Eastbourne is not your average seaside town. It is one of the sunniest places in the UK, it is extremely pretty, impressively built, and a great example of a sophisticated Victorian seaside town. Eastbourne is the perfect place to spend a weekend getaway or family staycation. Here’s our list of the best things to do in Eastbourne!
Eastbourne Beach – Best things to do in Eastbourne
Eastbourne offers miles of broad pebbly beaches. The beach around the pier and town can get busy in the summer. However, if you walk a little way in either direction the crowds thin out.
We preferred the beach near the Redoubt Fortress. This this stretch of beach offers fantastic views out to the pier and is close to the fishing boats giving the area a little more old fashioned charm and character.
Eastbourne Pier
Opened in 1870 the grand 300 meter pier is hard to miss. After a fire in 2014 much of it has been rebuilt and the pier itself offers lots of entertainment and great views along the coast and out to sea.
Sovereign Harbour Marina – best things to do in Eastbourne
Sovereign Harbour is, without a doubt, Eastbourne’s best kept secret and one of the best things to do in Eastbourne!
The newly built harbour opened in 1993 and is northern Europe’s largest marina complex boasting waterfront shops and restaurants. Spend time walking around the four interconnected harbours and watching the pedestrian bridges rise up and down to allow boats and ships to continue their journey out to the sea. Definitely worth a visit!
Harbour Walk
The harbour walk starts on the west side of Sovereign Harbour and continues to the far end of Eastbourne’s seafront. The path winds along the seafront the whole way and the journey takes you past a well used skate park, Princes Park, Redoubt Fortress and the Pier. You can also continue the walk past the Sovereign Harbour to Pevensey Bay if you’re feeling up to it.
Peace Garden and Wish Tower
The Peace Garden in a walled garden that surrounds an old Martello Tower. The garden stands as Eastbourne’s memorial to all those that died in the air-raid bombings of WW2. Walk around the gardens or simply sit and listen to the world go by before heading over to Bistrot Pierre’s for a bite to eat or Eastbourne’s Giant Wheel to view Eastbourne from above.
Redoubt Fortress
The fortress was built in 1810 in a bid to keep Napoleon out of Britain. Five million bricks where floated up the British coast from London to build the fortress. However, with no fresh water supply it wasn’t the nicest place to be based!
Now it is a place for leisure with a cinema, cafes, tours around the fort and different events throughout the year. Visit the Redoubt Fortress website for the latest on opening times and events.
Princes Park
A place where you can have a coffee, feed the ducks, play an 18 hole putting green and have a wander around 33 acres of tended parkland one mile from Eastbourne town centre.
The Bandstand
The bandstand was made in 1935 and is an open air concert venue offering up to 150 shows a year.
Eastbourne is a firm favourite of ours and it is definitely a place we will go back to again.
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