As soon as the weather hits over 23 degrees every Brit has one place on their mind – the beach. Growing up in Australia I was incredibly spoiled, and everyone knows that British beaches accessible from London aren’t great, but when the sand/pebbles are between your toes and the sun is shining – the complaints seem to disappear.

My other half and I have explored just about every stretch of beach within the vicinity of London and one place still remains our favourite – Camber Sands. It’s a winner for a few reasons:

• Ample parking and transport links
• Golden sand
• Full of sand dunes that you can perch in for privacy
• Really long stretch of beach so you’re bound to get space even on the sunniest of days
• It’s right next to Rye which is a beautiful medieval town

Getting to the beach

We usually drive down, but before we had a car we would simply catch a few trains and walk or bus the rest. There’s parking right next to the beach, but I’d recommend getting there before 11am to guarantee a spot, and earlier if it’s a really hot day (particularly if you want to avoid the traffic which can be hellish).

From the carpark (where there is also a grotty, but usable if you’re desperate, public loo) there are several routes into the beach, just make sure you don’t go up the one with the huge hill – you’ll see it from the ground – it’s incredibly strenuous and there are much flatter routes to the left and to the right of it. I’ve marked the route NOT to go on below with an X:

Once you get to the beach you have a choice of either flat sandy ground or a sand dune (our favourite) where you get great views of the entire beach along with a cooling breeze. It’s away from all the kids with families, but a bit annoying if you actually want to go swimming because you have to hoik up and down the hill.

What to bring

If you’re going for the whole day I would highly advise to bring food and drinks with you. Rye is miles away, and the local town in Camber isn’t great for food. Usually we pack the following:

• Lunch: usually a sourdough loaf, cold cut selection of meats, small bit of cheese, hummus/dips, strawberries or grapes, and a bottle of rose and two bottles of sparkling water. I’ve learnt from experience that drinking in the heat is not a great idea because you’re already dreadfully dehydrated, so I’ve started making a mixer with a dry rosé and sparkling water. Sparkling rosé is impossible to store in a cool bag and will go flat quite quickly anyway. You can also bring a disposable BBQ, but I prefer not to faff around. Don’t forget utensils, plates, cups, a cool bag, a plastic bag for rubbish, salt and pepper if you’re fussy like me, etc. Note that the local supermarket ‘Jempsons’ in Rye is completely closed on a Sunday – this completely caught us out the last time we visited, but we managed to get some bits from a nearby Co-op.
• Entertainment: I charge up my Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speakers which last me all day, and bring a power bank to make sure I have enough power for my phone and to blow up my inflatable lounger. Add in a book, a frisbee and if you’re brave enough to go swimming (both because of the cold water and the current pollution crisis) don’t forget an inflatable donut – they are my favourite thing ever as I’m a terrible swimmer and hate touching water I can’t see (for good reason as I was once badly stung by a weever fish in Cornwall and couldn’t feel my toe for 6 weeks!).
• Other: British weather can be unpredictable, and Camber Sands can get very windy even in the summer, so pack a windbreak and some warmer clothes that you can put on if you stay after the hottest part of the day, and of course the usual fare that you would take to any beach (swimmers, hats, sunnies, suncream, lots of water). From experience I also recommend brining baby wipes, which are great for getting sticky sand off your face), and loo roll (as the public loos always run out).

Visiting Rye

If you’ve made it all the way to Camber, you would be remiss not to stop over at the beautiful medieval town of Rye. Set on top of a hill and surrounded by luscious country side, it is one of the most picturesque towns in all of England. It has many independent shops, restaurants and pubs, and my favourite spot to go to is the Mermaid Inn – a three-star hotel within a stunning Tudor building featuring wooden beams, tapestry style wallpaper and heraldry stained glass windows. It is actually one of my favourite pubs in the country, and has even been frequented by the likes of Johnny Depp and other celebrities which line the walls.

They also have a two-rosette restaurant inside with 3 courses for under £50, but make sure to book in advance. They also have an outdoor area where you can enjoy a drink in the evening sun.

So the next time you see a 23+ degree weekend approaching you know exactly where to go. See you in the sand dunes!