Best 7 Beaches In West Sussex To Sink Your Feet Into
If you want to pick up an ice cream, some seaside fish and chips or a good old classic stick of rock in West Sussex you’ll have tons of options to pick from. But what of the beaches themselves? There’s lots of variety along the county’s 50 miles of coastline, but are there any sandy beaches in West Sussex?
It’s easy to see how someone could be confused by the whole ‘sand or shingle’ situation when it comes to this stretch of coastline. You see, many of the beaches here have both. However, the sand has a pesky habit of doing a little disappearing act at high tide, so if you time your visit wrong, you might just be staring at a vast expanse of pebbles.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that – as long as you remember to pack some jelly shoes for your camping holiday in West Sussex.
Read on for the seven best beaches in West Sussex.
West Wittering Beach
Family-friendly sandy beach with watersports
The jewel in the West Sussex coastal crown, West Wittering is a long sandy stretch backed by colourful beach huts. It’s so popular that you’ll have to book the car park well in advance of your planned day at the seaside – and keep your fingers crossed that the weather forecast is accurate. Once car parking is secured, though, you’re on to a family-friendly winner.
During the summer months, this award-winning Blue Flag beach is patrolled by lifeguards, so you can relax while the kids build sandcastles or elaborate circuits for marble rallies, or splash around in the clear shallow waters looking for whelks and razor clams.
A watersports club runs surfing and windsurfing courses for children aged five to seven, while older kids can have a go at paddleboarding. Learning to stay upright on a board is hungry business, so head to the beach café for burgers or fish and chips. Then, after lunch, a walk along the edge of the water all the way to East Wittering Beach will burn off some of those excess calories.
If you get to the beach early (before 9am counts as early on holiday, right?) or if you stay past 6pm, you might see horse riders cantering along the sand at low tide. Check with local stables for the chance to go horse riding on the beach.
Look for campsites near West Wittering
East Head
Sandy beach with dunes and wildlife
A walk from West Wittering, either along the beach at low tide or skirting the beach huts, leads to East Head, another heavy hitter in the sandy category. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), this beach is known for its system of sand dunes covered in marram grass, a landscape similar to that of Camber Sands, in neighbouring East Sussex.
You can unfurl your towel here and catch some rays while gazing at the Isle of Wight in the distance, but why be a sun-worshipping lizard when you can go looking for real sand lizards (or at least their little footprints) in the dunes?
Bumblebees and colourful moths buzz among the wildflowers, while away from the beach, the wetlands are home to oystercatchers and other migrating birds. If a stroll among the sand dunes has whetted your appetite for hiking, check out our choice of the best walks and trails and best coastal walks in West Sussex.
East Head sits at the edge of Chichester Harbour, a large inlet with plenty of options for watersports. If you have your own paddleboard or kayak, you can set off from launch sites such as Itchenor and explore the natural harbour’s salt marshes and marinas. Or take a ride on the Itchenor Ferry as it weaves its way among sailing boats to Bosham.
See the campsites around East Head and Chichester Harbour
West Beach, Littlehampton
Sand dunes and a coastal nature reserve
A wooden walkway winds around the dunes backing Littlehampton’s West Beach, a nature reserve with a quiet, vast expanse of sand – at least at low tide. (This is one of those peculiar West Sussex sand-and-shingle beaches mentioned earlier.)
The delicate dune environment is popular with wintering birds, but it sustains plenty of plant life, too, including marram grass and sea kale. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a sand lizard as you stroll along. However, you don’t want your dog spotting one of these rare reptiles before you do and fetching it as a souvenir, so be sure to keep Fido on a lead when exploring the dunes.
East Beach, Littlehampton
Sand-and-shingle beach with family-friendly amusements
With just the small River Arun separating them, you’d think that West Beach and East Beach have something in common besides their sand-and-shingle nature. Think again.
East Beach is a traditional seaside resort, with family-friendly facilities like an amusement park, two miniature golf courses and large green areas for picnics, not to mention the architectural award-winning East Beach Cafe, near the multicoloured beach huts.
You can do as little or as much as you like here, with a watersports centre for paddleboarding and kitesurfing lessons, as well as charter boats for fishing trips that set off from the river pier.
Book campsite accommodation near Littlehampton
East Beach, Bognor Regis
Sand and shingle at a family-friendly beach
With several beaches within easy reach, Bognor Regis has something for everyone. Stay close to the pier if you’re holidaying with your family and want all the facilities of a traditional seaside resort. Low tide at East Beach sees kids building sandcastles, playing ball games or just chasing each other on the flat sand near the water.
And when the sea comes in? Those who aren’t fond of sitting on pebbles can cycle or rollerblade along the promenade, making regular pitstops at the seafront stalls selling ice creams and cold drinks. Add in a miniature golf course and a playground, and it’s no surprise that East Beach proudly displays a Seaside Award flag.
Middleton-on-Sea, Bognor Regis
Secluded beach for dog walks
The further you get from Bognor’s pier, the quieter the beaches become. Follow the paved promenade east past Felpham’s colourful beach huts until it becomes a footpath, and you’ll get to Middleton-on-Sea.
Accessible only on foot, this sand-and-shingle beach has a remote and secluded vibe as a result and is popular with local dog walkers year-round. While your canine companion makes new friends chasing a tennis ball, you might be able to pick up some restaurant recommendations from whoever threw it.
Not quiet enough for you? Head west from Bognor’s pier and join the anglers (they tend to be a quiet lot) at Aldwick, where there’s beach fishing for mackerel and bream. Or visit the wetlands at the back of Pagham Beach, an RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) nature reserve with egrets, little terns and other birdlife.
Book a campsite around Bognor Regis
Worthing
Fishing from the pier and a Ferris wheel
By now you know that the low tide is your best friend at most West Sussex beaches, and Worthing is no exception.
The tidal expanse of sand here is just the job for building sandcastles or looking for small sea creatures in shallow pools. If you’re after bigger marine life, there are designated fishing zones along the 19th-century pier.
Take a ride on the Ferris wheel to survey the area and locate your next destination from up high. Will it be the Lido, with its amusement rides, or a seafront arcade? Or maybe it’s time to take it down a notch and set up a deckchair on the pebbles for some fish and chips or an ice cream.
Browse campsites around Worthing
Whether you want a traditional seaside experience, the chance to practise watersports or a peaceful nature walk among sand dunes, the beaches of West Sussex will deliver. If you’re travelling with your hound, be sure to check out our list of the best dog-friendly beaches in West Sussex.