Stand at the dry end of Southend Pier and the structure runs out ahead of you for over a mile, a thin line of decking over mudflats and then deep water. Behind you the High Street climbs away from the seafront, and along the clifftop above it there are views across the Thames Estuary towards the Kent coastline.
Southend-on-Sea suits families with children, day-trippers from London, and anyone who prefers a working seaside town to a polished resort. The seafront holds the rides, the beaches and the pier; the streets behind it hold the museums and gardens. This guide covers the places worth your time and how to string them together.
Top things to do in Southend-on-Sea
1. Southend Pier
At 1.3 miles long, Southend Pier is the longest pleasure pier in the world, and it is the one thing in the city you should not skip. You can walk it or take the pier train to the far end, where there is constant deep water. At the dry end there is a Pier museum, and at the far end a cafe and a shop supporting the RNLI.
Go on a Saturday evening between October and Guy Fawkes Night and you can watch free fireworks lit at the foot of the pier from 8PM. In summer, Thames Barges are often seen at the end of the pier.
2. Adventure Island
A seafront landmark on the Western Esplanade that has been entertaining families for over 40 years, Adventure Island is a small amusement park with rides ranging from the scary to the serene. Entry is free, but most rides need a colour-coded wristband: Blue for the fastest and scariest, Green for milder thrills, and Red for calmer rides suitable for most children.
Pre-booking wristbands online is much cheaper than buying them on the day. Opening times vary and in the low season the park usually opens only at weekends, so check ahead. If the weather turns, Adventure Inside sits in the centre of the complex, is entirely indoors, and stays open in winter when the park itself is closed.
3. City Beach
The beaches stretch for miles along the seafront, lined with small shops selling ice creams and doughnuts. City Beach, between the Pier and the Sea Life Centre, is the best of them, with child-friendly fountains and a modern feel.
Beyond the Sea Life Centre and Southchurch Park the beaches continue, but the cafes and other facilities do not. Plan your day around the stretch that has them.
4. Three Shells Beach and Lagoon
To the west of Adventure Island, the beach at the Three Shells is the most sandy in Southend. It has a climbing frame, showers and a boating lake.
It can easily become crowded on sunny bank holidays, so arrive early if you want space.
5. Southend Cliff Lift
Built in 1912, this cliff railway is a delightfully odd way to get from the seafront to the top of the cliff, and it saves you the climb.
Use it to reach the clifftop walks and gardens, then wander along the top for the views over the Thames Estuary.
6. Westcliff Gardens
West of the Pier on the Western Esplanade, these gardens have won awards over the years, including recognition at the Chelsea Flower Show. They are open all year round and free to enter.
This is a good spot to stop for lunch or a quiet stroll along the cliff gardens, away from the busiest part of the seafront.
7. Prittlewell Square
Not far from the Royal Mews, Prittlewell Square is a formal garden and Southend's first park, laid out as part of the Clifftown development.
Combine it with the clifftop walk: the views over the estuary and the gardens sit close together.
8. Beecroft Art Gallery
On Victoria Avenue, the Beecroft Art Gallery holds a large collection of local artwork with occasional exhibitions. It is free to enter.
It opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10AM to 1PM and 2PM to 5PM, so plan around the midday closure.
9. Southchurch Hall
A medieval manor house and park, with a set of period rooms inside including a Great Hall and a Tudor kitchen. Entry is free.
It pairs naturally with the eastern end of the seafront, where the beaches run on past Southchurch Park.
10. Central Museum and Planetarium
The Central Museum and Planetarium includes the exhibits from the Anglo-Saxon burial discovered in Priory Park. Entry is free.
It is an indoor option that works whatever the weather, and a sensible companion to a walk along the High Street.
11. Westcliff Beach
The beaches get quieter the further you go from the pier, but cafes are still spaced regularly to the west. The area around the Beach Hut in Westcliff is a local favourite: a quiet, traditional beach with an old tidal pool.
Come here when the central seafront feels busy and you want a slower hour by the water.
12. Amusement Arcades
The seafront arcades offer video game machines, bingo, pool tables and fruit machines, open all day all year round and free to enter. Games cost between 50p and £1 each.
They are busiest in summer, and they make an easy filler between the pier and the beach.
13. Sea Life Adventure
On the Eastern Esplanade opposite the Kursaal, this themed aquarium features marine life from the Thames Estuary alongside tropical fish. It has a cafe and a small shop.
It opens daily from 10AM to 7PM. Because it sits next to City Beach, you can split a day between the sand and the tanks.
14. The Kursaal
A Grade II listed building constructed as an amusement arcade, now empty. It is worth a look from the outside as you pass along the Eastern Esplanade.
Pair it with Sea Life Adventure opposite, which makes the walk east worthwhile.
15. Old Leigh
Stroll along the sea wall past Chalkwell Railway Station and you reach the sandy beach by the Bell Wharf in Leigh's Old Town, known as Old Leigh. Visit the Lynn Tait Gallery, walk on past the cockle sheds, and take a turn around the bird sanctuary on Two-Tree Island behind Leigh-on-Sea Railway Station.
If your visit falls in September, the Old Leigh Regatta takes over a weekend with market stalls, live bands, sailing and water-based activities, and bars open late. Entry is free.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Southend Pier, walking or taking the train to the far end and visiting the Pier museum at the dry end. Come back along the seafront to City Beach, then let children loose on Adventure Island or, if it rains, in Adventure Inside.
Afternoon. Head west to Three Shells Beach and Lagoon for the sandiest stretch, then take the Southend Cliff Lift up to the top of the cliff. Walk the clifftop for the estuary views and finish with a quiet hour in Westcliff Gardens.
Evening. Continue west along the sea wall to Old Leigh for the cockle sheds and the beach at Bell Wharf. If it is a Saturday between October and Guy Fawkes Night, be back at the foot of the pier for the free fireworks at 8PM.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get out to the end of Southend Pier?
You can walk the full length or take the pier train, which runs to the far end where there is constant deep water. The pier is open all year round.
Do I need to pay to get into Adventure Island?
Entry is free, but you need a colour-coded wristband to access the vast majority of rides. Pre-booking online is much cheaper than buying on the day, and opening times vary by season.
Which beach in Southend is best for children?
City Beach, between the Pier and the Sea Life Centre, has child-friendly fountains and a modern feel. Three Shells Beach and Lagoon, west of Adventure Island, is the most sandy and has a climbing frame, showers and a boating lake.
What free things can I do in Southend?
The Pier museum, the arcades, Westcliff Gardens, Prittlewell Square, the Beecroft Art Gallery, Southchurch Hall and the Central Museum and Planetarium are all free to enter, and the pier fireworks on Saturday evenings from October to Guy Fawkes Night cost nothing.
Pick your dates around the season you want, check opening times before you travel, and start building your Southend-on-Sea itinerary from the list above.