As we drift along the river as it meanders through the Seven Sisters Country Park, the only sound I can hear is the rhythmic slosh of our paddle and the birds singing. Kayaking along the Cuckmere River is a magical way to spend an afternoon.

My friend, Suzanne and I arrived earlier that day by train and dropped our bags off at The View Hotel, looking forward to spending the rest of the day and the following morning enjoying a number of outdoor pleasures in an around the lovely seaside town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England.

10 am, Stroll along the seafront

With Eastbourne’s beautiful Victorian pier, its gold dome gleaming in the sunshine, the town’s seafront is wonderful to stroll along on a sunny day, whatever the time of year. The bandstand is possibly the most beautiful I’ve ever seen – it’s certainly the most unusual. They have concerts there every Friday and Saturday night from the end of April, throughout the summer and into October. The pier is also one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen and a walk along it to look back and admire the view of the town is a must.

Take this article with you when you travel with GPS coordinates of all key sights with the GPSMyCity app.

12 noon, Lunch at The Beach Deck, Royal Parade, Eastbourne

The Beach Deck is in a prime location on the seafront with a large decking area looking out to sea. It was a little too chilly to sit outside when we visited, but we still had a sea view through the picture windows. So often restaurants and cafes in prime locations, be that a beautiful square in Rome or by the seaside in an English resort, rely on their location alone to bring the customers in, rather than the quality of their food and service. The total opposite can be said of The Beach Deck. Both the service and the food was excellent and my starter was possibly the best calamari I’ve ever tasted.

You can read more about The Beach Deck on our a brand new blog launched today, Sussex Bloggers, in my article, Great food and sea views at The Beach Deck. 

2 pm Kayak along Cuckmere River

After lunch, we hopped in a taxi and headed to the Seven Sisters Country Park. At the far end of the public car park lies a smaller private car park and the home of Buzz Active.  They are a great company offering a variety of water sports for schools, groups and individuals, both here at Cuckmere and from Eastbourne’s Royal Parade.

We were here to try out the kayaks – it’s such a wonderful setting and the hour we spent out on the water went way too fast.

Being a weekday in early spring, the only other people we saw while we were on the river were two paddle boarders and a few geese. Other than that, we had it all to ourselves.

We used 720 taxis to get around. You can reach them on 01323 720720. We found them excellent and we used them to save time, but there is also a regular bus service that can take you to the Seven Sisters Country Park.

3 pm Explore Friston Forest

From there, we crossed over the A27 for a walk in Friston Forest. There are some lovely views looking back across the park but while there was glorious sunshine in Eastbourne itself, the weather here was pretty grey, so I’m sharing a photo that Suzanne, The Travelbunny,  took on a prior occasion so that you can see it at its best.

7.30 pm Dinner at Seasons, Sovereign Harbour.

That evening we took another taxi and headed to the Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour as we had heard good things about a restaurant there called Seasons. Being a Monday night it was understandably quiet, but we had an excellent meal and there was still a pleasant atmosphere. My chilli with skin-on chips was so tasty.  I asked them to spice it up just a little and it was perfect. Update: Seasons is now under new management and has been renamed 4 Seasons. Some of the old staff are still there and the service and quality are reputedly just as good. Jan 2018

Spend the night at The View Hotel

From here, we headed back into town. After all that exercise and sea air, we were happy to have an early night. In all honesty, The View Hotel isn’t the loveliest of buildings from the outside, but step inside and you’ll find a smart, modern hotel that’s bright and welcoming. The staff at the front desk were particularly helpful and we loved our room, especially the stunning sea views.

In the morning, we headed down for a leisurely breakfast and found a great choice of all the things you would expect from a well stocked buffet style breakfast, including a very tasty full English, which I have to admit I always find hard to resist. It really hit the spot.

Take this article with you when you travel with GPS coordinates of all key sights with the GPSMyCity app.

All too soon it was time for me to catch the train home again. I thoroughly enjoyed my 24 hours in Eastbourne. Best of all, while I didn’t get the chance to do everything I would have liked to have done, it left me with plenty of reasons to go back again and explore Eastbourne and the surrounding countryside some more.

Getting There

You can find all the information you need about getting to Eastbourne here. Frequent direct trains run to London Victoria, Gatwick and Ashford International (Eurostar), as well as the lovely seaside town of Brighton, also in East Sussex.

Love it? Pin it!

Disclosure: My visit to Eastbourne was complimentary but, as always, I will only share my own honest opinions.