Between Dungeness And Margate Is A Vibrant Coastal Town With An Award-Winning Park, Shops, And Tasty Restaurants

Known as "the garden of England" for a reason, Kent is the island nation's southeasternmost county that's awash with rolling countryside and lined with brilliant coastal towns and villages. Kent is packed full of history, culture and natural wonder — and you can find a trifecta of all three in the buzzy seaside town of Folkestone.

Folkestone has seen a resurgence in the past decade. Pushed out of London by rising rent prices, artists and creatives moved down to the Victorian-era seaside resort, bringing the formerly dilapidated center back to life. As its name suggests, the Folkestone Triennial takes place every three years, with big names in contemporary art contributing site-specific work that pops up around the town.

In many ways, Folkestone is not dissimilar to neighboring Margate, another coastal town with sweeping beaches and a burgeoning art scene, and has commonalities with the surreal beachscape trails of Dungeness. Folkestone sits between them both metaphorically and literally, but it's best reached from London St. Pancras Station, which has fast trains to Folkestone leaving every hour, taking just 55 minutes from the capital to the coast. Folkestone is also well known for another landmark: From a terminal just north of town, Eurostar trains connect Britain with Calais, France, traveling through the 31.5-mile-long Channel Tunnel.

Folkestone's old town center is home to a swathe of colorful shops, particularly around the Old High Street, Tontine Street, and Folkestone Creative Quarter. Independent sellers stock clothing, vintage items, books, homeware, art, and gifts. Try Bounce Vintage for retro pre-loved clothing, or Rennies Seaside Modern for furniture, ceramics, textiles, and art. The Folkestone Bookshop on Tontine Street allows you to park your Kindle and grab a new or used paperback from its thought-provoking collection, while Vintage and Vinyl sells exactly that. The Creative Quarter is also home to specialist vendors like Miss Ginger's, a fabric and textiles emporium. Best of all, these cute spots and plenty more like them are all within walking distance of one another.

Meanwhile, the award-winning Lower Leas Coastal Park is an important part of the town's fabric, built between the cliffs and beach. The park has earned the Green Flag award for its natural areas, walking paths, and facilities for several years running. A refurbished adventure playground opened in September 2026, adding a new string to its bow. With a 4.7-star rating over more than 2,500 reviews, Google Maps users show the park is a town favorite and a must-see. For more sea views, stretch your legs and take a stroll from the Folkestone Harbour Arm to Sandgate Castle along the coast path. The route is about 2 miles long and takes around 45 minutes.

With a cuisine that has long been considered Europe's worst, Britain's food scene may surprise you. Folkestone is a great place to start, with a swathe of quintessentially British fish-and-chips shops, independent restaurants, and gastro pubs. Around the harbor, Rocksalt is a seafood stalwart and a great place to park yourself for views of The Channel while you chow down on dishes made with seasonal, local ingredients. Shesells Seashells is another fish-focused haunt; a cute diner is built in a repurposed train carriage, parked quayside on the Folkestone Harbour Arm. The tiny spot is ranked in the top five restaurants in town on Tripadvisor.

Folkestone has great (and sometimes quite old) pubs where the food is just as big a draw as the pints. The Ship Inn, on the quay, gets good reviews for its fish and chips, but the menu also features burgers and pies if you're all fished out. The Radnor Arms is yet another option, with a menu of modern classics with Southeast Asian influences, including Sri Lankan fish curry and a mouth-watering Grilled Hake with Cornish mussels. Last but by no means least, The British Lion is a traditional pub where many Google Maps reviewers give high praise to the traditional Sunday roast. Just be sure to reserve a table at this one.