Hove beach, East Sussex

Posted on August 31, 2011 by BirdhouseChillies

Hove beach is very close to Brighton beach but has a far more relaxed child-friendly feel. The beach itself is mostly shingle. The sea can become deep at the edge if the pebbles have shifted. It can get busy but not overcrowded.

Along Kings Road and Kingsway esplanade there are a great selection of well-kept attractions (bouncy castles/trampolines), cafes, restaurants and lawns. There is a playpark/sandpit/paddling pool that is a young child’s delight just past Brighton’s old pier (maybe techincally still Brighton): an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza. Free too! rightbeach‘s niece has spent many an afternoon pootling around there.

rightbeach recommends Hove for people who enjoy the vibrant mix of quirky shops, cafes surrounded in salty sea air. Not as intense as Brighton, with a charming laid back air.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: Lifeguard service June to mid September 9.30am-6pm
Water quality: Basic pass
Dogs: Are banned May-September. Dog bins are provided.

See Hove beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

After a busy morning playing pebbles and people watching in Brighton, take a 10 minute walk along the sea front to the paddling pool and keep the youngsters amused in the fabby dabby paddling pools and play park. Finish off with a fish and chip supper before heading off home with some weary babies in the back of the car.
Marroco’s Ristorante-Bar Grill and Fish, but more importantly…24 flavours of ice cream plus an awful lot of bejazzelling besides!
When your feet are tired of sand and stones then head up onto the lawns for a foot fresh feel! No sand in the picnic either!
Parking is available but you do need to move well out of Brighton to ensure you get value for money.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Shingle.
Crowded (1=deserted)		rightbeach doubts that you would ever be alone but at least the kiddies can become best beach buddies for the afternoon.
Surf		There are some waves but nothing to write home about.
Sand		Shingle and pebbles.
Toilets		Toilets by paddling pool, ncluding disabled access and baby changing. Clean.
Parking
Food		Lots of cafes, ice-cream shops and pubs along the esplanade. VBites cafe (Heather Mills’ vegan cafe) is within the Hove Lagoon complex.
Shopping		An impressive array of funky interior design shops, fashion boutiques and specialist shops jostling alongside international restaurants, organic greengrocers and independent cafes. Regular French markets.

reviewed by Kerry T and the rightbeach Team

Yaverland beach, Isle of Wight

Posted on August 29, 2011 by mtargettuk

Yaverland is a long, wide sweep of golden sand edged by the famed red and white cliffs. It has great fossil finding prospects and is rated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Collecting of fossils can only be done from the bottom of the cliffs but it is very likely you will find something to take home to show off with. rightbeach found fossilised bivalves hidden in grey sandstone. Go out and see what you can find!

The beach itself is a sandy, open space. It is popular with dog walkers and families but is also known for a variety of water acitivities such as windsurfing and fishing. It is busiest between the groynes but you can get that feeling of near isolation by heading ‘beach right’.

Yaverland beach is very close to The Isle of Wight Zoo (Tiger Sanctuary) which is a chance to get up close and almost personal with some truly stunning tigers. rightbeach fell in love with Xena the snow tiger. It is also a stone’s throw from Dinosaur Isle (think Natural History Museum on a small seaside scale)

rightbeach would recommend Yaverland for a day on the beach with children and family dog. Easy car parking and toilet facilities combined with enough space to spread out and build a sand fortress (see photo) make it a real winner.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: No
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Allowed on this beach

See Yaverland beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Visit the beach after a heavy rain storm for the best chance of finding fossils. Perhaps combine it with a trip to Dinosaur Isle (lots of interactive dino fun along with the best dino shop EVER! rightbeach bought a mould to make the fossilised remains of a triceratops out of chocolate!
Windbreaks or tents are a must as the wide beach can get rather breezy.
Great beach for kite flying. rightbeach nearly had its head removed by the string of a wildy flapping butterfly-shaped kite.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Flat sand, sand at all times, cool fossil opportunities when beach combing
Crowded (1=deserted)		Populated but not on top of each other. Head ‘beach right’ for more space to call your own.
Surf		Breezy beach means good surf. Popular with windsurfers.
Sand		Sand. Small pebbles, fossils and tumbled glass in the tide line. All very pretty really.
Parking		About £1 an hour. Get there earlyish to get a space in the car park nearest the steps.
Toilets		In the car park, so not too far away. Free and eco. The cleanest toilets rightbeach has come across.
Food		Ice creams and the usual chips and sausage roll from the one cafe by the car park.
Shopping		A walk into Sandown brings more traditional gift shops or pubs for a wider meal choice.

Review by rightbeach

Challaborough Bay, South Devon

Posted on August 29, 2011 by mtargettuk

Challaborough Bay beach is an enclosed Blue Flag sandy beach with some decent surf between tides, a stones throw away from Burgh Island of TV’s Poirot fame.

It’s a pretty spot with nice flat sand, a freshwater rivulet, and is ideal for walks in the gorgeous Devon countryside, and shallow paddling in the sea.

Challaborough Bay is home to a reasonably large holiday park, with the caravans leading up to the road bordering the beach. Parking is via the holiday park and is limited (£4.50 for the day). However, despite the proximity of the holiday park the beach is not too crowded.

It’s a pretty reliable place for surf, with a steeply shelving beach creating a fast wave at higher stages of the tide, although the swell dies back during the highest part of the cycle.

Challaborough Bay has been recommended to rightbeach as a quiet, relatively sheltered beach, ideal for families with young children.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: 21st May – 18th September
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: No dogs May to September

See Challaborough Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Parking is limited so get there early to ensure you avoid unnecessary stress.
Chill out with an ice-cold drink at the Regatta Restaurant immediately overlooking the beach, or head over to Friar Tucks to grabs some fish and chips to take back to eat on the beach. Yummy.
Time you trip. At high tide there’s not much beach left and the waves die down. At low tide however there’s rock pooling to keep the young ones occupied. Between tides – surf’s up!

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		A sandy beach with rocks exposed at low tide. Reasonably sheltered. Good for walks.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Quiet and not too crowded.
Surf		Better surfing between tides, with NO waves during high tide.
Sand		Yep – there’s sand.
Parking		£4.50 for the day in the holiday park car park but spaces are limited.
Toilets		In the car park, so not too far away.
Food		Ice creams and the usual fodder. Restaurant and fish and chips within staggering distance and groceries available via the holiday park shop.
Shopping		Via the holiday park shop.

Review by Tom v A

Portrush East Strand beach, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Posted on August 29, 2011 by BirdhouseChillies

Known as ‘Northern Ireland’s favourite holiday destination’, Portrush is well known for its long, sandy beaches, East and West Strands. East Strand is the quieter of the two, as it does not have the life boat station training centre. It is still a busy beach with plenty of people watching to be done. It has large sand dunes and amazing views along the coast and is an ideal place to explore the Causeway Coast.

Portrush, built mainly on a mile-long penninsular, is a popular and well known town on the Londonderry border. It has hosted the British Golf Open, many open air music festivals and an annual air show in September. Portrush is also home to Barry’s Amusements, the largest amusement park in Northern Ireland. Actor, James Nesbitt, once worked in Barry’s.

rightbeach recommends this beach for young families due to its ease for parking and toilet facilities but also for families with teens who fancy learning to surf. There is a surf school on the beach with surf board and suit hire with changing rooms.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service June 25th – September 4th
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: restrictions apply, see signs at beach

See Portrush East Strand beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Take a wind break as the wide beach means it can get a bit breezy.
…and a kite to keep Daddy entertained (although Daddy rightbeach is yet to succeed in the kite department!)
A wet suit to keep the chill out when learning to ride the waves.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Open beach with plenty of space.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Can get busy due to its popularity.
Surf		Waves here can get very good with the prevailing south westerly winds blowing offshore.
Sand		Sandy, sandy, sandy
Toilets		Clean and tidy with baby changing facilities. Located in car park.
Parking		Massive car park on sea front.
Food		Only a stones throw away from Portrush town.
Shopping		Clothing shops, surf suit hire

Review by Lesley H

St Ouen’s Bay beach, Jersey

Posted on August 28, 2011 by mtargettuk

St Ouen’s Bay is a massive five-mile-long stretch of sand, making up the majority of the west coast of Jersey. It feels the full force of the Atlantic which can be a blessing and a curse. Surf can be fabulous but it can also be very exposed if there’s a westerly wind blowing given there’s little shelter on the beach.

The beach does have non-sun worshiping activities though, with rock pools and surf lessons to be enjoyed. However, the beach’s primary assets are it’s epic expanse of fine, flat sand and mega surf.

rightbeach recommends this beach for its space, sand and surf, and deems it suitable for families with children and surfers.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service May 28th – October 2nd
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Allowed on this beach.

See St Oeun’s Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

If you’ve got the motivation, take a BBQ with you, buy some fresh fish from Faulkners at the north end of the beach, and eat on the beach in style.
There’s virtually no beach left at high tide so timing your trip right is essential.
If you fancy a break from all that sand and surf take a stroll around the World War II German gun emplacements. Jersey (and the other Channel Islands) were occupied by the Germans from June 1940 to May 1945.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Massive amounts of space and sand, but can be exposed and beach is virtually non-existent at high tide.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Sooooo much space
Surf		The Atlantic 2,500 miles to get ready for St Oeun’s Bay. The waves can be big!
Sand		Fine, flat and lots of it.
Toilets		In the car park so think twice about venturing too far away from civilisation.
Parking		Lots of parking along the length of the beach (three or four car parks all along La Grande Route des Mielles) all right next to the sand.
Food		A reasonable selection of icecreams / pasties, but most of the food outlets are clustered around the car parks.
Shopping		Good for fresh fish (at Faulkners) less good for other stuff as the beach is so spread out.

Review by dom perrignon

Sennen Cove beach, South Cornwall

Posted on August 5, 2011 by mtargettuk

Sennen Cove is a fabulous, wide, sandy beach at the south-west tip of Cornwall, with rock pools for exploring and perfect sand for building sand castles. It is exposed to the Atlantic and picks up any swell, particularly the northern area and Gwevner beach. As a result, the beach is popular with surfers and there is a surf school. It has designated swim areas and surf areas to allow fun in the sea without too many collisions!

Additional activities include walking to Lands End (just a 20 minute stroll away), buses to and from Penzance Town, or simply watching the tides as come in fast but safe.

There are plenty of ice-cream and snack facilities by the beach and along the promenade behind. There is also a restaurant , fish and chip shop and a surf shop, and a chance to attend surf school or hire equipment. Toilet facilities small but close by.

rightbeach recommends Sennen Cove for all things family, especially children who are confident swimmers and enjoy the water.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service April 29th – September 25th & Easter weekend
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Dogs not allowed May 1st to September 30th

See Sennen Cove beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Safe for kids and great pasties!
Wet suits a must-cold waters and fashion sense tell us this so!
There are loads of places to eat or get food to bring back to the beach so no need to pack up that heavy cool bag/box to feed the family.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Rock pools, shallow pools for swimming, freshwater rivulets, big waves, shallow paddling in the sea. Pretty amazing really!
Crowded (1=deserted)
Surf		Surfing and body boarding are popular.
Sand		Flat and fine sand and there’s sand at all times despite the varying tide.
Toilets		Toilet facilities small but close by.
Parking		Two fairly small car parks close by and a larger one a short but steep walk, so it’s best to get there early.
Food		Plenty of ice-cream and snack facilities by the beach and along the promenade behind. Fish and Chips too! Maybe visit more than once this holiday to sample all the foodie delights!
Shopping		Well stocked with shops including craft and surf shops.

reviewed by Maria D

Harlyn Bay beach, North Cornwall

Posted on August 4, 2011 by mtargettuk

Harlyn Bay is a super beach for kids. It’s wide, sandy and rich in ice cream vans. But significantly it also has a couple of warm, shallow pools in the sand during low tide which are perfect for fledgling bathers. Large wide spaces even when reasonably busy. rightbeach took a super whizzy frisbee which was very popular with the kiddies.

It’s an old-fashioned classic beach. Lots of sand, wind breaks, and families (some with kites, some with grannies), probably influenced by the proximity of the Harlyn Sands Holiday Park.

It also has a pub/shop in the shape of the Harlyn Inn tucked behind the sand dunes which also hires out boards and wetsuits.

rightbeach recommends Harlyn beach for all generations of beach loving families (and the dog too!)

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service April 29th – September 25th & Easter weekend
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Not known

See Harlyn Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

The loos are a right trek, across a stoney overflow carpark, so plan your kids’ toilet trips for them!
The beach can get quite breezy of there’s an strong off shore wind, so taking a beach tent or wind breaks is advisable.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		It’s an okay beach – it’s size and the kid-friendly tidal pools are it’s best features.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Can get busy in patches.
Surf		Pretty reliable North Cornish surf.
Sand
Toilets		An uber trek across two car parks.
Parking		Lots of parking over looking the beach. Expect to pay around £3-4 for the whole day in peak season.
Food		A pub and ice cream vans.
Shopping		A beach shop which doubles as an surf hire place.

review by The rightbeach Team

Daymer Bay beach, North Cornwall

Posted on August 3, 2011 by mtargettuk

Daymer Bay is a golden strip of sand in the Camel Estuary near to Rock. Its sheltered and gently sloping beach means it’s ideal for younger children. There’s plenty of space to spread out even at high tide, and together with rock pools, sand dunes and sandcastle/beach cricket sand you can happily keep the family amused for the whole day.

When the tide’s out the sand stretches all the way around rocks to Rock beach, and so it’s good for a nice extended stroll round the coast to Polzeath (maybe after that enormous picnic you packed and then consumed!)

rightbeach thoroughly recommends this beach for a full on family day of fun on the beach. Pack all the kit and stay out until the kids have just enough energy to walk back up the steps to the car.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: No
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Allowed on this beach

See Daymer Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

The beach tends to get busiest closest to the steps down from the car park – why people can’t be bothered to walk an extra 2 mins to have their own space is beyond us. Head off to the west (turn right at the bottom of the steps) for some sheltered cliffs and rock pools. Or turn left and hack all the way to the other end of the beach (5 mins walk) and enjoy acres of perfect sand all to yourselves.
It’s a bit of stroll back to the cafe/shop and it’s a tad expensive in our opinion.
Take a frisbee and see how far you can throw it to each other.

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Pretty good all-rounder, although lack of surf may put off teens.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Lots of space, especially at low tide when you can walk all the way around to Rock.
Surf		Its location in the estuary means that surf is pretty minimal.
Sand		It’s lovely golden sand and there’s lots and lots of it.
Toilets		Pretty average – bit of a trek from the beach.
Parking		One large car park, which doesn’t look like it fills up completely. Last time rightbeach was there it was £3.50 for the whole day (mid summer).
Food		Just the one cafe which seemed on the expensive side.
Shopping		Again – just one shop which didn’t have beach shoes (rightbeach had tumble dried theirs the night before and melted them!)

review by rightbeach

Trebarwith Strand beach, North Cornwall

Posted on August 2, 2011 by mtargettuk

Trebarwith is, in rightbeach‘s opinion, the jewel of the North Cornish Coast. It’s a tidal beach – completely covered by the sea three hours before and after high tide, meaning that you have to time your visits right to get the maximum time to explore and enjoy the fab surroundings. It does have a tricky slipway entrance to the beach so take it easy and wear appropriate footwear!

Here’s a round up of its many attractions: golden sandcastle sand; decent surf; fabulous kid-friendly paddling pools of sea water with sandy bottoms; beautiful sheltering surrounding cliffs; cute gift shops and nice cafe choices. In past years, rightbeach has turned ‘beach left’ to set up camp by the freshwater stream flowing onto the beach, and also ‘beach right’ to find the more secluded and very safe sandy pools. rightbeach also likes to go climbing and see how high we can get (maybe not with the small children!)

rightbeach recommends Trebarwith Strand for families with young and/or older children (and the family dog!). Oh, and great for surfing if you manage to find a safe place to leave the children! Do check the tide times first though or there may be no beach at all.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service May 21st – September 25th
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: Allowed on this beach

See Trebarwith Strand beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

There are two car parks. If you’ve got young ones, you may want to get to the beach early in the day (tide permitting) and pay the extra charge for the closer car park to spare yourself the walk down to the beach.
To make a day of it, take plenty of supplies and head onto the rocks to sit out high tide; alternatively retire to the Port William pub (up on the cliffs) or cafes and munch through sandwiches and ice creams.
Seek out the secret tidal pools and explore the rocky protrusions – guaranteed to keep kids and grown ups occupied for at least an hour.
TIDE TIDE TIDE-check it out before you leave home!

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		Awesome when the tide times fit with your holiday dates but sadly that’s out of our control.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Lots of mini camps of groups of families together.
Surf		Pretty reliable rollers. Popular with body boarders and surfers alike.
Sand		Coarsish but good for digging and epic sandcastles.
Toilets		Pretty average – bit of a bind having to walk up the slipway from the beach.
Parking		Two car parks. The closest one is quite expensive (£6-ish for all day – price drops as tide comes in) and fills up quickly. Get their for 10am to ensure a space.
Food		Nice selection of hot, cold and ice cream vendors.
Shopping		A couple of art galleries and the usual beach shop offerings. We like the Crazy Mermaid for wacky prints and paintings.

review by The rightbeach Team

Polzeath beach, North Cornwall

Posted on August 2, 2011 by mtargettuk

Polzeath (also known as Hayle Bay) is a big lively wedge of sand ideal for active families and families with older children. It nestles nicely between rising cliffs on either side and is a popular part of the North Cornish coastal path for walkers.

It’s probably best known for its reliable surf credentials which draws in surfers and body boarders by the drove. In fact, rightbeach felt positively out of place in old skool swimming cossies as opposed to the much-in-evidence wetsuits. rightbeach‘s neice had her very first surf lesson there this Summer. Hopefully no real wipe outs!

Past the on-beach car park sporting SUVs galore, there’s a broad flat expanse of sand (especially huge at low tide) ideal for beach cricket although not all of it stays dry during tidal cycles.

The little town of Polzeath has grown into a mini resort over the years and now features a couple of “fairground rides” and a scattering of bars and cafes, taking advantage of the coolish/semi-bohemian vibe.

rightbeach recommends Polzeath for families of all shapes and sizes. Tiddlers will be catered for by easy parking and the opportunity to ‘pop back to the car’ for feeding or just quiet time out of the elements. Toddlers will love the sandy pools and digging channels to their moat. Teens will enjoy the beach life and surf lessons. The rest of us will be grateful the kids have got so much to do and can grab a quick coffee.

Beach blurb

Tide and weather »
Lifeguards: 29 Apr – 25 Sept (+ Easter and Oct half term)
Water quality: Recommended »
Dogs: No dogs from Easter to September

See Polzeath beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

Of the two car parks the one on the beach is the most convenient. You can usually get a car park space on the beach if you arrive just before 10am. Alternatively, do something else in the morning and arrive after 2pm and there’s a steady trickle of people leaving the car park.
You can easily hire wet suits and body boards for all ages and sizes. It’s so much easier than lugging them down in the car if you only plan on doing this once or twice during your holiday and the charges aren’t that extortionate.
If the weather is inclement and your little ones are in need of warming up, head over to the Galleon Beach Cafe for hot chocolates (with marshmallows) and fresh cooked doughnuts …

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		No rock pools, sand gets a bit soggy and there’s a fair amount of litter as it’s such a well-used beach.
Crowded (1=deserted)		It’s a busy beach, popular beach. On warm days the sea in particularly can be rammed with body boarders and surfers meaning that swimmers and splashers are forced into certain areas.
Surf		Reliable rollers, hence it’s popularity.
Sand		Sandy beach, although it can be a bit slimy in places due to the proximity of the car park to the rivulet running off into the beach.
Toilets		No problems.
Parking		Two car parks means you should always be in with a shout to get a space. One smaller pay and display on the beach (high tide can spill into this one!), and another larger one up on the cliff over looking the beach.
Food		The town is fairly lively, so there’s plenty of choice with pubs, beach cafes and shops.
Shopping		Again, lots of shops in the town.

Review by rightbeach, Tom v A and Sam T

rightbeach

where will you go?

Tag Archives: toilets

Hove beach, East Sussex

Beach blurb

Yaverland beach, Isle of Wight

Challaborough Bay, South Devon

Portrush East Strand beach, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

St Ouen’s Bay beach, Jersey

Sennen Cove beach, South Cornwall

Harlyn Bay beach, North Cornwall

Daymer Bay beach, North Cornwall

Trebarwith Strand beach, North Cornwall

Polzeath beach, North Cornwall

Beach blurb

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