Day Trip: Whitstable, U.K.
With pastel-coloured buildings, oysters galore, and pebble beaches, Whitstable is a perfect day trip for a dose of the classic British seaside.
We are lucky to get one last burst of summery weather. With the glorious Indian summer, we decided to make the most of it by taking a day trip to the quaint seaside village of Whitstable. On the north coast of Kent, Whitstable is best known for an eclectic mix of vintage shops, bookstores, colourful beach huts, and oysters galore.
It takes under 90 minutes from London Victoria or London St. Pancras. It’s so close to London that there are no excuses not to visit this charming coastal town. Lady Yeya has yet to visit the British seaside, and Whitstable is the perfect introduction.
It’s been about five years (yes five!) since our last visit to Whitstable in 2015 for the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival, a weekend extravaganza drawing boatloads of oysters lovers to this seaside town. Once a poor man’s food where people could pluck and shuck oysters directly from the sea, today these little salty nuggets of deliciousness are now considered posh. And some of the best oysters are right here in Whitstable, especially the prized Native oysters which are in season during the “R” months. Lucky for us, September is indeed an “R” month so off we go to enjoy some fresh sea breeze, vitamin D, and delicious oysters.
Top Things to do in Whitstable
Harbour Street
Just pass the famous Instagram-worthy pink Wheelers Oyster Bar is the start of Harbour Street. This sweet little street is bursting with cute independent boutiques, gift shops, cafes and restaurants, and speciality food shops such as The Cheese Box. Small but perfectly-formed for some window-shopping and browsing. We stopped for some ice cream at Sundae Sundae before taking our train back to London. Browse around for some old vintage treasures. And in between, spot some interesting street art including one of Her Majesty the Queen with her corgi dogs.
Whitstable Harbour
For more unique artisan arts and crafts, head over the Whitstable Harbour. We visited on a Wednesday, therefore, a lot of stalls weren’t open. The harbour was not as busy as I remembered it. There’s also a good selection of micro eateries from fish and chips, falafel wraps, and even curries. Note that Whitstable is still very much a working harbour where you’ll see fishing vessels and industrial aggregate nearby. Every August, the town hosts its annual Harbour Day to celebrate its proud maritime heritage.
West Beach & Tankerton Beach
On the west side of the harbour leading to the Old Neptune is West Beach otherwise known as Whitstable Beach Front. With a toddler and dog in tow, we wanted a quieter beach. On the eastern side is a long stretch of pebble beach, Tankerton Beach, where there’s a promenade that hugs the coastline towards Swalecliffe Beach and beyond. Tankerton is a classic shingle beach with wooden groynes separating the beach into small sections. Here you’ll find colourful beach huts dotted along the coast. The tides were fairly high, but apparently, there’s something called The Street during low tide, a natural causeway that takes you out to the sea. It’s a great place to spade out and enjoy a few hours on the beach.
Seafood & Oysters
Of course, no visit to Whitstable is complete without tasting its famous oysters. It’s September and that means the native oyster season is in full swing until April. There are so many fantastic seafood restaurants around Whitstable from more upscale eateries to little seaside shacks. We had an enjoyable lunch at the Lobster Shack on the East Quay Dock. Because we couldn’t get enough of the fresh sea breeze, we sat at a picnic table right on the beach and enjoyed a dozen oysters on the rocks.
We had a wonderful time introducing Lady Yeya to the best of the Kentish coast. We look forward to exploring more of the Kentish seaside towns of Margate, Broadstairs, Deal, and Dymchurch.
