Eastbourne campsites

Grab your towel, bucket and spade and hit the beach. Eastbourne offers more than 3 miles of vast shingle beaches offering sand, and in some cases rock pooling opportunities at low tide. From stunning cliffs and a Marine Conservation Area at Holywell, to windsurfing off Royal Parade and fishing at Harbour Reach, the array of beaches offer the perfect spot to suit everyone.

If you do like to be beside the seaside, take a ride on the Stagecoach Dotto Mini Train along the Eastbourne coast. It’s a lovely way to take in the picturesque views while keeping train-crazy tykes content.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the views of Beachy Head. The UK's highest chalk sea cliff Beachy Head is one of Eastbourne's most famous TV and film locations. Some of your favourite dramatic film scenes were filmed here in Eastbourne... from James Bond to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and even quidditch scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!

The sleepy, little town of Eastbourne has a few mysteries up its sleeve and it’s going to take a master sleuth to uncover the truth. The Eastbourne Mystery Trail takes around 2 hours to complete and there’s plenty to see along the way, like the Towner Art Gallery or the Wish Tower.  The star of the show though has to be the pier which stretches along the coast and has more than its fair share of ice cream.

No visit to Eastbourne is complete without a walk out onto the pier. It is quintessentially English south coast, designed and constructed in the 1800s. Suffering numerous fires the pier today still offers restaurants, cafes, cotton candy trolleys, and stands with owners selling their wares.  The pier extends quite a way out over the water, great for photographs of the delightful row houses and buildings on Grand Parade.

Treasure Island is a complex of piratey goodness for all weather conditions. Indoor and outdoor adventure parks with oodles of open parkland or splash in the paddling lagoon before searching for treasure on the sandy beach. Take a change of clothes though, there's opportunity to get wet. Pirates' Adventure Golf is an exciting 8-hole course, pleasantly floodlit for summer evenings to putt over and under bridges and through little caves.

Redoubt Fortress and Military Museum is an excellent place to take kids who are interested in history, the military or great buildings. As well as a large military collection, the museum also holds a range of events and exhibitions throughout the year. There is plenty to keep younger visitors enthralled, such as the chance to dress up in authentic military costumes and quizzes to complete.

There’s plenty of family fun to be had at Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway. Travel behind the famous miniature steam or diesel locomotives as they meander for nearly a mile around the beautiful country park. Alternatively stretch your legs with a gentle stroll around the 5-acre lake.

Or head to Fort Fun, Eastbourne's best family fun adventure park with a 19-hole American Adventure mini golf course, a cool self-contained outdoor jungle gym, sturdy and secure and all over soft sand. There's also a big jungle gym back inside with a dedicated toddler area, and if you do have the weather then head on down and have fun in the sun at the Super Splash feature with the water slides, tilting buckets, interactive play panels, sprinkle showers, wet play structure and snake tunnels.

There’s plenty of green spaces to enjoy too... Princes Park holds several differing elements that will delight the kids, the central feature of the park is a large artificial lake where local model yachts and powerboats are often raced by 2 local clubs, but at other times you may see groups of swans swimming freely. Nearby, Spray Watersports teach sailing and windsurfing. While the lakeside terraced paths are provided with seating and there are lawns and a large scented rose garden for picnicking and informal recreation.

Shinewater Park is open throughout the year and free to visit, there’s a good combination of purpose built recreation facilities set within a country park atmosphere, with a good variety of wildlife filled habitats to explore, including 2 lakes, several footpaths and cycle ways. There is also an all-weather sports court, and a field for informal sports, such as football.

Finally, slightly further afield, Birling Gap offers a chalk and shingle beach great for rock pooling and fossil hunting at low tide. With a south west facing beach it is very popular with surfers and kite fliers too. There are excellent walks on the South Downs Way over the Seven Sisters hills, and this area is populous with butterflies.

Also, a day trip away, but worth it and home to hundreds of exotic animals and tonnes of activities, Drusillas Park in Alfriston was rated Europe’s best small zoo. Say hello to tamarins, llamas, the weird, wonderful and brand new anteater, and loads more! You can even get 'nose-to-nose' with nature on one of their walk-through exhibits. Choose between Lemurland, Lory Landing or the freaky but friendly Bat Cave.