsgate take about 1 h 20 min from Gravesend; driving these coastal gems takes ~1–1½ h.
• 🌊 Timing & Tide: Many beaches shrink or disappear at high tide — check tide times, especially at hidden spots like Botany Bay and Kingsgate Bay.
• 🏖️ Facilities: For amenities such as cafés, toilets 🚻, and lifeguards 🚑, head to the more family-friendly beaches: Viking Bay, Botany Bay, Tankerton, and Margate.
• 🌿 Hidden Gems: Prefer peace and solitude? Opt for Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay, or Dungeness.
• 🏅 Awards: Blue Flag beaches include Botany Bay, Tankerton, Joss Bay, and Minnis Bay nearby.
🌞 Final Thoughts
Kent’s coastline truly has something for everyone — from lively, amenity-rich beaches perfect for families and teens, to dramatic cliffs and secluded shingle shores ideal for nature lovers 🌊🦤. All are accessible within a couple of hours from Gravesend, making them great for day trips or weekend getaways 🚗🎒.
Which one will you explore first this summer?
We are here and ready to help in any way we can. 🧑💼
☎️ Call: 01474 321957
📧 Email: richard@mandmprop.co.uk