Searching Google for "sandy beaches near me" or "seaside near me"? Well, allow us to prepare you for the next heatwave with our list of the most fabulous beaches within easy reach of Surrey. So, if you're ready to plan your next seaside trip, here are the only beaches we recommend.
1. Mudeford Sandbank, Dorset
- Nearest station: Hengistbury Head (1.5 hour's drive via M3 / 2.5-hour train journey from Woking)
- Nearest car park: 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 waterskiing, windsurfing, 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, shower facilities, and a small kiosk where you can grab food and drink supplies.
To get there, drive or take a train to Hengistbury Head, where a car park is 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.
Image from Oast House Archive
2. Camber Sands, Rye
- Nearest station: Rye (2-hour drive via M25 / 3-hour train from Woking)
- Nearest car park: there is a paid car park 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 beaches around here are pebbled.
The charming town of Rye also has plenty of cafés and shops to try. Just four miles from the beach, this unspoilt medieval settlement is well worth a visit, with its cobbled streets, antique markets, and striking views of the Romney Marshes.
To get there, take the train to Rye and then walk or take a 15-minute bus trip down the coastline. For drivers, there is a paid car park opposite the beach, which closes at 8 p.m. 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 / 1-hour drive)
- Nearest car park: there is a beach car park, but you must 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 with a Blue Flag Award for cleanliness and safety.
In the summer, it is patrolled by lifeguards 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 a beach webcam, rescue service, hire centre, board storage, and tuition for adults and children).
5. West Beach and East Beach, Littlehampton
- Nearest train station: Littlehampton (beach a ten-minute walk away / 1 hour drive or 2 hour train)
- Nearest car park: 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 the longest seaside bench in Britain. This 1,000-foot-long sculptural structure twists and winds between two striking metal shelters.
Nearby are the Seafront Greens, which make a great picnic and play area and free-to-use barbeques.
On the seafront, you can’t miss the East Beach Café, a Thomas Heatherwick-designed structure made 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 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 (2 hour drive / 3 hour drive)
- Nearest car park: Multiple car parks near 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 want your beach to have hipster boutiques and eateries, you will love West Beach in Whitstable, the gentrified harbour and fishing town. If you like shellfish, you should definitely try the oysters—a local delicacy—from one of the seaside shacks.
Situated just behind the town centre with shops and restaurants, this shingle beach has jaunty beach huts and ramshackle wooden groynes. Here, you can swim, windsurf, sail, and enjoy a pint or G&T at the seafront pub and live music venue Old Neptune, or ‘Neppy’ as it is known to locals.
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 (2-hour drive / 5-hour train)
- Nearest car park: 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 Prospect Cottage, a black clapboard fisherman’s dwelling.
He constructed his famous driftwood garden around his cottage. 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 still-operating Dungeness B power station. One of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe, Dungeness is classified as Britain’s only desert. As such, the area is important for nature and wildlife conservation and is home to an RSPB reserve.
Image from Geograph
8. Viking Bay, Kent
- Nearest train station: Broadstairs (2-hour drive via M25 / 2-hour train)
- Nearest car park: 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.
Alex Merz
9. Fulham Beach Club, London
- Nearest train station: Imperial Wharf/Putney Bridge (1 hour train)
- Nearest car park: N/A
- Facilities: Toilets
Finally, pop-up Fulham Beach Club is back on South West London’s riverside for a slice of urban beach paradise.
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 with strawberry cider, frozen daiquiris and bubbles, and 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.
The Beach Club Cinema hosts a series of screenings every Tuesday for film buffs. These include cult classics and guilty pleasures. Entrance is just £5, and additional ticketed events are available.
