Well hello to you my reader chums! Folkestone is a gorgeous seaside town in Kent which in recent years has revolutionised and become a place for endless things to do, cute cafes, beautiful beach walks and regular art and musical events. As someone who loves Folkestone a lot, especially its independent cafe, restaurant and shopping scene, I wanted to share my personal experiences of how to spend the perfect day in the pebbly beach town.

If you're new to Folkestone or looking for fun and exciting things to fill your day, here's my guide on how to have the perfect day in Folkestone.     

Start your morning with a stroll along the Leas

The Leas is a gorgeous place to begin appreciating the wonders of Folkestone because it overlooks the entire coastline and makes for a lovely nature stroll. As the Leas is pretty long, stretching your legs, chatting, and appreciating the natural beauty around you is fab. The Leas is also home to the bandstand which often has live music and hosts many fun community events. If you come along on the weekend, especially in the summer, you can expect to see bands playing, food stalls, vendors and ice cream trucks.

                                 Have breakfast in the town or harbour                               

After a stroll, the next thing on your list is to enjoy a delicious breakfast. In Folkestone, you're almost spoiled for choice of incredible food places across the town and harbour. For a quick pastry, you can head to Harbour Coffee and Steep Street and for a more indulgent breakfast, try out Marley's for a quality fry-up and delicious pancakes, Sailbox, Mocka, Brew, and Yoke. You can also walk over to Sandgate and enjoy Swedish buns at Orchard Lane or a more filling breakfast at Loaf.

Wander along the Creative Quarter's independent shop scene

After breakfast wherever you choose, it's time to appreciate the wonderful independent shop scene in the Creative Quarter. This road includes vinyl shops, an Etsy store featuring all small business items, art shops, an organic food shop, a sewing shop and clothing stores. It's a hub for independent artists to shine and purchase gorgeous independent goods. Tontine Street is next to the Creative Quarter which features the Folkestone Bookshop.  

Play mini golf 

If you head towards the harbour, you'll find the mini golf along the beach which only costs £6 each. You can enjoy a game or two and appreciate the wonderful view of the surrounding beach views.

Grab a bite of lunch at the Goods Yards

You may have worked up an appetite when you've explored the town's shopping scene and played some golf. Head over to the Goods Yard which offers an array of food vendors, from pizzas, Greek food, fish and chips, and Bao buns to burgers and mac and cheese, there's plenty to choose from, suiting every person. The Goods Yard also features many places to grab coffee, soft drinks or alcoholic beverages. 

Spend a few hours relaxing on the beach

You can't visit Folkestone without spending some time on the beach. From the Goods Yard, make your way down to the beach where you can enjoy a stroll along it or if the weather is nice, sit and appreciate the views. The Folkestone coastline goes on forever, towards Mermaid Beach and Sandgate. You can experience a beach swim, sunbathe, read your book or even grab a drink at Mermaid's Cafe. If you've got children, you can walk up the steps to the Leas Cliff Coastal Park and let them loose to enjoy the endless slides and climbing frames. 

Experience dinner at a range of independent restaurants

In the evening, you have many restaurants in Folkestone for a splendid dinner, whether you love pub grub, pizza or Vietnamese cuisine. Some of my favourite restaurants include Marley's, El Cortator, Viet Street, Lubens, Burrito Buoy, Sotirios Bar & Restaurant, The Radnor Arms, Brewing Brothers, Annapurna and The Harbour Inn.

Enjoy the pub/bar scene 

Many of those restaurants, you can also enjoy a drink at too, such as Brewing Brothers and The Radnor Arms. Other fab pubs and bars include The Beer Shop, The Pullman, Cabron, The Pilor Beach Bar, and The Potting Shed. The Docker Bar and The Ship Inn in Sandgate are also brilliant additions.

Go to the Board Room for darts and shuffleboard

To end your night, head back to the Harbour Arm to the Board Room to continue your drinks and enjoy a round of darts or shuffleboard with your friends. You may even catch the sunset on the Arm!

I hope you enjoyed this guide. What would you add?

Thank you for reading <3