Things to do in Eastbourne

Address: Beachy Head Road, Eastbourne BN20 7YA

Only a few miles south west of Eastbourne lies Beachy Head, the tallest chalk cliff in the country. It is one of the UK’s best known coastal landforms and offers spectacular views out to sea, sitting more than 500 feet above sea level. Standing at its highest point you can see into four English counties from the Isle of Wight and West Sussex’s Selsey Bill in the west to Dungeness in Kent in the east.

Be sure to stay a safe distance away from the edge and be respectful - tragically Beachy Head is a renowned renowned suicide spot. There’s a country pub also called The Beachy Head by the road, next door to the The Beachy Head Story museum where you can understand the significance of the headland. And just a few steps away is an RAF Bomber Command Memorial, as there was a relay station here during World War II.

Address: Beachy Head Road, Eastbourne BN20 0AB

Continue walking along the cliff tops from Beachy Head, passing the Belle Tout Lighthouse - a quirky B&B in a restored lighthouse - and you’ll reach Birling Gap in about an hour, a small hamlet slowly disappearing due to coastal erosion. Marvel at the Seven Sisters cliffs in this scenic spot offering amazing coastal landscapes, perfect for walkers.

Head down to the beach to enjoy a swim in the sea or take the kids rock pooling and fossil hunting with tracker packs available from the visitor centre, or stop by the cafe for a restorative tea and cake. 

Address: Royal Parade, Eastbourne BN22 7LH

Eastbourne provides more than three miles of shingle beach, all of which is tracked by a Victorian promenade. The most popular beaches are found between Eastbourne Pier and the Wish Tower, a Martello Tower built in the late-18th century to keep French leader Napoleon out. Known as the Marine Parade Beaches, they’re the cleanest swimming areas and are staffed by lifeguards throughout the summer with showers and toilets as well as cafes and bathing cabins.

Address: Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne BN21 4JJ

You can’t miss the stunning Towner Eastbourne thanks to German artist Lothar Gotz’s large-scale and colourful geometric artwork Dance Diagonal transforming the exterior walls of the gallery in 2019. Eastbourne’s modern and contemporary art museum moved into their swish new home in the town’s Cultural Quarter in 2009, just a short walk from the seafront.

The Towner Collection is one of the best public art collections in the southeast of England, showcasing pieces by Picasso, Henry Moore and Wolfgang Tillmans with up to five temporary exhibitions at any given time.

Address: Eastbourne Pier Grand Parade, Eastbourne BN21 3EL

The centrepiece of the town, Eastbourne Pier is a 300-metre long pier that dates back to 1870. The Victorian wonder lost its graceful domed building in the centre to a fire in 2014, but has since been bought by investor Sheikh Abid Gulzar and restored. Stroll along the pier for fabulous views of the English Channel and enjoy afternoon tea in the Victorian Tea Rooms and fish and chips from The Chippy, while there is also a bar, selection of gift shops, amusement arcades and even a jazz club to check out.

Address: Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne BN23 6QJ

A short drive outside of town near the Hampden Park suburb you’ll find the Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway, a family-run adventure park for young and old train enthusiasts alike as well as the wildlife-rich Southbourne Lake. Travel behind the one-eighth scale miniature locomotives as they meander around the idyllic country park for nearly a mile, then take a stroll around the five-acre lake where you can try your hand at angling or get lost in the ‘Grandma's Garden’ maze. Finish up with cream tea or a bite to eat at the park’s award-winning tea gardens and pick up all kinds of steam engine-themed souvenirs at the railway shop.

Address: North Lock Side, Midway Quay, Pacific Dr, Eastbourne BN23 5BJ

In the north-east corner of the town, Sovereign Harbour opened in the early 1990s and revitalised the area with motorboat and yacht mooring as well as waterside dining, cocktails and shops in a large, modern marina. The sprawling development comprises four distinct harbours as well as apartment blocks and residential streets.

Walk along the waterfront lapping up the sun and check out the biggest and best luxury yachts which spring into life when they get lifted and launched. Keep your eyes trained on the water and if you’re lucky you might even spot a few seals and cormorants. The area behind the marina has a multiplex cinema and stores like TK Maxx, Next and Matalan if you need further retail therapy.

Address: Devonshire Park, College Rd, Eastbourne BN21 4JJ

Eastbourne plays host to some of the finest tennis players in the game every year at the end of June when Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club puts on its grass competition, serving as a final warm-up to Wimbledon the following week. Founded in 1974, the event was women-only until 2009 with the likes of Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Justine Henin all winning multiple times. In 2009, the men joined the party making it both a WTA Tour and ATP Tour event, with even more reason to get a day ticket which starts from just £20. Novak Djokovic won in 2017, while Andy Roddick and Feliciano Lopez have also triumphed here.

Address: The Beacon Shopping Centre, Eastbourne BN21 3NW

Let the kids loose at Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Park, inspired by the hit ITV show. Watch them climb, balance, jump and swing their way across different obstacles using and developing their ninja skills, while there is also the famous Warped Wall for every aspiring ninja to conquer. Fully supervised, either join in, watch or enjoy some downtime knowing they are having fun and being looked after.

Address: 5 Royal Parade, Eastbourne BN22 7AE

From ninja to pirates, with the Treasure Island Adventure Park offering indoor and outdoor play areas to kids of all ages as well as crazy golf. The Buccaneers Indoor Adventure consists of two floors with slides, zip lines and ball pits to explore, with a separate soft play area for toddlers. Then take on The Long John Silver’s Outdoor Adventure with its shipwreck fitted with netted walkways, bridges and zip slides. The pirate-themed 18-hole miniature golf course is one for all, testing your putting skills with shots over and under bridges, through caves with extraordinary landscaping and enchanting Pirate lore. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy a pizza from the cafe and unwind in the spacious parkland and sandy beach.

Under 40 minutes away in the car from our awesome Combe Haven Holiday Park all the delights Eastbourne has to offer lie in wait. Just follow this simple route:

• Take Haven Road to Bexhill Road/Bridge/A259 for 0.4 miles

• Continue on Bexhill Road/A259 for 9.2 miles

• Follow the A259, Princes Road and Royal Parade to A259 in Eastbourne