Our Coast

*BE BEACH AWARE - If you are visiting our beaches and bays*

Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate's coast is a feast for your eyes, and a balm for your soul. Discover stunning sandy beaches and sea-carved chalk cliffs, activity havens and resort bays. Re-energising and relaxing, our coast is a giant, free-to-use, year-round, outdoor spa.

Discover our Beaches and Bays

The shoreline has some impressive statistics:

It represents 20% of the UK's and 12% of Europe's coastal chalk and it is the longest continuous stretch of coastal chalk in Britain.
The whole of the Thanet coastline is designated as part of the ‘North East Kent European Marine Sites’ covering a number of international nature conservations designations.
There is also around 250 hectares of intertidal chalk reef which is home to an array of shorelife, from the white bivalve ‘piddock’ shells – which entomb themselves for their life there – to seaweeds and vibrant rockpool life – perfect for exploring. Learn about the Council's seaweed collection

It's diverse too. At Joss Bay discover a surfers' paradise and learn to ride those waves. At rural Botany Bay wander beside creamy cliffs and towering chalk stacks. Other get-away-from-it-all spots include Stone Bay and Dumpton Gap, while West Bay, St. Mildred’s Bay and Minnis Bay offer beaches with a village-life feel. For facilities galore head to the resort bays at Margate Mains Sands, Broadstairs' Viking Bay and Ramsgate Main Sands. Discover more on our beaches and bays

Planning to bring your group to our beaches? To help plan your visit and keep safe please take a look at this useful information

To enjoy your experience at our beaches and bays, please check the Beach Byelaws

Beach Check UK App

We want you to have the best experience when visiting our beautiful beaches. A live map allowing you to see how busy they are using a traffic light system before you visit has been developed. View the map in fullscreen mode

If you are a regular beach user, download the app to have the most up to date information to hand

Hook up with the Thanet Coast Project for an educational event, or hike or cycle the Viking Coastal Trail - 32 miles (51.4km) of sandy beaches, spectacular cliffs and pretty villages. Or do what people have done for generations - create your own, timeless, free fun: go rockpooling, fly a kite, build a sandcastle or go crabbing. Check out this guide to Rock Pooling from the Thanet Coast Project to help identify your findings

Or come for one of our exciting seaside events. Broadstairs Water Gala is a feast of sand-fringed fun - ranging from a teddy bears' picnic, to live music and fireworks – whilst the Ramsgate Festival offers family fun from nautical games to opera on the beach.

Escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and let the beautiful Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate help you to release the tension, relax, unwind and breathe.

High-speed services mean the shores of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate are less than two hours from London.

Discover more through learning at our Beaches and Bays

Discover wheelchair-accessible bays via the Beach Within Reach charity (Minnis Bay and Viking Bay only 2021). Help keep our beaches and bays looking beautiful by undertaking a '2 minute' beach clean

It’s important to remember to stay safe and take care when visiting our beaches. Read our 'Sun, Sea, Sand and Safety' blog from the RNLI

Scroll through for ideas of things to do at our beaches and bays