A walk along the seafront is one of those 'must do' activities for people visiting Brighton and Hove but for people who want to linger and spend some quality time enjoying everything there is on offer, here are some recommendations. The seafront in Brighton and Hove is 11 kilometers long, making it the city's largest entertainment venue with a large variety of activities, events and entertainments, many of which are free.
Brighton's West Pier was one of the finest examples of a Victorian pier in the country. It opened in 1866 and closed in 1975. In 2003, it caught on fire and was burnt down completely. The only upside to this sad story is that the metalwork skeleton of the pier sticking out of the sea is one of the most photographed sights in Brighton. No visit is complete without a photo of the sun setting behind this famous landmark. For inspiration, see some samples of Brighton's West Pier images here.
Although it's incredibly tempting to spend your afternoon sitting on the beach with a beer from the iconic Fortune of War pub, there are actually some great water sports to try. Brighton Watersports is located right on the beach and offers paddle boarding, sea kayaking and wake boarding while an even wider range of water sports are available at Hove Lagoon.
In July, between 50 and a record 55,000 visitors gather together to join in or watch the world's biggest free beach and water sports festival Paddle Round The Pier. It features the best of water, street and urban sports, live music, kids entertainment and lots more.
Would you believe that even on our pebbly beach, you can still play beach volleyball? Not on the pebbles themselves, thankfully, though. A sand volleyball court sits just east of the i360 near the live music bar and expensive but totally delicious fish restaurants. More courts can be found much further east down the beach near the Marina.
Or maybe you are interested in seeing the oldest aquarium in the world? Then you should pay a visit to the Sea Life Centre. It is more than 105 years old and the interior looks beautiful. There are local fish species and tropical fresh water and marine fish of all shapes and sizes including a large tanks of sharks you can view from an indoor glass bottomed boat.
Close to the Sea Life Centre is Brighton Palace Pier. It is the top tourist attraction on the South Coast with fairground rides, arcade games, fortune tellers, fish and chips, ice cream, donuts, bumper cars, roller coasters and entertainments for all the family. Be careful while eating outside though, the seagulls think nothing of swooping down and stealing food!
For serious fishing fanatics, there's the Brighton Fishing Museum just a little way down the beach from the Sealife Centre and, for art fans, there are lots of really cool little galleries down that way too.
In this same neck of the woods, there are some of the city's liveliest watering holes. During the summer, people pack the outside tables while music blares out and the beer flows. Newish addition, The Tempest Inn, next to the Fortune of War, is a very interesting pub with an underwater cave feel to it. Notable restaurants around there include the beach branch of Riddle and Finns, Al Fresco with the most amazing views and Murmur, a new restaurant near the i360.
Then, of course, there's the British Airways i360 itself. It is the world's largest moving observatory tower with a height of 450ft. It gives you an unique and beautiful view over 30 miles of Sussex coast.
Just west of the i360 are the famous Hove Beach Huts. You'll notice that they are all the same two colours on the main body of the hut but then the doors are painted a whole range of different colours from one solid bold colour to multicoloured stripes.
Beautiful and relaxing our beach may be but it can get very windy even in the summer. A good tip for sunbathers is to get as close to one of the groynes as possible as they offer shelter from the wind. For people who like a bit of peace and quiet, get as far away from the pier as possible.
