Viking Bay

Broadstairs · Thanet · sand

Broadstairs' horseshoe bay with harbour and huts.

What the tide does here

At a spring high tide about 51% of Viking Bay is out of the water. By spring low the sea has drawn back roughly 120 metres, uncovering 92% of it — about 37 hectares of sand.

Viking Bay at high water: the dry beach shaded on a satellite map — **High water, 4.2 m above chart datum.** About 52% of Viking Bay is out of the water.

Viking Bay at low water: the dry beach shaded on a satellite map — **Low water, 0.8 m above chart datum.** About 84% is uncovered.

Dogs

Dogs are banned from the beach all day from 1 May to 30 September. From 1 October to 30 April, dogs are welcome.

Water quality

Classified Good by the Environment Agency in 2025, sampled as "Broadstairs, Viking Bay", a designated bathing water since 1988. Daily pollution risk forecasts appear on this page in the bathing season.

Lifeguards

RNLI lifeguards: daily 23 May-6 Sep, weekends only to 27 Sep, 10:00-18:00.

Awards

Seaside Award 2026.

Facilities

Nearby: public toilets, parking and a café or kiosk. Access: a step-free path, accessible toilets and pushchair-friendly access. Accessible seafront; some steps but accessible routes available.

All Kent beaches on Beach Days

Tide predictions © UK Hydrographic Office. Beach shape from Environment Agency LIDAR survey data, © Environment Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Facilities and places from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Bathing water classifications from the Environment Agency. Satellite imagery © Mapbox, © Maxar.