Best beaches within a good distance to Surrey
Be prepared for the next heatwave and plan a trip to one of these fabulous beaches, all within easy reach of Surrey.
On hot summer days, the best way to stay cool and enjoy the sunshine is with a trip to the beach! Check out our list for ideas of where to go on your next seaside trip.
1. Mudeford Sandbank, Dorset
- Nearest station: Hengistbury Head
- Nearest carpark: Hengistbury Head, a mile from the beach
- Facilities: toilets, showers, a food and refreshment kiosk
Located on a sandy peninsula, this gorgeous beach is a great spot for a day trip.
The Sandbank forms a natural barrier between Christchurch harbour and the open sea, meaning calm waters for swimming. Across the water, there are clear views to the Isle of Wight, creating a dreamy coastal landscape.
Have a dip or check out the activities such as water-skiing, wind-surfing and sea canoeing. It's also a great spot for seeing marine life - sometimes seals, porpoises or dolphins can be spotted in the water!
The beach has toilets and shower facilities, as well as a small kiosk where you can grab food and drink supplies.
To get there, drive or take a train to Hengistbury Head, where there is a car park available. From there, it's a mile long walk along the coastline to the sandy beaches.
Alternatively, you can park at Mudeford Quay, where you can catch a passenger ferry to the beach.
If you have room for bikes, it's a great opportunity for a pleasant cycle ride.
2. Camber Sands, Rye
Image from Oast House Archive
- Nearest station: Rye
- Nearest carpark: there is a paid carpark opposite the beach
- Facilities: None
Rest, relax, and explore the dunes at the stunning Camber Sands, one of the best-loved beaches within easy reach of South London. With five miles of pristine sandy beach to enjoy, it's no wonder it's a perennial favourite.
The beach gets its name from the rarity of sand in the Sussex area - most of the beaches around here are pebbled.
The charming town of Rye has plenty of cafés and shops to try, too. Just four miles away from the beach, this unspoilt medieval settlement is well worth a visit in itself, with its cobbled streets, antiques markets, and striking views of the Romney Marshes.
To get there, take the train to Rye and then walk or take a short 15-minute bus trip down to the coastline. For drivers, there is a paid carpark opposite the beach, which closes at 8 pm.
The area is popular with kite-surfers, as it's a windy part of the coastline - be sure to bring a windbreaker!
4. West Wittering, Kent
- Nearest station: Chichester (you need to take a bus down to the beach)
- Nearest carpark: there is a beach carpark, but you need to book a slot
- Facilities: toilets, showers, water fountains, a beach cafe
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, West Wittering is a large sandy beach which holds a Blue Flag Award for cleanliness and safety.
It is patrolled by lifeguards in the summer and is perfect for a traditional bucket and spade day out. But be warned, the beach gets busy, so arrive early to ensure your space.
With views of Chichester Harbour and the South Downs, the beach is spectacular and has been used for film, television and advertising shoots, including Miranda and Waking the Dead.
The dog-friendly Beach Café offers breakfast and lunch, and there are extensive areas of mown grass close to the beach where you can park and picnic.
This area is also popular with wind and kite surfers (there is a windsurfing and kitesurfing club with beach webcam, rescue service, hire centre and board storage plus tuition for adults and children).
5. West Beach and East Beach, Littlehampton
- Nearest train station: Littlehampton (just a ten minute walk away)
- Nearest carpark: according to the Littlehampton tourist board, there is ample parking along the seafront and around the town, with some streets allowing free parking
- Facilities: toilets, café, BBQ units
The seaside town of Littlehampton has not one beach but two, and they are quite different in character. So there's bound to be something for everyone's tastes.
East Beach has amusements, beach huts, a promenade and what is thought to be the longest seaside bench in Britain. This 1,000 foot-long sculptural structure twists and winds its way between two striking metal shelters.
Nearby are the Seafront Greens which make a great picnic and play area and also have free to use barbeques.
On the seafront, you can’t miss the East Beach Café, a Thomas Heatherwick designed structure built of rusted metal to resemble washed up driftwood.
West Beach, on the other hand, is more secluded. It's a site of Special Scientific Interest, with incredible sand dunes that are home to rare and protected wildlife. If you look hard enough, you may find some fossils.
Behind the dunes sits a nineteenth-century artillery fort which was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2013 and is the subject of the Littlehampton Restoration Project.
6. West Beach, Whitstable
- Nearest train station: Whitstable
- Nearest car park: there are multiple car parks near to the beach, the closest being Keam's Yard. Prices between £2 to £3 an hour
- Facilities: none, but there are plenty of cafés and bars nearby
If you like your beach to come with hipster boutiques and eateries, then you will love West Beach in Whitstable, the gentrified harbour and fishing town.
Situated just behind the town centre with its shops and restaurants, this is a shingle beach with jaunty beach huts and ramshackle wooden groynes.
Here you can swim, windsurf, sail, enjoy a pint or G&T at the seafront pub and live music venue Old Neptune or ‘Neppy’ as it is known to locals.
And if you like shellfish, you should definitely try the oysters – a local delicacy – from one of the seaside shacks.
West Beach is a particular favourite for dog walkers and, as the beach faces west, it’s a top place to catch the sunset.
7. Dungeness, Kent
- Nearest station: Dungeness
- Nearest carpark: parking is a little bit tricky here. Lydd Beach Carpark
- Facilities: none
This shingle beach on the edge of Romney Marsh is like Marmite, it's not for everybody. But for those with an artistic bent, it's a must-visit.
Desolate and strangely stunning, Dungeness has long been a draw for creative types. Derek Jarman, the late filmmaker, loved this mysterious land so much that he made his home there, in a black clapboard fisherman’s dwelling named Prospect Cottage.
Around his cottage, he constructed his famous driftwood garden. The cottage is now in private ownership but you can still see it from a polite distance.
The landscape is flat and empty, punctuated by two lighthouses and the Dungeness B power station which is still operational.
One of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe, Dungeness is classified as Britain’s only desert and, as such, the area is important for nature and wildlife conservation and home to an RSPB reserve.
8. Viking Bay, Kent
Image from Geograph
- Nearest train station: Broadstairs
- Nearest carpark: Broadstairs Harbour Carpark
- Facilities: toilets, showers
With an enormous sandy horseshoe-shaped beach and calm waters for swimming, Viking Bay is an ideal place to spend a hot summer's afternoon.
The town of Broadstairs is also full of character, with pubs and restaurants catering for every taste. Check out The Chapel Bar and Bookshop for an evening drink - its quirky interior and local ales are well worth the visit.
There are also beach-side bars, an amusement park for children, and gorgeous coastline walks within easy reach.
Given all it has to offer, it's no wonder that Viking Bay won the Seaside Award 2022. Its lively and laid back atmosphere makes it great for adults and children alike.
9. Fulham Beach Club, London
Alex Merz
- Nearest train station: Imperial Wharf/Putney Bridge
- Nearest car park: n/a
- Facilities: toilets
Finally, for a slice of urban beach paradise, pop-up Fulham Beach Club is back on South West London’s riverside.
Expect plenty of fun, booze, and Thames-side views at this secret London haven. The river is sublime at sunset, and within this magical summer hotspot, you can easily pretend you're in Ibiza.
Saturdays are all about sun, sand, and sipping cocktails or bottomless rosé. Come Sunday, tuck into a Bottomless Beach Brunch complete with strawberry cider, frozen daiquiris and bubbles alongside tempting street food.
You can also book a private beach, cabana, and more to hang out in, perfect for a birthday or just a fun night out with friends.
For film buffs, the Beach Club Cinema hosts a series of screenings every Tuesday, showing the cult classics and guilty pleasures.
Entrance is just £5 with additional ticketed events.
