Whitstable

Whitstable is a town in Kent, England. Whitstable is on the North Kent Coast. The town is famous for its oysters, and has several upmarket fish restaurants.

Whitstable Beach

The tourist information centre in the high street has closed.

Get in

The Crab and Winkle Way Cycle Path

By plane

The nearest major airport is London Gatwick Airport (LGW ^IATA). London City Airport (LCY ^IATA) is recommended too.

By train

🌍 Whitstable station is served by regular trains from London Victoria, Margate, the Medway Towns and Faversham. Most trains from London Victoria divide at Faversham, with half of the train taking the north coast line, and half heading for the south coast; ensure that you are sitting in the correct part of the train.

By bus

By car

The A299 road, known as the Thanet Way, runs between Ramsgate and Faversham via Herne Bay and Whitstable, and merges with the M2 motorway at Faversham. Parking can be difficult in Whitstable.

By bicycle

The Crab and Winkle Way cycle track links Canterbury with Whitstable.

Get around

See

Whitstable Castle

• Explore the Harbour and fish market.
• 🌍 Horsebidge, 11 Horsebridge Road, CT5 1AF. M-Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 10AM-5PM. Arts and community center. A charity-run art gallery at the beach end of the High Street. (updated Mar 2019)
• 🌍 Whitstable Castle, Tower Hill. The castle is not open for sightseeing, but is used for exhibitions and events. The gardens are quite good.  
• 🌍 Whitstable Museum and Gallery, 5A Oxford Street. Th-Sa 11AM-4:30PM (also W in Jul, Aug). Museum of local history, seafaring and about the actor Peter Cushing. £3, locals free. (updated Mar 2019)

Do

• Walk along the beach. A pebble beach with groins runs along most of the seafront, with a concrete path alongside.
• 🌍 The Playhouse Theatre, 104 High Street, CT5 1AZ, ☎ [phone]. (updated Jan 2017)

Buy

There are many good craft shops and artists studios, as well as a variety of small independent shops.

For groceries, there is a Co-operative on Oxford Street.

Eat

There are a selection of restaurants, some expensive, with many featuring seafood. There are also takeaways on the high street.

• 🌍 Tea Garden, Marine Parade (near the castle). A tea kiosk in a small park, with tables set out in the gardens. Open weekends and summer weekdays depending on the weather. 

Drink

• 🌍 The Old Neptune, Marine Terrace (walk along the beach), ☎ [phone]. An old rustic pub with great views Whitstable beach and its famous sunsets,offers fine ales good food and live music every weekend short walk to town and local B&Bs. 
• 🌍 The Peter Cushing, 16–18 Oxford Street, CT5 1DD. Wetherspoon pub with bar food. (updated Jan 2017)

Sleep

Fishing Huts

Hotels

• 🌍 Hotel Continental, 29 Beach Walk, CT5 2BP, ☎ [phone]. Art Deco hotel on the seafront. Also rents huts. Rooms around £65-£145. (updated Oct 2015)
• Premier Inn Whitstable, Thanet Way, CT5 3DB. 

Self-catering

• The Ventings. A fisherman's cottage dating from around 1840 that sleeps six, available for self-catering short stays including weekends. 
• No.17. Beautiful rental cottage very stylish sleeps up to 6 people. 

Connect

Go next

• Margate for a different kind of coastal town.
• Faversham for the national fruit collection and breweries.
• Canterbury