Dover Beach

The white cliffs rise straight up from the shingle, dramatic and sudden. Dover Beach is less a destination than a statement - you round the corner from the town centre and there they are, those famous chalky walls that have watched over Britain for centuries. It's free to access, naturally, and the beach itself stretches east towards Deal with pebbles underfoot and the cliffs towering above.

What you actually do here depends on the weather and your tolerance for shingle. Families with small children sometimes find it hard going - the beach is steep and the pebbles don't make for easy sandcastle building. But teenagers and adults who like a good walk will get proper value from it. The stretch towards the east is quieter than the town beach, and on a clear day you can make out the French coast across the water. Swimming happens, though the undertow can be fierce and the water's cold even in summer.

The cliffs themselves draw people, obviously. You can't climb them - they're protected - but walking alongside them is enough. The contrast between the grey-brown town and that brilliant white chalk is striking. Allow an hour for a decent wander, maybe two if you've got time and want to head further along towards St Margaret's Bay.

Staying at one of the parks nearby - Parkdean's St Margaret's Bay spot is just three miles away - gives you easy access without the stress of Dover's car parks. You get the cliffs and the coast without spending your whole holiday in the town itself.