If you’re dreaming of summer in Italy but can’t afford the trip, we have an alternative that’s easier on the wallet.
A coastal town in the UK has been compared to the Amalfi Coast, widely hailed as Italy’s most beautiful destination — the only difference is Britain’s less-than Mediterranean climate.
Two hours from London, you’ll find Ramsgate, a harbour town in Kent described as having a ‘continental feel’ and a ‘cosmopolitan atmosphere’.
Less hipster than nearby Margate, you could spend a weekend in Ramsgate strolling on the promenade, browsing record shops, sea swimming and sipping on natural English wine.
It’s no Positano, but it is right on our doorstep.
Things to do in Ramsgate
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On a sunny day, it’s easy to feel a touch of la dolce vita sitting outside one of Ramsgate’s many waterfront bars, cafes, or restaurants the town has to offer, with sweeping views across the marina.
Quaint, colourful buildings line the streets, where there are dozens of artisan delis and vintage boutiques to get lost in.
Minutes from the seafront is a chalk cliff coastline peppered with award-winning beaches. The most popular is the walk to Broadstairs’ Viking Bay, where your reward can be a pint.
If history is more your thing, take a tour of the UK’s largest civilian wartime tunnels, which once brought Victorian railway passengers from London to the beach (we bet fares were a lot cheaper then, too).
The place that has drawn the strongest comparison to the Amalfi Coast is the Boating Pool on Westcliff Promenade, a family-friendly venue with a boating pool and palm trees outside.
Two grand renaissance-style pavilions wrap around the water; on one side you’ll find a bar, and on the other a cafe, which serves fry-ups, burgers, and all the seaside classics you expect.
KentOnline recently hailed Ramsgate ‘dazzling’ and ‘picturesque’, adding: ‘If you told someone you were on the Amalfi Coast, they’d believe it.
‘And, if the Grade II-listed site wasn’t already ticking plenty of aesthetically pleasing boxes, the sparkling blue of the sea over the cliff-top on which it is perched shimmers to provide the icing on the cake.’
Ramsgate’s Boating Pool has numerous fans online as well, with one Tripadvisor reviewer commenting: ‘This stunning location right on top of the cliffs overlooking the harbour and out towards the picturesque town of Sandwich.
‘The views are amazing. The food is very very good.’
Another gave it five stars, writing: ‘Unexpected find on the water with great views and great beer.’
If this weren’t enough to send you to Ramsgate, you might be interested to learn that the town is also home to the world’s biggest Wetherspoons.
Located inside a Grade II-listed pavilion that’s more than 100 years old, the building was originally intended as a concert hall when it was built in 1903.
Since then it’s been used as a nightclub, and casino, but shut down in 2008 before Wetherspoons transformed it into a pub.
You can’t guarantee Italy’s balmy weather here, but at least you can shelter from the Kent drizzle with a good old pint.
This article was first published on 25 May 2024.
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