Seaside break

[StonwEd]

Hi all
I live in Suffolk and am looking to book a 3 day break by the coast in May. I’ve got a hankering for Brighton but have been loads of times so we were thinking about Whitby just for something new. I want to eat oysters there! But it is about a 4.5 hour drive which is doable but very far…
Thought I’d try here to see if there’s any gems you’d recommend within a 3 hour radius of Suffolk. Not in Suffolk or Norfolk though.
We want scenery, beaches, excellent food and drink and a bit of atmosphere.
Recommendations please 🙏

Whistable is lovely - nice shops (but not large high street), harbour, coastal walk, restaurants and pubs etc.

Also, another oyster town.

Have you tried Walton on the Naze?

Great if you like miles of golden sandy beaches and a bit of fossil/sharks teeth hunting.

Whitstable for oysters

Yes whitstable oysters 😀
that’s much closer to us, is it picturesque there? It’s a great shout

It's quite a small place, the east side of the harbour area where food places are is nicer than the west but u can walk as far as Reculver towers and further on too (England Coast Path). Catch a train or perhaps a bus to explore Ramsgate or Margate for some variety. Broadstairs has probably more of a (small) resort feel.

Margate has a beach and a tidal pool, not that u are likely to swim in it as much too cold now but u can walk around it on the edge and see the crabs in it 🤣 In fact there are some fairly nice beaches b/w Ramsgate and Margate, there is even one called Botany Bay.

Ramsgate and Margate are bigger so perhaps more going on?

Folkestone

When in May?

Any time… got some AL to use…

I like how they redeveloped the old rail terminal in Folkestone for a food piazza and I love how the beach huts have been painted in graduated pastel colours. And, who knew, Folkestone even has its own Folkestone mermaid on the beach🙂.
Not sure about anything else in town apart from that it was quite uphill to get to the station as I am only really familiar with the coast.

Whitstable is lovely, Harbour Street for nice little independent shops, lots of nice cafes and restaurants. Pebble beach, just be aware the sea goes far away at low tide so worth checking the timing (often see people walking down to the beach with rubber rings only to find the sea is miles away). Oysters on the beach from the Forge, or on the high street from the famous Wheelers. Nice walk/cycle along the sea front from Whitstable to Tankerton (and all the way to Herne Bay if you like walking/biking!) Lovely sunsets. Neptune Pub on the beach too.

Margate is awful. We left after an hour.

Broadstairs? Rye for Camber but there’s not much going on in Camber apart from the beach, great restaurants though.

Whitstable is lovely but not enough to do for three days you’d need to make some trips out.

Kent has a lot of lovely beaches around that area - Joss Bay and Botany Bay - both lovely sandy beaches. Broadstairs - park outside and walk along coast. Lovely icecream parlour. Sandy beach.

Folkstone is further south - nice shops with quaint shoos and cafes. Harbour area is nice. Nice sea walk to Seagate.

None if these places are necessarily three days worth, but you could use one place as a base to explore the area. You could even come inland or stop en route to places such as Leeds castle.

Margate has the Turner exhibition, Dreamlands theme park and a beautiful sandy beach. The shops on the seafront are nice, but nothing worth seeing further back. It’s definitely improved compared to the past.

People love to slag off Margate, but theres tons of stuff down there and events.