Seafront BnB at Botany
Location & Local Beach and Area Guide
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We're located on the Ridings - a quiet no through road with minimal traffic. Botany Beach entrance is just 80 metres away.
Margate and the Turner Contemporary 'Art' Gallery is 2.2 miles away. It's a pleasant, flat walk along the seafront too, if you're feeling energetic.
Broadstairs, with its numerous bars, restaurants and harbour arm is approximately 3 miles away. At low tide it's possible to walk there along the beach.
If you're arriving by train both Margate and Broadstairs stations are convenient.
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Botany Bay and the iconic stacks
The beach entrance is just 80 metres from your doorstep at Seafront BnB at Botany.
With its iconic 'Stacks', Botany Bay is one of the most Insta worthy beaches in Kent - and is consequently very popular. It's lifeguarded and ideal for a swim around 3 hours either side of high tide. The chalk reef is exposed at low tide with its rock pools and marine life. There's a small beach cafe, but for a more substantial bite head to the Botany Hotel. There's public toilets, but the facilities at the Botany Hotel are far superior!
Be careful if swimming in rough seas out of season here, there's a often strong undertow in such conditions near the stacks.
Foreness Beach and Dunes
Foreness beach and dunes is a comparative wilderness compared to Botany Bay. It adjoins Botany, just a few minutes' walk west along the shoreline.
Foreness is backed by white cliffs, some of which can be unstable. There's an expanse of dunes covered in wild grasses and even wild flowers in Summer. Although there's no official designation as Botany Bay/ Foreness as a naturist beach, it's widely used by naturists in the Summer - so don't be surprised to encounter naked sunbathers and swimmers around the dunes area and foreshore there.
There's no lifeguard, no toilets... in fact, no facilities whatsoever. This adds to its charm as a relatively quiet place to chill away from busier Botany Bay.
Palm Bay and Walpole Bays
Round the headland at Foreness Point you'll find Palm Bay. It's used by jet skiers and might not be the best spot for a quiet beach day.
Walpole Bay is home to the iconic Walpole Bay Tidal Pool. A few hours either side of low tide and the walls and foreshore are uncovered to create a playground for paddling and swimming (year round, by many), all within the protection of thick sea walls.
Walpole Bay is located about 1.5 miles from Seafront Bed and Breakfast at Botany. It's pleasant cliff top walk or short drive away. There's parking at the cliff base, overlooking the pool. As yet there are no other facilities except a seasonally opened 'community sauna'. For a bite to eat BYO or head along to the Jet Ski Cafe at the eastern end of Walpole.
Kingsgate & Whiteness Bay and Beaches
Kingsgate and Whiteness Bay and Beaches can be accessed on foot by walking east from Botany Bay, past the Botany Stacks, a few hours either side of low tide. But take care - on a rising tide you can be cut off, Robinson Crusoe style on your own stretch of beach, backed by inaccessible chalk cliffs.
The iconic Kingsgate Arch is at the far end of Whiteness Beach. Look out for the old smugglers' caves and WW1 concrete defences en-route.
Kingsgate Bay has an attractive sandy beach and is popular with families, in particular. Whilst there are no facilities on the beach itself, the Captain Digby pub is above the beach accessed via the cliff stairs and has a cliff top terrace for an alfresco pint. Or, for a decent lunch in a dog friendly pub, walk along to the Botany Bay Pub, just a couple of hundred metres away.
Foreness Point Nature Reserve
This expansive site, overlooked from Seafront BnB at Botany has been the subject of a ten year plan to restore the native grassland and wildflower coverage on the site. The original plan was designed by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust as part of its 'Making a Buzz for the Coast' initiative.
You'll find walking trails - ideal for dog owners, with abundant wildflowers, including Pyramid and even the incredibly rare Lizard orchid. You'll enjoy spectacular sea views too.
Thanks to careful management, Foreness Point and the Ridings has evolved into an nationally significant home to numerous species of endangered pollinators, including the Brown-banded carder bumblebee and Ruderal bumblebee - as well as 10 other species of bee - not least of all the Long-horned bee, an increasingly rare type of solitary bee.
Joss Bay - a beach with all the facilites
Joss Bay is halfway between Botany Bay and Broadstairs. It's the only local beach with ample parking, but can also be reached on foot from Botany via Whiteness and Kingsgate beaches, along the beach circa 3 hours either side of low tide. There's a few rocky areas en route, so good shoes are recommended.
At Joss Bay you'll find a small cafe, toilets, surf school, sun loungers and other facilities here. The beach is wide and sandy, it's also lifeguarded in Summer and consequently popular with a wide range of beach-goers, including families and surfers.
Like Botany Bay, Joss Bay can be very popular in Summer on warm days.
Local Beaches near us in Thanet
Stay with us at Botany Bay, and you'll have some of South East England's best beaches right on your doorstep
Suggestions for Days Out in Margate
There's plenty of things to see and do whilst visiting Thanet. Further afield, Canterbury, Dover and Whitstable are also very viable day trips by car. Here's some of our guest favorites in Margate
Margate Shell Grotto
The Margate Shell Grotto is a series of caverns decorated with an estimated 4.6 million sea shells to create an extraordinary mosaic covering almost 200 square metres.
The history and origins of the grotto are ambiguous, to say the least. Some speculate it was a temple, others suggest it was the venue for a secret society. Or perhaps it's just an elaborate folly. The enigma is part of its attraction. Whatever the case, it's well worth a visit and is just a short walk from Margate Town Centre.
Margate Old Town
Just across the road from the Turner - and well worth a wander - is this small network of streets, home to a plethora of artisanal businesses with cafes, bars, restaurants, bric a brac and curios, antiques and upcycled nearly everything.
A particular guest favorite here is Olivo Italian restaurant. Simple, but good. And cash only.
It's worth taking the time to explore the Old Kent Market too.
Turner Contemporary
The gallery celebrates the fact that JMW Turner lived in Margate for around 20 years and painted 100 or so paintings in Margate or the wider east Kent area. Don't expect to see any Turner paintings on display. Instead it's focused on contemporary pieces and installations.
The cafe is worth a visit, there's also clean public toilets. The gallery is free of charge.
For many, a highlight is the Anthony Gormley statue 'Another Time'.
Dreamland
The original Margate playground from its heyday in the 1950s; today the venue hosts a diverse number of live concerts and performances. Check out their website for the line up.
Hotel accommodation in Margate and the entire Isle of Thanet can be extremely busy when a top line act is performing - early booking for tickets and hotels in the Margate area is strongly recommended.
Tom Thumb Theatre
Halfway to Margate you'll find (possibly) the smallest theatre in England, with one of the best bars! Just 50 plush velvet seats in a weird Mikado meets the Sound of Music with flocked wallpaper style...
Follow their social media for their schedule. Expect a diverse, often cutting edge and experimental, offering of film, theatre, live music, comedy and spoken word story-telling.
Margate Harbour Arm
Who doesn't like a walk beside the sea? Margate Harbour arm is located next to the Turner opposite the Old Town. Walk there in an hour or so a a gentle pace from Seafront BnB at Botany or there's limited on site parking (at a cost). The Harbour Arm is home to several bars and restaurants - not least of all the foodie and instagrammers' favorite: Sargasso.
In the Summer it can be a great place to sit outside and enjoy a drink with a view across to Margate Main Sands beach which is right beside the Harbour Arm.
Seafront Bed & Breakfast at Botany Bay, Kent
47 The Ridings, CT9 3EJ T: 07479 9866 88
Book Now (use discount code 'DIRECT' for our BEST rate)
All direct bookings include breakfast
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