Camber Sands Travel Guide

This travel guide is sure to give you the best tips on how to organise your trip to Camber Sands. The area is famous for having the most beautiful sands dunes and golden beaches so it’s popular with kite surfers and the sunseekers. The nearby town of Rye is perfect to visit for stunning hilltop views, cobbled streets and historic places. Not to mention Dungeness which is a shingle beach, shipwrecks and colourful huts forming the UK’s only desert.

What to Visit in Camber Sands

Camber Sands is the beach located in the village of Camber, close to Rye in the county of East Sussex. It’s on the south coast of England, roughly 125 km away from London. The beach forms the sand dune system stretching for 4,8 km from the River Rother to the borders of Kent. The village of Camber covers about 53 acres with the population of 1,700. The neighbouring town of Rye is 4,2 square km and there are over 4,773 people living in it.

Don’t leave Camber Sands without seeing:

1. Camber Sands Beach
2. Camber Castle
3. Rye Castle
4. Ypres Castle
5. Rye Landgate
6. Mermaid Street
7. Lamb House
8. Rye Heritage Centre
9. Rye Art Gallery
10. St Mary’s Church
11. Bodiam Castle
12. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
13. Dungeness

Read more: What to See and Do in Camber Rye – Top Tourist Attractions

Hiking in Camber and Rye

If you plan on walking around Rye and Camber Sands, you’ve got many nice and easy hiking trails to choose. The best ones include Rye and Camber Castle, Rye Coastline, Rye Nature Reserve Circular, Saxon Shore Way from Rye to Appledore, Rye to Camber and the West Undercliff Walk.

Read more: Best Hikes and Walks in Camber and Rye

Beaches in Camber and Rye

There are two main beaches in Camber and Rye are the Camber Sands and the Winchelsea Beach. The area is famous for having the best sand dunes in England.

Where to Stay in Camber Sands

Camber is a small village and there are three holiday resorts: Pontins, Parkdean Resort and The Gallivant. If staying in Rye, you can walk or cycle to the Cambers Sands beach which is only 5 km away. The most recommended places to stay in Rye:

• Rye Windmill
• The Hope Anchor
• One Life Escapes
• Jeake’s House
• The George in Rye
• Flackley Ash Hotel
• The Old Borough Arms

What to Eat in Camber Sands

Camber Sands and Rye are typical fish villages with the direct access to the sea. Therefore, there’s plenty of fresh fish available all over the area. When visiting, you should definitely try the most famous fish and chips. Other traditional English cuisine in Camber Sands include:

• Scotch Eggs – hard boiled egg wrapped in the sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and fried.
• Piccalilli – English version of Indian pickles, salty, sour and spiced.
• Marmite – food spread made from yeast extract.
• Crumpets – English muffin with butter of jam.
• British Scones – dense biscuits served with butter or jam.
• Chip Butty – white bread sandwich with chips and ketchup inside.
• Meat Pies – steak and kidney pie, steak and ale pie, pork pie, chicken and leek pie, served hot or cold.
• Cornish Pastry – meat, veggies (plenty of potatoes) mixed in a gravy sauce, wrapped in the pastry and baked in the oven.
• Full English Breakfast – bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, fried beans, hash browns and toasts.
• Sunday Roast – roasted joint lamb, beef or pork, served with Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy.
• Afternoon Tea – tiny finger triangle sandwiches with no crust, filled with cucumber and cream cheese.
• Bangers and mash – sausage, mash potatoes, gravy and peas.
• Sausage Toad – sausage in Yorkshire butter, served with veggies and gravy.
• Fish and Chips – cod in beer butter, chips and mushy peas.
• Beef Wellington – beef steak coated in mushroom mixture and wrapped in the puff pastry, served with mash potatoes and asparagus.
• Shepperd’s (Cottage) Pie – mash potatoes crust and meat base baked in the oven.
• Chicken Tikka Masala – roasted chunks of chicken cooked in the spiced tomato cream sauce.
• Sticky Toffee Pudding – moist sponge cake made of dates in a toffee sauce, served with vanilla custard or ice cream.
• Ale – traditional English beer.

How to Get Around Camber Sands

If you want to explore Camber Sands, you can easily do so by walking. Camber is a small village located 4,8 km away from Rye. The good thing about getting there is the possibility of hiring a bike. There are plenty of cycle routes you can take around the area. If you want to reach more remote places, it’s best to rent a car or take the public transport.

Camber Sands Travel Guide – Cost and Budget

The backpackers in Cambers Sands need a budget of at least £40 a day. That’s assuming they find a cheap hostel in Camber or Rye, get creative with cooking, walk or cycle and see the main attractions.

If your budget for Camber Sands fall into the mid – range category, be ready to spend around £105 daily. That’s enough to stay in nice hotel in Rye, taste the local dishes in pubs or restaurants, use the public transport and explore both cities with its surroundings.

If you want a luxury in Cambers Sands, your daily budget will roughly be around £240. It allows you to stay in the top hotels, book tables at the most recommended restaurants, use taxis frequently and enjoy the best of what the area has to offer.

	Accommodation	Food	Transport	Attractions	Avg Daily Cost
Backpacker	£15	£10	£5	£10	£40
Mid-Range	£40	£40	£10	£15	£105
Luxury	£100	£100	£20	£20	£240

Camber Sands Travel Guide – Best Time to Visit

Best time to go to Camber Sands is summer from June to August. Those months bring the most perfect weather to enjoy the life on the beach. If you travel to Camber Sands in summer, you’ll get to experience warm temperatures between 18°C to 22°C and the sea temperatures up to 17°C.

TIP: Summer festivals – the Camber Sands 90′ and 00′ (June), Ray Bay Jazz & Blues Festival.

If you want to visit Camber Sands in spring or autumn, you will welcomed by mild temperatures between 10°C and 18°C. Autumn is also the rainiest in a year so months between September and November should rather be avoided.

TIP: Spring festivals – the Camber Sands 80s Weekend (March), the Ray Bay Scallop Festival.

Winter in Camber Sands brings cold temperatures around 8°C and a lot of rain. If you decide to walk along the beaches, be ready for gusty winds and storms that happen quite often.

Camber Sands Travel Guide – Average Monthly Temperatures

Camber Sands is the hottest in summer from June to August. Those months bring the average temperatures between 18°C and 22°C with July being the hottest. In contrast, Camber Sands are the coldest in winter from December to February. Those months bring the typical temperatures up to 8°C.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp (°C)	8	8	10	13	16	18	22	21	18	15	11	8
Low Temp (°C)	4	4	6	8	11	14	17	16	13	11	7	5
Sea Temp (°C)	7	8	9	9	11	15	16	17	17	16	14	11

Camber Sands Travel Guide – Average Monthly Precipitation

Camber Sands is the wettest from September to February during the autumn and winter season. In fact, the month when it rains the most is November with up to 106 mm and 11 days of showers. In contrast, Camber Sands is the driest from March to August during the spring and summer time. The month with the least rainfall is July with up to 56 mm and 6 days of showers.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainfall (mm)	100	64	73	60	59	56	54	66	81	100	106	101
Rainfall (days)	11	9	9	7	8	7	6	7	8	10	11	11

Camber Sands Travel Guide – Practical Information

This part of my travel guide is full of tips on what to expect during your travels to Camber Sands. For more information on language and local time, religion, electricity plug, internet, currency, visa, safety and health matters in Camber Sands, just follow my guidance below.

Population and Language – Around 1,700 people live in Camber and 4,773 in Rye. The official language is English.

Religion – 67.9% Christian, 31.4% No Religion, 0.2% Muslim, 0.2% Jewish, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.2% Other.

Local Time – There is 1 time zone in Camber Sands, UTC+0 hour.

Electricity – Camber and Rye run on 230V voltage. There is 50Hz and the plug type G (three pin plug). Getting an adapter is recommended.

Internet The internet in Camber and Rye is available all over the towns. The free Wi-Fi is offered in the hotels, restaurants, pubs and other public places. It’s recommended to buy a cheap sim card (around £0.99) and the mobile internet on arrival. Best prepaid (pay as you go) sim cards in Camber and Rye are: EE, Vodafone, Three and O2. The standard monthly tariffs start from £10 a month.

Money and Currency in Camber Sands

In Camber and Rye the ATMs are widely available. There are two types of cash machines: free and pay-to-use. The typical charge in Camber and Rye is £1.50 to £2 per transaction. Visa, MasterCard and Credit Cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. Having some cash is always advisable.

Currency – The official currency in Camber and Rye is Pound Sterling (£) (GBP).

Visa Requirements for Camber Sands

Visa – The UK left the EU on 31st December 2020. EU citizens don’t need a tourist visa to travel to Camber or Rye if staying up to 6 months. Irish can travel anytime they wish with no limits to how long they want to stay. Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans don’t need a visa to Camber or Rye if their trips are less than 90 days. Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months before your travels.

Safety in Camber Sands

Safety Camber Sands is generally a safe destination to travel. The things tourists should be aware are: fast coming tides at the beach, the sandbars that may leave one cut off, the soft sand and mud during the low tide and hidden dune holes. Camber and Rye, where you are most likely to stay a night, are considered safe with very little crime and theft. The lifeguards patrol the Camber Sands beach daily from 10 am to 6 pm between June and September. In case of emergency call 999 or 112.

Emergency Numbers – In Camber and Rye an emergency free numbers to dial are 999 or 112. The numbers for the particular emergency services in Camber and Rye: Police – 101 (Non Emergency), Fire – 112, Medical Services (Non Emergency) – 111.

Health and Travel Vaccinations in Camber Sands

Health – Travelling to Camber Sands requires doesn’t require any additional vaccinations. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that everyone is covered for the diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B regardless of their destination.