Best camping, glamping, and outdoor stays in Margate

Margate is just the place for hipsters, scenesters and Cool Campers. Within easy reach of London, it’s known for its beaches but is now also home to the retro theme park Dreamland and the Turner Contemporary art gallery - both great days out for families on a camping holiday in Margate. This place has been attracting tourists since seaside holidays were invented and camping, in some form or another, has always been a popular way to stay. But campsites in Margate, like so many other places on our coast, have tended to cater for caravans, motorhomes and masses of people. We’ve turned our attention towards finding campsites in Margate, or within reach of Margate, which are more focused on campers and sometimes glampers. Camping and glamping sites which are as cool as the the bustling bars, eateries and independent businesses in Margate itself - not to mention the sea off this part of the Kent coast.

There may be more than one reason to go camping in Margate but there’s no denying that the big attraction is the beach. With 16 sandy beaches in and around Margate, you could visit a different one every day of a two-week holiday and still not see them all. If you’re looking for surfing and watersports, head to Joss Bay, if you want fun fair rides and ice cream stay on Margate’s main beach and if you want somewhere more natural for rockpooling and shell collecting, try beautiful Botany Bay. If you (somehow) tire of the beach, you could take the kids to Dreamland for funfair rides with a retro theme or in to the less-deliberately retro amusements along the front. For a more serious visit, head into the Turner Contemporary art gallery to gaze at paintings of the area by JMW Turner and then, perhaps, stroll down the harbour arm, in front of the gallery, for lunch at one of its hip eateries. More timeless and tucked away is the teeny-tiny quirky hidden gem, the Shell Grotto - where you can while away an hour or two and, if you don't mind heading slightly further afield on your Margate camping trip, how about visiting nearby Whitstable or Canterbury? Both are within 20 miles of town.