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My seaside town is Time Out’s best UK place to visit in 2025.. it used to be a tourist blackspot but now rivals Brighton
Watch our deep dive video on how to spend a weekend in Folkestone
FOLKESTONE has been named the top destination to visit by Time Out this year - and as a local, I can see why.
The Kent town featured on their
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Citing it as a "once under-the-radar" seaside town, it since undergone a huge revamp in recent years.
Time Out said: "In recent years the Kentish town has cemented its rep as a top-tier seaside spot, delightful for its colourful, cobbled Old High Street of indie shops, its ever-growing culinary scene, its balmy, sweeping beach and surrounding areas of natural beauty."
I understand it's recent comparison to Brighton too - they are both less than an hour from London (Folkestone is just 54 minutes to St Pancras) and both have an amazing art scene.
Folkestone does beat Brighton in one way, however - the average house price in Folkestone is £311,673 according to Rightmove, while Brighton's is £484,154.
Read more on seaside towns
And there are some exciting new changes coming to the seaside town, which as someone who lives there, am excited about.
There is the long awaited Leas Lift, one of the UK's last funicular railways, which is undergoing a huge renovation.
Having closed back in 2017, it hopes to reopen this year and connect tourists from the clifftop to Folkestone Beach.
The Lower Leas Coastal park - one of the largest free adventure parks in the UK - is also laying the groundwork for a huge renovation.
Most read in Beach holidays
And returning this year is the Folkestone Triennial for the first time since 2021.
The three-month event, running from July 19 to October 19, will see international artists create new structures and artwork to the town.
One of the UK's prettiest Wetherspoons is in an up-and-coming seaside town
The town already has its own unique art trail, including a 2014 Banksy, as well as the Antony Gormley cast iron statues and 'Folkestone Mermaid,' similar to the one in Copenhagen.
An oversized pigeon unit, the 'Folkestone Lightbulb' street art and Richard Woods holiday homes are also spotted in the town.
Make sure to walk along the seafront from Folkestone to Sandgate too, to spot the brightly coloured beach houses, also part of the art trails.
Living there myself, I often spend my weekends having exploring the multicoloured Artist's Quarter, stopping for a coffee in Steep Street (a bookshop-cum-cafe) and picking up some local artwork.
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And the Harbour Arm is the best spot when the weather improves.
Not only are there shipping containers of food and drink stalls, but there are even more gift shops to explore.
In the summer, the big screen has films and live sports showing, but I love going to the other end of the harbour walls.
This is where you will find the Lighthouse, an amazing champagne bar, as well it's sister restaurant Tasting Rooms (visit on Fridays for three-courses, complimentary fizz and Jazz music for £29).
Other amazing restaurants include Rocksalt (you can stay there too - here's my review) with some of the best fish dishes in the area, as well as Burrito Buoy which does fantastic Mexican food.
Time Out's 15 best places to visit in the UK in 2025
- Folkestone
- Stratford
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Orkney
- Bradford
- Southampton
- York
- Whitby
- Cardiff
- Birmingham
- Newlyn
- Liverpool
- Norwich
- Belfast
- Glasgow
When it comes to bars, there is the huge Samuel Peto, a beautiful Wetherspoons in a former church.
Otherwise there is the hidden speakeasy bar behind The Potting Shed - you'll need to get the password, but I will leave that mystery for you to solve.
But if you're heading to the seaside, you have to come for the beaches.
There is the huge main Folkestone Beach which is stony but where you will find the bars and cafes.
Read More on The Sun
Or, depending on the tide, there is Sunny Sands, a small patch of sandy beach (a rarity in Kent).
Here's everything else I recommend to do if visiting Folkestone.
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