Broadstairs sits between the louder seaside resorts of Margate and Ramsgate, on the eastern tip of Kent. Quieter than its neighbours, prettier than most, and the favourite holiday spot of Charles Dickens, who came back almost every summer for twenty-odd years. The town is small enough to wander in an afternoon and rich enough to keep you a week.
The beaches
Seven bays in walking distance of the town centre, and each one different. Viking Bay is the headline — a perfect horseshoe of sand below the cliffs, with striped beach huts, a jetty, and the cafés of the Promenade looking down on it. It's the busy one. Lovely in early morning before the crowds arrive.
Botany Bay, just north and a few minutes' walk from Botany Bay Beach House, is the most photogenic. Chalk stacks rise straight out of the sand at low tide and there are rock pools and smugglers' caves to explore. Quieter than Viking, more dramatic.
Joss Bay is the surfers' beach — home to Joss Bay Surf School, which has been running lessons since 1998. Even if you don't surf, it's a beautiful, lifeguarded crescent of sand and probably the safest swim of the lot.
Kingsgate Bay is the secret one. A small, secluded cove tucked beneath the cliffs, reached down a flight of steps. Look up and you'll see Kingsgate Castle perched on the headland. Stone Bay and Louisa Bay are quieter still — the kind of beaches you can have almost to yourself even in August.
Where to eat and drink
For a town this size the food is unusually good, and the harbour anchors it. Around Harbour Street, Albion Street and the seafront you'll find fresh seafood, modern British cooking, wood-fired pizza, tapas, independent cafés and bakeries, and a lively mix of pubs and micropubs — several with windows looking straight over Viking Bay. Places come and go with the seasons, so rather than list them here we'll happily point you to the current favourites when you book. And no seaside day is complete without an ice cream on the front.
For a wet day
Dickens House Museum
A small museum in the cottage that inspired Betsey Trotwood's house in David Copperfield. Knowledgeable volunteer guides, a proper sense of place, and not too long a visit. Open seasonally — check before you go.
Crampton Tower Museum
A tiny museum next to Broadstairs railway station, housed in a Victorian flint tower. Trains, engines, and railway history. More charming than it sounds.
The Palace Cinema
A 111-seat independent cinema in the heart of town. Family-run, current films, the opposite of a multiplex.
The Viking Coastal Trail
A 25-mile circular walking and cycling route around the Isle of Thanet, taking in Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate. You don't need to do all of it. The three-and-a-half-mile stretch from Broadstairs to Margate along the clifftops is the famous section, passing Botany Bay, Joss Bay and Kingsgate. Allow 90 minutes on foot. Bring a camera and decent shoes.
The Broadstairs Folk Festival
If you can plan your visit for August, the Folk Festival is the town's biggest event — a full week of music in venues across Broadstairs, much of it free and outdoors. The Bandstand on the seafront comes alive. The atmosphere is unmatched. Check dates well in advance; accommodation books out months ahead.
A perfect day
Coffee and a pastry in the old town. A morning walk along the cliffs from Broadstairs to Botany Bay (45 minutes one way). Rock-pooling or a swim. Lunch by the harbour, looking out at the boats. An hour reading on Stone Bay, where nobody finds you. An ice cream on the front. A drink on the seafront while the sun goes down over the Channel. Home before midnight.