St. Mary's Bay Beach & Cliffs.

The cliffs here rear up without warning as you walk along the shingle, striped in chalky whites and greys like a geological timeline. St. Mary's Bay stretches either side of Birchington, and on a clear day the light does something proper magical to that exposed stone.

It's a proper walk-and-breathe sort of place rather than a destination with things to do. The beach itself is shingle-heavy, the sort that crunches underfoot and plays hell with your shoes, but families with older kids often come for the cliff scramble and the views across the bay towards the Isle of Sheppey. On spring tides the sand reveals itself and gives you firmer footing. The cliffs aren't the tallest in Kent, bit of an anticlimax if you're coming from the Jurassic Coast, but they're worth an hour's walk and a good vantage point for spotting seabirds.

Walkers make better use of this than sunbathers. The coastal path is well-trodden and manageable, though the wind can be bracing and the shingle unforgiving if you're after a leisurely beach day. There's no facilities worth mentioning - you'll want supplies from Birchington before you head down.

If you're based at Birchington Vale Holiday Park, this is genuinely worth the short drive to burn off some sea air. Don't expect amusement or crowds. Come for the geology, the quiet, and the chance to feel properly at the edge of something.