The ‘dazzling’ UK seaside town that’s like being on the Amalfi Coast

This town in Kent has received high praise (Picture: Getty Images)

If you’re dreaming of summer in Italy but can’t afford the trip, we have an alternative that’s easier on the wallet.

A coastal town in the UK has been compared to the Amalfi Coast, widely hailed as Italy’s most beautiful destination — the only difference is Britain’s less-than Mediterranean climate.

Two hours from London, you’ll find Ramsgate, a harbour town in Kent described as having a ‘continental feel’ and a ‘cosmopolitan atmosphere’.

Easy to reach by train, with direct links from London St Pancras, Victoria and Charing Cross, travel times vary from one hour, 15 minutes to around two hours, 20 minutes.

It’s less hipster than nearby Margate,and you could spend a weekend in Ramsgate strolling on the promenade, browsing record shops, swimming in the sea, and sipping on natural English wine.

And while it’s no Positano, it is right on our doorstep.

Things to do in Ramsgate

On a sunny day, it’s easy to feel a touch of la dolce vita sitting outside one of Ramsgate’s many waterfront bars, cafes, or restaurants the town has to offer, with sweeping views across the marina.

Quaint, colourful buildings line the streets, where there are dozens of artisan delis and vintage boutiques to get lost in.

Minutes from the seafront is a chalk cliff coastline peppered with award-winning beaches.

Ramsgate is said to have a ‘cosmopolitan’ feel (Picture: Getty Images)

The most popular is the walk to Broadstairs’ Viking Bay, where your reward can be a pint.

If history is more your thing, take a tour of the UK’s largest civilian wartime tunnels, which once brought Victorian railway passengers from London to the beach (we bet fares were a lot cheaper then, too).

The place that has drawn the strongest comparison to the Amalfi Coast is the Boating Pool on Westcliff Promenade, a family-friendly venue with a boating pool and palm trees outside. 

The Boating Pool has stunning cliffside views out to sea (Picture: Getty Images)

Two grand renaissance-style pavilions wrap around the water; on one side you’ll find a bar, and on the other a cafe, which serves fry-ups, burgers, and all the seaside classics you expect.

Back in 2024, KentOnline hailed Ramsgate as ‘dazzling’ and ‘picturesque’, adding: ‘If you told someone you were on the Amalfi Coast, they’d believe it.

‘And, if the Grade II-listed site wasn’t already ticking plenty of aesthetically pleasing boxes, the sparkling blue of the sea over the cliff-top on which it is perched shimmers to provide the icing on the cake.’

Ramsgate’s Boating Pool has numerous fans online as well, with one Tripadvisor reviewer commenting: ‘This stunning location right on top of the cliffs overlooking the harbour and out towards the picturesque town of Sandwich.

The seaside town has earned comparisons to the Amalfi Coast (Picture: Getty Images)

‘The views are amazing. The food is very very good.’

Another gave it five stars, writing: ‘Unexpected find on the water with great views and great beer.’

If this weren’t enough to send you to Ramsgate, you might be interested to learn that the town is also home to the world’s biggest Wetherspoons.

Located inside a Grade II-listed pavilion that’s more than 100 years old, the building was originally intended as a concert hall when it was built in 1903. 

Since then it’s been used as a nightclub, and casino, but shut down in 2008 before Wetherspoons transformed it into a pub.

You can’t guarantee Italy’s balmy weather here, but at least you can shelter from the Kent drizzle with a good old pint.

This article was first published in May 2024 and later in April 2025, and has been updated.

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