Walking
Ready, Steady, Go!
Dust down the trainers! Top up the water bottle! Get ready to immerse yourself in nature and culture. It’s time to step out and experience Active Ramsgate’s walking trails. Each trail is themed and bursting with fun things – in amazing places – to make the most of everything our beautiful coastline has to offer.
Whether it’s the prolific wildlife and verdant nature, the sweep of the open beach, or the famous faces and places in our three hundred year history, there is so much to discover, experience and enjoy.
Escape the everyday and get ready to go walking!
The Contra Trail: Boats, Birds & Bays (Ramsgate to Pegwell Bay)
If you’re up for some quality down time in an area so individual that it even has its own micro-climate, then walk this way; through the thrum of a busy harbour town, over the scrunch and tickle of cliff-top grass, and into an ecological treasure trove of nature.
Distance: 6.1 miles (9.8km) one-way including Nature Reserve loop – allow 3 hours.
Sea It All: Coast, Cliffs & Café Culture (Ramsgate to Broadstairs)
Looking for a little rejuvenation with a heady dash of inspiration? A bit of magic that you can believe in? You’ll find it and a whole lot more on this sea-loving circuit from Active Ramsgate. Italian Gardens, Viking Bays, Victorian Pavilions. Every step is a refreshing fusion of sights, sounds, experiences and surprises.
Distance: 5 miles (8km) circular – allow 2.5 hours for the circular trail and 1.5 hours one way.
Town Rounders: Regency, Royal & Riviera (Ramsgate Town Walk)
Leave the cagoules back in the hotel, practice your pavement etiquette and get ready for some serious fun on two circuits of one infinitely entertaining coastal town. This inventive twin-trail from Active Ramsgate will lead you through a labyrinth of quiet streets, alleyways and a Royal Harbour, past historic buildings, monuments and landmarks shaped by 300 years of history, around a town packed with contradictions and (last but definitely not least) to an eclectic mix of bars and cafés where you can stop off for a well-earned top up.
Distance: Loop 1 – 1.4 miles (2.3km) – allow 45 minutes;
Loop 2 – 2 miles (3.2km) – allow 1 hour.
The Beach Roamer: Botany, Bays & Beaches (Ramsgate to Margate)
If doing the same old thing in the same old places makes you want to break free – then make a break for it! Step out of the everyday and onto this cliff-hugging, bay hopping, blues-busting trail where you can take in the fresh air and let your spirit soar. Open horizons and big skies are the order of the day with this open air celebration of everything the Ramsgate coast has to offer.
Distance: 6.8 miles (11km) one-way – allow 3.5 to 4 hours.
The Way of St Augustine – Ramsgate to Canterbury
In a world as full-on as ours, taking time out from the hurly-burly has never been more important. The Way of St Augustine – an elegant route, between the Shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate and the historic pilgrim city of Canterbury, gives you that opportunity. So take a leap of faith, step off the beaten track and get ready to walk in the footsteps of saints. You will be blessed indeed!
Distance: 19 miles (30.5km) one-way – allow a long day.
Augustine Camino – Rochester Cathedral to Ramsgate
If you thought pilgrimages weren’t for you, then this extraordinarily rich introduction to some of the UK’s most spiritually and historically important shrines, artworks, monasteries and architecture, might tempt you to think again. When King Ethelbert converted to Christianity, he could not have conceived of how many people would be inspired following in his footsteps. Noblemen and peasants; rich and poor; men and women; millions upon millions of souls who all went on to follow their own unique spiritual path down the centuries. From the first step at Rochester Cathedral to the last in the Shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate, The Augustine Camino walk is a celebration of those pilgrims and the gifts that they left behind. Will you follow in their footsteps?
Distance: 62 miles (100km) one-way – allow several days at a leisurely pace.
England Coast Path – Ramsgate to Camber
Sometimes more really is more. Like this epic journey of discovery over, across and through some of the very best landscapes that the south east coast has to offer. A full 66 miles in length, it’s certainly not over in the blink of an eye, and it’s not always a stroll in the park, but as the thousands of people who have already completed it will testify – it is truly exceptional. The adventure begins in Ramsgate and weaves on to the timeless White Cliffs, along the gently looping Dungeness peninsula, via the famous Cinque Ports of Sandwich, Dover, Hythe and New Romney – until you finally reach journey’s end at Camber in East Sussex. It’s challenging, it’s rewarding and it’s a lot more than you can possibly imagine.
Distance: 66 miles (106km) one-way – allow several days at a leisurely pace.
The Ramsgate Royal Harbour Trail
This self-guided Royal Harbour trail takes you through the history of our distinguished harbour, describing 250 years of our working harbour’s construction and evolution. The trail begins at the Jacob’s Ladder Steps (used by Vincent van Gogh during his short stay in Ramsgate back in 1876) and takes you on a journey around the inner and outer marina, ending at the Royal Harbour Brasserie, with its unrivalled views of the harbour and channel. Please remember this is a working harbour and some areas are non-railed so no stepping back when taking selfies as you could end up with more than a beautiful image! If the lifting bridge is raised, you may be able to use the smaller footbridge but if not, you will have to walk around the inner harbour via Military Road. Approximate distance if the mitre bridge is down is 1.5 miles, taking approximately 40 minutes. If the bridge is up and the footbridge is not accessible, the trail is approximately 2 miles, taking around 60 minutes to complete. Both estimations allow for time to read the leaflet and enjoy each point listed on the trail.
More Walks and Trails
And there are more walks you need to add to your seaside bucket list. Ramsgate Montefiore Heritage provides an equally wonderful Town Trail that weaves through Ramsgate via numerous iconic landmarks – all of which have their own very special tale to tell. Download the Town Trail here. Also look out for seasonal guided costume walks in Ramsgate, all free of charge, on our Facebook site.
For more walks in Kent visit the excellent Explore Kent website. You can also download the Explore Kent App for free, available from the App Store. Browse and save the walks straight to your phone – perfect if you have no mobile reception and no need for printed leaflets.
You can view our range of walks on our Maps & Trails page.
See also our walking blogs:
