Start from 26 curated places around Whitstable, GB, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Wheelers Oyster Bar
A tiny candyfloss-pink shopfront on the High Street that has been shucking oysters since 1856, making it the oldest restaurant in town. The front counter sells to take away; the four-table back parlour does a short, brilliant seafood menu that punches well above any starred competitor. Best for a long lunch if you can get a booking, or a dozen oysters at the counter if you cannot.
The Sportsman
Stephen Harris's Michelin-starred gastropub stranded behind the sea wall at Seasalter, two miles west of Whitstable, where the menu is built around local marsh lamb, ingredients foraged from the saltings outside, and oysters from the beds in front. The room is unfussy pub; the tasting menu is one of the most quietly celebrated meals in the country. Best for an unhurried lunch with a long drive home.
Trails & outdoors
Crab and Winkle Way
A 7.5-mile traffic-free path between Whitstable Harbour and Canterbury, laid along the old 1830 Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, the first regular steam passenger line in the world. It climbs gently through Clowes Wood and the RSPB's Blean Woods, with one or two pubs along the way. Best as a one-way ride or walk with a train back from Canterbury West.
Saxon Shore Way: Whitstable to Faversham
A flat eight-mile coastal stretch of the long-distance Saxon Shore Way, leaving Whitstable along the sea wall through Seasalter, crossing the marshes and tidal creeks of the Swale, and finishing at Faversham's medieval centre. Open skies, big bird life, almost no shade. Best on a clear day with the train home from Faversham.
Things to do
The Horsebridge Arts Centre
A multi-purpose community arts centre a few minutes from the harbour with rotating exhibitions of local artists, a maker-focused shop, a small cinema programme, comedy, live music, classes and workshops. The accessible building has a lift to all floors. Best for an unplanned hour browsing on a rainy afternoon or a film night.
The Playhouse Theatre
A tiny 159-seat theatre on the High Street, owned and run by the Lindley Players amateur dramatic group since the 1940s, putting on plays, musicals and the annual pantomime. The intimate room means there are no bad seats. Best for a cheap, local-flavour night out that you would not get in a bigger town.
Landmarks & sights
Whitstable Harbour
A working harbour at the foot of the High Street where fishing boats still land their catch beside a cluster of weather-boarded huts now selling crab rolls, oysters, art and crafts. It is the town's centre of gravity at weekends and the obvious place to start. Best for a wander with a paper cone of something seafood-y in hand.
Whitstable Castle and Gardens
A late 18th-century octagonal tower-house set in three acres of free public gardens above the seafront, with rose beds, a tea room in the Orangery and a wooden pirate playground that kids love. The castle interior is mainly used for weddings, but the grounds are the real draw. Best for a low-key hour away from the harbour crowds.