When it’s hot and sunny the access to Camber is highly congested. The best times to visit Camber Sands are early in the morning or later in the afternoon, when it may be quieter. Camber Sands is now listed on Beach Check UK, a free app, so you can avoid congestion and discover others nearby that are quieter and less crowded. It's free to use (no in-app purchases) and available from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Camber is home to a stunning stretch of white sandy beach, complete with undulating dunes and unspoilt views stretching for miles, across Rye Harbour to the east and the cliffs of Hastings Country Park to the west. Look closely and you may even spot a seal in the estuary.
The sand dunes provide a valuable natural habitat to over 250 species of plants and animals can be found on the dunes at Camber. Among the sprays of marram grass, sea buckthorn with its bright orange winter berries and the pinky-white flowers of the sea rocket, you’ll find the tracks of lizards and the occasional flash of a tail. Many varieties of butterflies and moths make their homes here, while skylarks fly high overhead.
Along the shoreline you’ll find razor shells, whelks’ eggs and mermaids purses. Watch out for the spiky-spined weever fish, which buries itself in the sand – beach shoes are a must.
A couple of miles east you’ll find Dungeness, where two armies of pebbles collide forming an ever-growing triangular shingle spit that is home to a truly unique environment – not to mention a nuclear power station that you can arrange to visit, if you call in advance. And as if that wasn’t incongruous enough, against this backdrop puffs a regular steam train, as this is one end of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway.
If you're planning a day on the beach, make sure you read up on staying safe at Camber Sands.
Find out more below about things to do in Camber, what's on in Camber, where to stay in Camber and where to eat in Camber.
