Camping in Margate

Margate itself, being a dense seafront town built up over the Georgian and Victorian eras, has no campsites within its own boundaries, but the surrounding Isle of Thanet countryside a few miles inland makes up for it. The land here is gently rolling arable Kent farmland, flat enough for easy cycling between sites and the coast, and close enough to the sea that most pitches are within a fifteen-minute drive of a beach. Sites tend to be a mix of touring pitches, seasonal caravans and increasingly, glamping options such as safari tents and shepherd's huts, aimed at both long-stay caravan owners and short-break tent campers heading for Margate, Broadstairs or Ramsgate.

Weather on this stretch of the Kent coast is typically drier and sunnier than much of the rest of England, thanks to its position in the driest corner of the country, though the open, low-lying land means it can also be notably windy, which is worth bearing in mind when pitching a tent. Wild camping has no general legal right in England, including across Kent and Thanet, so camping away from a licensed site requires the landowner's explicit permission; the many established touring parks around Margate are the reliable and legal option. The camping season at most local sites runs from around March or April through to September or October, with the peak summer months busiest and priced accordingly. Late spring and early autumn tend to offer the best combination of settled weather, lower prices and a quieter countryside, while July and August bring the fullest pitches but also the liveliest atmosphere, with many sites within striking distance of Margate's beaches, Dreamland and the Old Town for day trips.