Botany Bay Beach Walking Trail

The cliffs at Botany Bay near Birchington are something else. Towering chalk faces drop straight down to the shingle beach, and on a clear day you can see right across to France. The walk itself is straightforward enough - most people park near Birchington and head down to the beach, then either potter along the shore or tackle the cliff-top path for proper views.

It's the kind of place that rewards a bit of effort. The beach is good for a ramble, hunting for fossils or just sitting with a coffee watching the sea, but the real magic is walking the clifftop. You get these sudden viewpoints where the whole Kent coast stretches out, and the light on the water changes everything. Bring proper shoes though - the path gets muddy and the chalk crumbles in places.

Families with younger kids might find the beach bit enough, but walkers will want to do the full loop. It's free, you can spend as long as you like, and it works brilliantly as a morning or afternoon from Birchington Vale Holiday Park - only a short drive away. The walk takes a couple of hours if you're not rushing, which is about right before heading back for lunch.

Go early if you can. Summer weekends get rammed with day-trippers, and the charm wears off quickly when you're queuing for a spot on the shingle.