LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

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19 UNIQUE THINGS TO DO IN FOLKESTONE FOR A MARVELLOUS WEEKEND.

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I make no secret of the fact that I love the Kent Coast. As someone who grew up in Kent, even though I now travel widely, I will always have time to spend a day on the coast. I love the quirkiness of the towns, mingling with the leftover Victorian quirks of the seaside, I just love the routine of it – ice-cream, sandy toes and the inevitability of the weather closing in and forcing me indoors – preferably to a cosy pub.

Folkestone is a town that I have visited and re-visited multiple times over the years. And I always find something new to see and do.

In this guide, you can find my favourite 19 things to do in Folkestone.

1/ Peruse the Creative Quarter

Over the last few years, Folkestone has probably become most well known for the “Creative Quarter”. This is a cultural district of the old town that centres around Tontine Street, The Old High Street and Rendezvous Street.

The project is all about giving the old town an artistic boost, celebrating local creative talents. You’ll find small independent galleries, quirky stores selling locally made products and coffee shops or bakeries.

It’s the first place to centre yourself in Folkestone to get a feel for the colourful heart of the town.

2/ Pause for coffee

Like any trendy town worth it’s salt, Folkestone has a fantastic coffee scene. We visited Steep Street Coffee House and I would really recommend it. A soothing space, crammed with books and house plants – we both remarked that it felt just like being at home. The coffee is excellent, service friendly and almond croissant an absolute winner. There are tables outside or in the window for optimum people watching.

3/ Explore the Leas

The Leas area of Folkestone sees less footfall than the area around the harbour, but is still well worth including in your itinerary.

This area, to the west of Folkestone, has a different vibe – here you’ll find more regency style properties, and more old fashioned touches – like the traditional bandstand. The Zig Zag path leads down to Folkestone beach. You can also find The Folkestone Leas Lift, a traditional funicular taking you from the bottom to top of town (currently closed.)

4/ Sip Champagne at the Lighthouse

The moment that I realised I really enjoyed spending time in Folkestone was the moment I sipped my first glass of fizz at the Lighthouse Champagne Bar. Which I don’t think is much of a coincidence.

Situated right at the end of the Folkestone Harbour Arm is the lighthouse (a real actual lighthouse, by the way), with seating beside it. It offers such a wonderful aspect, with views across the sea to the white cliffs.

There’s something just so fabulous about indulging in a glass of fizz, overlooking the water. It’s the perfect spot for a special occasion or a romantic date.

5/ Try paddle boarding

Paddle boarding is a popular way to spend a few hours on the Kent Coast, especially in summer. Folkestone Sea Sports rent paddle boards (or kayaks if you’re feeling a little wobbly) – it’s best to book ahead if you want to hire a board.

6/ Visit Sea Scrub Sauna

A relatively new addition to Folkestone, Sea Scrub Sauna is the largest beach sauna in the UK. It boasts a cold plunge, hot tub, two wood-fired saunas (which can be quite hard to come by in the UK) and a Japanese café – playing into the “onsen” vibe. It looks absolutely fabulous.

We didn’t take the plunge on our recent visit to Folkestone, but I have tried the Sea Scrub Sauna in nearby Margate and would highly recommend. And this one in Folkestone, looks even better!

7/ Go vintage shopping

We aren’t really “shoppers”, but we loved perusing the vast numbers of vintage shops in Folkestone – there’s a bit of something for everyone. The largest is Petticoat Lane Emporium, you need at least an hour in here for a proper rummage. We also loved The South East Emporium and Bounced Vintage, the latter is well curated and fairly priced.

Folkestone isn’t short of a few charity shops too, so there’s a chance for keen thrifters to get involved too.

8/ Walk the England Coastal Path

The best thing about visiting the Kent Coast, is that you can now walk the entirety of it along the King Charles III coastal path. We’ve walked some lovely stretches, like Ramsgate to Margate and Dover to Deal.

From Folkestone, you have two choices. Walking to the east will give you a more rugged walk, through Folkestone Warren Nature Reserve, along Capel-le-Ferne Cliffs and eventually leading to Dover (in approximately 7 miles.)

To the west, is a less intense walk – a relatively flat meander along to Sandgate and eventually to Hythe (approximately 5 miles).

9/ Cosy up in the pub

Whenever I visit the English coast, I cannot resist a few hours spent inside the welcome embrace of an good old-fashioned pub. I think it reminds me of happy days spent in coastal pubs as a university student in the southwest. Even if the weather is fine, there is something unmistakeable about holing up inside with cider and a bowl of chips.

On our most recent visit, we checked out the Radnor Arms, we went for a drink and stayed for a lunch. If you visit Wednesday to Friday, a two course set menu is available, whilst the standard menu is full of pub classics. It’s one of those pubs that just gets it right – friendly service, great grub and just an all round super atmosphere.

Closer to the harbour, The Mariner is also a great pub to while away a few hours.

10/ Visit the Folkestone Museum

The Folkestone Museum may be small, but we found ourselves being highly entertained for an hour or so here. Across two floors, you can find a range of highly interactive displays – including games and books for kids. Our personal favourite was the morse code display, which allows you to send messages between two people and test your skills.

If it’s raining, or you have children to entertain, heading to the museum is a great shout. And a super way to learn a little about the history of the coastal town.

Tip: An alternative is the Fishing Museum in Folkestone. We didn’t get a chance to stop by, but noted that it’s also a free museum.

11/ Head to the cinema

Hidden inside the town hall museum, which also houses the Folkestone Museum, is The Silver Screen. It’s a small cinema, with only two screens, and it has a lovely vintage feel to it.

12/ Relax at Sunny Sands Beach

Folkestone has two beaches, Folkestone Beach and Sunny Sands. Of these two, Sunny Sands is more suited to relaxing on the sand, building sandcastles or maybe taking a dip. As we visited, early in the morning, we loved seeing locals out walking dogs and someone even doing yoga on the beach. It’s a short walk from the harbour and well worth it.

13/Take a yoga class

One of my favourite things to do if I’m having a weekend away, is to book into a local yoga class. Let’s be honest, a lot of time is usually spent eating and drinking, so it’s refreshing to offer a little balance.

Folkestone has a selection of excellent studios – with different styles of yoga. The Rest Collective is focused on relaxing styles, like yin and nidra. Whilst, Yoke Yoga has a wide and varied timetable with more energising and restful classes. Whilst Impact Yoga has more emphasis on the fitness benefits of yoga.

14/ Get involved in one of Folkestone’s many events

Folkestone has a wonderful events scene – there are often things happening down at the Harbour Arm, like live music. But it doesn’t stop there – there are various small festivals throughout the year, like Folkestone Live (theatre and comedy), Open Art Folke and pop up movie events. As well as various meet ups. Look out on notice boards around the town when you visit, or check out events listings ahead of time.

15/ Street food on the Harbour Arm

The Harbour Arm in Folkestone is my favourite area – visit on a buzzy Saturday afternoon, and it’s hard to beat the atmosphere.

Although renovation of the Harbour Arm started in 2015, it still feels like a new and booming place to visit. The history of the harbour area is fascinating – over the years, the harbour arm has had a working railway along it, acted as a ferry terminal for trips to France and even once housed a free buffet called the Mole Cafe, that was used to feed hungry soldiers and sailors in 1915.

Today, it’s the place to be for an alfresco drink or casual bite to eat. There are too many traders to mention, but popular ones include Brewing Brothers (pizza and beer), Bombo Doughnuts, Sip at the Signal Box (coffee) and Shesells Seashells (sparkling wine and seafood in a vintage rail carriage.)

Tip: The Harbour Arm also hosts numerous events throughout the year, including live music, sports screenings and even a Christmas Market.

16/ Notice Folkestone’s Art Scene

One of the things I really love about Folkestone is that you don’t necessarily need to visit a gallery to see art. In fact, I’d argue that one of the best ways to experience the town’s art scene is simply to wander around and keep your eyes peeled.

Folkestone Artworks is an enormous collection of contemporary art dotted throughout the town, with works by internationally recognised artists including Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin and Cornelia Parker. There are more than 70 works spread across Folkestone, many of them in completely unexpected places.

Some pieces are tucked away in streets, whilst others are right on the seafront. It makes wandering around Folkestone feel a little like being on a treasure hunt – you never quite know what you’re going to stumble across. Some of the art is quite cleverly disguised too – I walked past one of Tracey Emin’s “Baby Things” pieces and mistook it for an actual baby item. So keep your eyes peeled!

Tip: you can find walking guides to see all the art works on the Creative Folkestone website.

17/ Pause for Gelato

What are you doing with your time by the seaside if not stopping for an ice cream? Herbert’s Gelato is on route to Sunny Sands, so there’s no excuse not to grab a cone with a scoop and head to the beach. There are also seats outside the shop if you’d rather stay in situ.

18/ Pick up a putter

Whether you’re visiting Folkestone on a date, with mates or have kids in tow – a spot of crazy golf can be a fun way to spend an hour or so. Folkestone Harbour Adventure Golf is right next to the Harbour Arm and beach and reasonably priced at £6pp.

19/ Visit a nearby vineyard

If you’re visiting Kent, especially in summer, it would be remiss to not pop into a vineyard for a tipple or two. The nearest vineyard to Folkestone is Terlingham, a boutique family run vineyard which offers tours and tastings.

You can take a bus to Terlingham – 15 minutes by bus and a short walk at the other end. Alternatively, drive or take a cab and arrive within 10 minutes.

Getting to Folkestone

Folkestone is one of those seaside towns that is surprisingly easy to get to, particularly if you’re coming from London.

By train: The easiest option is the high-speed train from London St Pancras to Folkestone Central, with the journey taking around 50-55 minutes. This makes Folkestone a very achievable day trip from London, although I’d recommend staying overnight if you want to properly enjoy the pubs, restaurants and nightlife without having to keep an eye on the clock.

There are also regular trains from other Kent towns, including Ashford and Dover.

By car: Folkestone sits just off the M20, making it a straightforward drive from London and much of Kent.

Where to stay in Folkestone

Here are a few ideas for places to stay in Folkestone, if you want to extend your visit. And honestly, I think staying overnight is worth considering. Folkestone has a different atmosphere once the day-trippers have headed home, and it means you can enjoy a leisurely dinner and a drink without worrying about catching the last train.

MID-RANGE: The View Hotel Folkestone or Voco The Clifton Folkestone by IHG.

LUXURY: Rocksalt Rooms, boutique rooms above the restaurant.

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Written by Emma

Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.

British travel writer and long-distance hiker, native to Kent. Emma has walked the Camino de Santiago more than ten times, completed trails across Europe from the Corfu Trail to the Fisherman’s Trail, and covered thousands of kilometres on foot. She always writes from first-hand experience. Her goal? Inspire just one person to go on their first long-distance hike.

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