The 17 best hiking trails in Whitstable

Nice harbour created for the enjoyment of tourists in a working fishing port. Fresh seafood is available by the harbour, however some of the outlets are a little too touristy. Overall a pleasant place to visit

Whitstable Harbour is a prominent feature in the coastal town of Whitstable, located in Kent, England. Known for its rich maritime history and vibrant local culture, the harbour has been operational since 1832 and has played a crucial role in the town's development, particularly in fishing and oyster cultivation. Key Features of Whitstable Harbour: Oyster Fishing: Whitstable is renowned for its oysters, and the harbour has been central to this trade for centuries. Railway History: The harbour was once connected to the world’s first passenger railway, the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, which opened in 1830. It remains a working harbour, with a fleet of fishing vessels primarily focused on shellfish. The harbour is a popular tourist destination, offering a variety of activities such as boat tours, seafood restaurants, and markets. Whitstable Oyster Festival: An annual event celebrating the town's oyster fishing heritage, featuring food stalls, music, and entertainment. Harbour Market: Regular markets held in the harbour area where local artisans and vendors sell crafts, food, and other goods. Harbour Village: A collection of small shops and eateries housed in converted shipping containers. Art and Exhibitions: The harbour often hosts art installations and exhibitions, contributing to Whitstable's reputation as a hub for artists. Visitors to Whitstable Harbour can enjoy Seafood Dining, numerous restaurants and eateries offer fresh, locally sourced seafood. Boat Trips: Options include fishing trips, wildlife tours, and excursions to the nearby Red Sands Maunsell Forts. Walking and Cycling: Scenic routes along the coastline provide beautiful views and a chance to explore the town's heritage. Whitstable Harbour blends historical significance with contemporary attractions, making it a vibrant focal point for both locals and tourists. A fantastic day out at Whitstable Harbour that offers a perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and cultural experiences, soaking in the vibrant community atmosphere, and making it a memorable outing. I highly recommend it.

Missed the market, but there were plenty of good food and drink options regardless. Prices are generally higher than elsewhere in Whitstable but that’s to be expected given the location and trendier vibe.

We visited Whitstabke harbour and had a wonderful dayout. The harboir is a busy area, bustling with rich history of oysters, yacht club and full of people roaming and enjoying their time. The harbour is at its best on high tides . Good place for relaxing and to enjoy quality time to enjoy the vast endless water ahead. The harbour has good quality food courts with an adjacent local market that makes the place quite popular. We took the 30 min boat ride trip which was a wonderful experience to go out and enjoy in the open water.

A great couple of days in Whitstable. Lovely walk along the front rounded of by a fish n chip supper sitting along the seafront.

Superb area to visit, spent the day there, plenty to do and see in the harbour, restaurants and bars a plenty and you can catch a bout tour.

Lovely selection of top quality Whitstable arts, crafts, food and drink. I highly recommend you taking the time to visit.

The Whitstable castle looks stunning from outside but unfortunately it was closed for visitors due to an event. The garden is beautiful with play area for kids.

The Castle has a rich history dating back to the 17th century. The castle with its garden is an exquisite place to visit and walk around in the open public park. There is a cafe in the castle with sitting areas both inside and outside. We have tea while having seats outside and enjoying the wonderful views that the place has to offer. This is definitely a wild experience which is a must try while visiting Whitstable. There is a rose garden behind the castle which is well maintained and full of blooms.

This is a place to pass through and maybe stop for a cup of tea. Its not really a castle more of an interesting folly. Nice gardens with some unusual plants.

Sadly when we visited there was a wedding so we couldn't look around the castle inside. It was a lot smaller than I expected and the parking signs were confusing all saying permit holders but all you do is put your registration in at reception. Pleasant grounds but we didn't stay long.

Attractive castle set amongst landscaped gardens. The building doesn't have the long history of many defensive castles, but makes up for this with a striking appearance. Colourful, well maintained flowerbeds and tropical plants give the gardens an inviting feel, and there's seating around the front of the castle to sit and enjoy refreshments. The rose garden is a particular highlight in early summer. There's a small amount of on-site parking available for disabled visitors, and otherwise plenty of space along the road overlooking Tankerton slopes. Information boards around the castle grounds and in the gatehouse explain more about the site's history.

Beautiful place to visit with no entrance fee.

Having enjoyed wonderful service from Maddie for years with my husband and late dad I am sorry to say we shall never be back. As someone who is retired and lives in between my overseas homes and uk I have stayed and dined in top class restaurants and hotels and know what a coffee smells, looks like etc. we previously loved the service from Maddie. Amazing lady who goes above and beyond. We waited 30 mins for two decaf coffees and a piece of cake. I had to chase for them. There was an aftertaste of detergent and therefore I asked for new coffees. I was told by a rather obnoxious young lady? that it was because it was decaf ! I explained we’d been here for years and never had a decaf coffee like today. After a chat the more mature man offered two non decaf. These were brought to us by the obnoxious lady who told us how important she was as a previous coffee barista and spend 5 mins telling us how wrong we were and it was not the coffees fault !! The replacement cups again tasted exactly the same so we left them almost full. Hence after 10 years we say goodbye. Slow service and young staff who have no etiquette and think they are right about it all ! So long and good luck !!

It's a nice view over the sea, but not that high and in front of a (quiet) road. If you're hoping for a proper clifftop walk it's better to go to nearby Broadstairs. With that said I loved the Long Rock beach nature reserve below where you can find crabs, unusual rocks with sea creatures wrapped around them and a lot of seaweed. Really peaceful and interesting to look around. Atmosphere reminded me of Dungeness. I've included pictures from there too because Google doesn't let you review it separately.

We visited on a day when there was sunny weather.... bonus! Beautiful views. One of the best places to re-energise and feel full of 'happy'. A double bonus was the food festival and live music 🎶 We had a long sit down being entertained and chatting to local people, whilst eating local food. Best day!

Tankerton is a little village (street), in between The Hampton, Herne Bay and Whitstable, Kent. The panoramic view of the North sea and abstract cloudy skies are breathtaking. Especially between January and December. I think it's classed as an estuary. Anyway, it's stunning. Loads to do. You can walk for miles along the beach and find quiet spots, drift wood for your art projects and shells for your soap, incense or an ashtray for your Berkeley menthol fags. I've Scunthorpe, but I've been here 20 years now. It is literally like living on another planet. If you catch ma drift. Blessings ❤️🙏🏼

It's a nice place to have a stroll, walk the dog, or have a picnic on top of the slope. It has some parking along the road but it might get busy during the day. I saw people doing some kite-surfing when i came. Looked really fun! The huts along the slopes are so colourful, it's a perfect place for pictures.

Lovely, peaceful place. You can see the Isle of Sheppey, and also the 2nd World War gunnery towers built on stilts in the estuary from here

Grass bank home to rows of colourful beach huts, offering pleasant coastal views over the pebble beach below. On a clear evening you can see very a dramatic sunset over the sea. Worth walking out on The Street when the tide is out and looking back at the beach huts for a different perspective on the slopes. Accessible short walks into Whitstable or longer walks towards Herne Bay. Plenty of free parking along the road (can be hard to find a space in peak season and on sunny days). Cafés and public toilets at regular intervals.

Beautiful and quiet beach option for a family trip to the sea. Shallow waters with very fine sand but muddy in places. Town center close nearby and delicious ice cream shops and fish and chips shops around. Free parking available on some nearby roads or paid parking just on the seafront road. Toilets also available close to the beach.

Me and the ball and chain went for a wonderful walk with a hyperactive and dense Rottweiler. The trees were mirroring my girlfriends moaning with random, deep squeaks. After that we got lost and I made her leak from making her laugh too much.....all true. And it really is a wonderful place

Beautiful and tranquil woods. Shame it's spoil by poo bags on the verge and even hanging from branches. Come on lazy dog owners don't spoil for others. You know it's not right.If You're too embarrassed to carry it back to the entrance kick it in the undergrowth. Without the bag of course, where it will eventually biodegrade.

Mixed woodland, part of the Blean Complex. Mix of paths from hard surface to dirt tracks. One hill. Car park. The crab and winkle cycle path goes through the wood as does the Big Blean Walk. Seats by the car park and by the small pond. Bluebells and wood anemones in parts in spring.

This was a lovely walk this morning, the paths are good, it’s nice to not Wade through mud the whole way, our pups loved it, so much to sniff lol car park is not a bad size we didn’t struggle to get parked ! well recommend place to take the dogs for a long walk we did just over 6k

Great walks for all seasons For family friends or solo Walkers runners cyclists or horse riding Mushroom picking blackberry and chestnut but please think of others so there is enough to share There is also a small picnic area by the crab and winkle sign So come enjoy the beautiful woods and learn the history of thr crab and winkle route and more!

Had a glorious morning walk round here, stopped at the Crab and Winkle Line for a flask of tea, well kept and utterly beautiful

Great walk through woodland. Wide gravel style paths so easy to keep distance and also not muddy. Also this place is also perfect for cyclists. You can also follow the path off for an hour long walk in Whitstable.

This is a great pub right on the beach at Whitstable!! Always very busy because of where it is! We were lucky and got a seat inside, just before the lunchtime rush! We had the fish and chips as the fish is fresh from the harbour! There was a bit of a wait for lunch but it wasn't too long! There's real ale and plenty of other drinks to choose!! The food was hot and delicious as well!

This charming old pub right on the beach is a must if you are visiting this cute town of Whitstable. It was definitely hopping on the early August day that we stopped in and we were able to secure a beachside picnic table for our group of three adults and three children. We did see some reservation signs on certain tables so it seems you can plan for an outdoor table in advance. We had the fish and chips which was very tasty and a couple of pints of ale, which was also good, the ladies working behind the counter were very sweet and helpful.

A lovely pub right on the beach. Reasonable prices for drinks. Very dog friendly. Mu husband, my doggy Koda and myself visited whilst out for the day in Whitstable. I only gave 4 stars as I didnt try the food this time but I will update my review if I do.

Picture perfect location jutting out along the beach, with a huge covered outdoor patio area. Perfect classic rural British pub feel inside with great service and amazing fresh fish & trips. Must go in Whitstable.

Nice view, great beers and ciders. Food was not what we expected : you pay more for the view than quality. But we can all agree it’s the perfect spot for sunsets !

Great old timey quirky pub with plenty of tap choice, great selection of top shelf liquor and BBQ food outside on the terrace literally at the top of the beach. Sounds of people enjoying themselves all around the massive seating area, waves lapping the beach 40 ft away and very friendly accommodating staff serving drinks to tables with hot & cold food. Will be returning.

Real gem – right on the beach with stunning views. It has a lively, welcoming atmosphere and serves up great food that pairs perfectly with the seaside setting. A must-visit spot for anyone in town.

Food review: a very mixed bag. We came in and ate in the bar as the restaurant was fully booked and had a very mixed experience. Service wise was a real mix, lots of staff around and some friendly but some made you feel like they were doing you a favour. The menu variety was wide with food options and the starters were brilliant, we couldn’t wait for our mains but unfortunately we were very disappointed. The special which was the fish stew was good but our other mains very poor. We had two fish and chips which, while they tasted average were tiny portions, especially for the price and the chips were poor. We also ordered the linguine which had barely any taste and required a lot of salt to give it some flavour. When our mains were bought over, our server offered sauces and we asked for some Parmesan for the linguine. When they returned, we were told that we would have to come back to the bar to pay an additional £2 if we wanted Parmesan. Honestly I was taken back as I’ve never had this before when ordering pasta. I do understand that the price of everything is going up but, if you really have to charge, this is something I should have been asked if I wanted to add when ordering at the bar with pasta dishes rather than being asked to come back to the bar to pay with my food getting cold. Overall, come for a snack but there are much better places in Whitstable

I haven’t stayed in the hotel so based rating of rooms on pub areas. I’ve been to the pub a few times and had drinks in the garden. On a weekday visit a few years ago it was very quiet but on a Sunday afternoon recently it was very lively with a lovely atmosphere and a live guitarist who was amazing. It looks like it’s been redecorated since my last visit. Very pleasant garden. Lots of cocktails were not on offer but enjoyed what I did have and would return.

We (2 adults, daughters aged 8 and 6) dined in. Super kid friendly- menus to colour and puzzles. 2 course kids menu plus drink was just £10. Food was amazing: I had the seafood spaghetti which was loaded with mussels and had two huge tiger prawns on top. Very good quality food for price point. Friendly service.

A family group of 11 of us ate lunch here today for a birthday celebration, and it was all-round excellent! Our waitress was lovely, and the service from the whole team was great. We had lots of different items from the menu and they were all top-notch - roast chicken, roast beef (both cooked to perfection with superb roast spuds, and lovely veg including swede and red cabbage) burger, fish pie, sea bass and more - all really tasty. This is the second time I’ve eaten here and it does not disappoint. Highly recommended

I’ve just had a fabulous 2 night stay at the Duke of Cumberland. This centrally located pub and restaurant has boutique hotel rooms and is 2 minutes walk from the beach/coastal path. I stayed in ‘Bluebell’ and it was beautifully appointed and spotlessly clean. The bed was very comfortable and the bedding was snow white and. crisp. The towels were of a good size and were white and soft. Toiletries and tea/coffee/biscuits were all of a very good quality. There were 2 complimentary bottles of Whitstable Bay Ale waiting in the room, which was a nice touch. Breakfast is delicious and well presented. Hannah welcomed me each day at breakfast and is very cheerful and helpful. A nice start to the day. Another member of staff that me ed s a special mention, is Aidan. I was struggling with a baby, pushchair and heavy bag after getting caught in a rain shower and Aidan immediately approached me and asked what he could do to help. This was such excellent customer service and was genuinely appreciated. Aidan is a credit to your establishment. There is a really nice feel to the Duke of Cumberland and I will definitely be returning as there is so much to see and go in the area.

If you want to enjoy a pleasant meal or drink with your family while visiting Whitstable, please do yourself a favour and SKIP THIS PLACE! My husband and I stopped by The Duke of Cumberland for a relaxing lunch. Our 15-year old son, who had already eaten, simply wanted to sit with us while enjoying a small crepe he had picked up from a nearby stand. The staff refused to let him in because of the crepe. Yes, you read that correctly.... We asked if they served crepes themselves (hoping to somehow make this work), and they said no. So they denied access to a quiet, polite teenager for brining in a snack they don't even offer. No flexibility, no grace, no hospitality, no customer service at all... just a hard no. Thankfully, this all happened before we ordered food-so we finished our drinks and took our business elsewhere. What could have been a lovely family moment became an absurd and disappointing episode. A real shame, considering how welcoming and kind most places in Whitstable have been. Hospitality, after all, is not just about food and drink. It's about the humans you serve. It's a pity when charm ends at the threshold. Whitstable deserves better. TWO THUMBS DOWN and a real minus-10 STAR review!

Super unfriendly staff. We make a booking and wasn’t notified that no dogs allowed. Lady in restaurants gave me attitude when I was asking her if we could possibly put dog in pram and that will sort the problem. She then said go next door you can stay there with dog but we don’t do any service there. I’ve asked if we can order food at least for kids and she snapped you have to order on bar, no willingness to help to guide you or give menu, explain or something. Basically, go sort yourself. We love our cottage in Whitstable and this pub does great food of all the time, shame staff in restaurant just getting worst each time we visit.

Very convenient place, close to the bay. However, the price is much higher than the most of beach side we visited in England. It's £3.70 per hour and 60p per 10 mins. It cost me £8 only for a lunch time. I don't recommend it if you can find a cheaper place nearby.

Expensive, but they tell you that before you go in. However on our return we paid for our ticket, got straight in the car, and drove to the exit gate where we were asked to pay another £4.80. Fortunately we had the printed ticket receipt to prove both that we'd already paid and been quick to exit the car park. Not great.

Parking fees an absolute rip off. Under 3 hrs parking cost £10.50. Rather conveniently the ticket receipt cuts of the relevant time section. Will not return. No wonder the car park was so empty. Council rip off yet again.

Convenient, but do you pay for that privilege, £3.70 an hour!! nothing like encourage to park on the street!!

Very convenient to walk to market but quite expensive. You can get the price details in the machine.

Very expensive car park. Advertised at £3.10, but the actual price is £3.40 per hour. Surely it's illegal to advertise one price and charge a different more expensive price. So for 2hours they stung us for £6.80. Great way to drive away tourists and money.

Visited Whitstable 24th April 2023 and was really disgusted at the hourly rate for parking at this car park, £3.10 an hour, the other small seafront car park Keams Yard is the same price as well. What is Canterbury Council trying to do, kill businesses and put people off from visiting Whitstable. I talked to someone in one of the businesses and they said alot of businesses were unhappy about it as well. I don't know what the other 2 (East Quay and Harbour car parks) were priced at as I meant to have a look but forgot to. Just like most other people have said, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) based and pay before exiting. I don't know the exact procedure, as I didn't use the car perk, so check when you arrive.

Urgently needed new steering cable and helm and was really pleased that they had the items in stock that I could pick up same day. I made an error and bought the wrong steering helm. Took it back next day and they were happy to replace it for the right one. All sorted now. Thanks for great service!

Bought some sailing gear online, after receiving it I had to return it for a larger size and there was no issue with exchanging it. Excellent communication and competitive prices. I'll purchase from here again and certainly recommend them

Friendly staff and helpful.

Bought my Barton Boom strut and plunger here and made a saving compared to other suppliers researched and the service is excellent with next day shipping and delivered on time , as oppossed to other suppliers who had to order and then ship out.

I have been very impressed with the speed of service and advices I got from Whistable Marine. I wanted an old version and they called the manufacturer to get it built for me, all done very quickly. I would definitely recommend this chandlery.

Great shop - ordered online and delivery came within 24hrs. Good prices and really high quality products. Thanks so much for the great service

Brilliant old fashioned personal service! Spent ages showing me how to use the new outboard , such kind thoughtful people .

Love Whitstable!

Love Whitstable