Crossing the channel, you can see the stunning White Cliffs of Dover, but hiking them is a full-on fantastic experience.
“I hope you brought lots of water and some sunblock. It’s going to be hot today!” That’s what the parking attendant greeted us with as we drove up to her booth. At nine o’clock in the morning, it was already a scorcher.
As we parked the car, we did load up on water, but we didn’t have any sunblock so we knew we were taking our chances. It turns out this was the hottest day in England in several decades! But we were so excited to hike along the White Cliffs that we just didn’t care.
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White Cliffs for Miles
We had taken the 8:30 train on the Chunnel which was a half an hour earlier than we had booked, but with the migrant situation in Calais the authorities were encouraging drivers to load up. The roads in France were blocked by miles and miles of trucks, but they kept one lane open for cars and we got through.
We spent the night in Calais, and the small port city had a quietness about it that seemed a bit out of character. It was subdued. The only thing hopping was the McDonald’s right next to the Chunnel line. The crossing was quick and fun, but we couldn’t believe how many miles of trucks we saw on the England side as well. What a mess!
Other Things to Do in England
- Take a Spring Romantic Getaway
- Do the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Watford
- Uncover some Secrets at the Canterbury Cathedral
- Punting in Cambridge
- Visit the Iconic Tower of London
At any rate, we drove by the gorgeous Dover Castle and headed straight to the White Cliffs for a nice walk. The National Trust has put in a cliff-side path that is paved, easy to walk on, and has amazing views of the cliffs and the port of Dover.
All my life, I’ve heard of the white cliffs of Dover. I’ve craned my neck as I’ve flown into London. I never saw them. I was always so disappointed, but this day all that changed. Not only did I take in the gorgeous views, but I was up close and personal with the chalky cliffs.
Flowers, butterflies, green grass. It was stunning. We took our time peering over at the port and really just enjoying a pleasurable day out. If we had more time we could have taken the longer trek out to the white house and enjoyed a nice tea, but we were heading next to the beautiful cathedral at Canterbury.
Have you been to the While Cliffs of Dover?
Pin for the White Cliffs for later.
I wanna see these white cliffs of Dover one day! It reminds me of some cliffs back home.. great pictures btw! ;)
Criz, I hope you do get to see them!
Wow..beautiful. I have heard of the White Cliffs but don’t remember ever seeing pictures this up close. Gorgeous views and glad you had a wonderful day.
Mary, It was fantastic, but believe it or not, I could have been happier with a cooler, more English, day!
I’ve heard of the white cliffs of Dover all of my life, too, but have never seen them. I really enjoyed your photos. What a lovely walk.
Vicki, It was absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend it.
We’ve not been to the White Cliffs but we have family that live nears the Seven Sisters National Park in East Sussex just along the English Channel. The Seven Sisters cliffs are actually whiter than the White Cliffs and are often used as a stand-in for them in movies.
Shobha, I have never heard of the Seven Sisters! Now, I have someplace else to add to my list.
Yes, the cliffs of Dover are on my (rather short) ‘must-see-list’ too. Will I ever make it? No idea with the current Schengen restrictions making an extensive visit of Europe so difficult. We usually love slow travel, in or own vehicle, without any artificial pressures and time restrictions. But if we decide to give Europe a go Dover (and GB) will be on the itinerary as England is not part of the Schengen, which affords some extra time in Europe…
Juergen, Exactly! Yes, that Schengen can cause some serious problems, but remember that the borders are not so far away so you can probably figure out a way to do it with not too many problems. It would be a good puzzle.
We saw the White Cliffs when we took a ferry from France to England. Quite the beautiful view arriving by water! We also enjoyed Dover Castle and lunch at The Happy Cafe. Fun day all around!
Jill, I never did, but I loved the walk!
Beautiful! We actually saw them a few days ago when flying out of London towards Bucharest. London is actually at the top of Lissette’s list (we were in transit this time from Cape Town) and we’ll come back and make sure to visit the cliffs of Dover.
Frank (bbqboy)
Frank, Do! It is a great place to walk…gorgeous views!