Coastal half-term holiday ideas in Kent

With the evenings drawing in, there is no reason to call time on the fun to be had around the UK's fantastic coast this autumn.

The season is a great time to head for Kent’s fascinating Thanet coast, for example, with everything from memorable encounters with wild seals to conservation projects and bracing beach walks, there is something for everybody to explore.

So grab your hat and hit the beach, with travelbite.co.uk's guide to what this award winning coast has to offer over the next few months.

Kent Coastal Week

Stuck for half term ideas? Among the biggest events scheduled for this year, the Kent Coastal Week takes place between October 25th and November 2nd.

The week includes conservation initiatives and a range of free, sea-themed family activities spread over consecutive days.

On October 27th participants will have the chance to take part in a scavenger hunt; allowing them to search for clues as to what lives under the sea and lurks between rock pools during a free, two hour walk.



Rock Pool Fun

Waterproof footwear and clothing essential, with guests invited to meet outside the Maritime Museum in Ramsgate Harbour at 14:00 BST.

Next day an All Ability Harbour Walk will give visitors the chance to admire the only Royal Harbour in the UK and learn all about the Thanet coast as they enjoy the landscape of Ramsgate Main Sands and the West Pier.

The walk is also suitable for people with mobility difficulties, with all requested to meet at the promenade car park below the Granville Theatre at 11.30 BST.

A Coastal Rock Doc Walk takes places on October 29th.

Described as a chance to 'pull back the curtains on history', the walk will turn the clock back 80 million years as visitors join geologist and local rock expert Dr Alasdair Bruce in Pegwell Bay for a tour of the area’s celebrated chalk cliffs, flint and fossils.



Rock Walk Doc

The tour begins at 11:00 BST.

Thanet Coast’s Big Draw and Sand Sculptures takes place on November 1st.

All artists are asked to help create this year’s largest marine-themed sand sculpture at the Sand Art event on Viking Bay, Broadstairs. The event is suitable for all ages so family and friends are invited to bring their spades and get involved.

An early start for this one, from 09.30 BST onwards.



The Big Draw

Finally, the Rocky Shore Discovery Tour takes places on November 2nd.

The event will present a chance to discover how rock pools change with the tide as marine expert Ian Humpheryes (CORR) guides visitors along the shore at Walpole Bay, Cliftonville.

Waterproof footwear is essential, with visitors encouraged to meet by the tidal pool at 09:00 BST for this hour and half long excursion.

All events taking place as part of the Kent Coastal Week are free, but booking is required.

What else is going on this autumn?

Coastal Sea Safaris will be on offer along the coast from October 25th until November 2nd, with holidaymakers able to enjoy a memorable encounter with Thanet’s most famous wildlife residents - its wild seals - for just £5.

Visitors will have to hang on tight as Horizon Sea Safari’s RIB the Micki Dee Bee powers out of Ramsgate harbour to visit the seals within the Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve.

Booking is essential from the official website.

Pegwell Bay Beach Clean will also take place on October 25th – as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s Autumn Beachwatch Scheme.

The project on the Thanet Coast is calling on volunteers to help in the essential activity, the seasonal clean up of Pegwell Bay.

Guests will be able to preserve the habitats of rare coastal birds and local marine wildlife; helping to collect and record the summer’s discarded litter.

Gloves, litter pickers, bin bags and refreshments are all provided, with participants asked to meet on the beach below the hoverport access road, Cliffsend at 12:00 BST. For further details visit the Marine Conservation Society website.

Next up the Big Sky Beachcross Festival, takes place on November 22nd and 23rd.

The event will see t top quad bike and motocross racers from all over Britain and Europe flock to Margate Main Sands for a weekend of high-speed racing and daredevil displays.

Racing starts at 10.30 BST on both days with funfair rides and food stalls providing plenty of off-track entertainment. Take a look at Quad Racing Association website for more information.

And when it’s time to leave the beach, the traditional seaside resorts of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs beckon.

England’s first seaside resort Margate is home to a 700-year-old harbour and an historic old town, along with new galleries and independent shops which shaping the resort’s growing cultural quarter. Among the highlights are the Turner Contemporary - a venue for visual arts due to open in 2010 but currently staging a series of changing exhibitions throughout the town.

Or guests can scoot along the coast to Broadstairs, Charles Dickens’ favourite holiday destination, and an unspoilt and charming resort, with pretty seafront gardens, a newly restored promenade and elegant clifftop terraces.

Finally, Ramsgate, with its bustling waterfront and an award-winning marina is also well worth a visit for its maritime appeal and many cosmopolitan bars and restaurants.

Further information

For further information on the Kent Coastal Week and events taking place this autumn take a look at Visit Thanet.

Chris O'Toole