Deal

Walks: Dover to Deal

Deal (and Walmer and Kingsdown to the south) has a long beach of steeply shelving pebbles and people do swim here, despite the sea being rather brown. But watch out for the currents, which are very strong even close to the beach, running northwards up the coast from two hours before high water until four hours after high water, then reversing direction to flow southwards. As the sea also gets deep quite quickly (except at the Kingsdown end of the beach), you definitely do not want to go too far from the shore here.

• Food and drink: the striking new cafe at the end of Deal pier comes highly recommended for its fine panoramic views. Otherwise, cafes cluster around the landward end of the pier, and the town has a number of atmospheric old pubs. Note also the Zetland Arms at the Kingsdown end of the beach, near the point where cliffs start, which opens in the afternoon on summer weekends and has outside tables on the shingle, right by the sea.