I'm from San Diego, California where I've got great beaches, but I've always been intrigued by…read moreBrighton Beach...lots of history, lots of British stuff, miles long boardwalk, gorgeous Victorian architecture, and a beach! However: -No sand! All small pebbles! Which are quite painful to walk on... -It was cold, cloudy, and windy... -The English Channel waves were quite strong and rough... I almost chickened out of going for swim...but then I saw a much older gentleman go in for a swim, giving me confidence. It also helped the lifeguard station was manned by some young, handsome, muscular British blokes. Water was cold, but surprisingly the same temperature as San Diego! No else was in the water but me and the older gentleman...lovely! Next day I went for a swim alone...it was lightly raining, cloudy, and the locals in their thick sweaters and oversized coats looked at me as if I had gone mad...shouldn't the local Brits be used to this weather by now and just enjoy the beach as its meant to? Of all the places in Britain, this is where I'd want to live :)

Brighton Beach is a popular holiday destination for most of the UK due to its beautiful beaches and…read moremultiple restaurants and clubs. The beaches are rocky so bring your water shoes. In addition to swimming in the channel, there is an amusement park on the pier, as well as plenty little shops and food places. Be sure to check out i360 when you're there.

A good place for all the family and dogs a nice sandy beach when the tide is out . A 18th century…read moreruined village . It used to have a big mill that ground the corn until a big storm changed the course of the river at newhaven . And the inhabitants moved out due to poor sanitation . And the army demolished the village after the outbreak of World War Two . Designed and run by William Catt the mill owner in the 1800's . A popular place for surfers and kite surfers

Been going here since I moved down here from London in 1977 at the age of 11 a fun place for taking…read moreyour dog . my bonnie loves going in the sea and paddling. In the summer there's a kiosk where you can get refreshments and food. There's a sandy beach too but unfortunately all access to this beach has been stopped. I suppose that's what happens when you sell your beach to the French give us our beach back

This is a excellent little stop of for Brighton families as it has so much to offer. Not only does…read moreit have sand sports courts where volleyball, beach rugby and bouldering are played, its also a sheltered haven on an often breezy pebble beach with a licensed cafe. An ideal place to spend a Sunday chilling out at the Barefoot Cafe with a vino, watching a tournament while the kids muck about in the sand. The only venue of its kind in the UK Yellowave Brighton has played host to many beach sports events such as the British Women' Volley Ball championship. The venue is also used for live music events ad parties so definitely worth checking out of you have visitors down.

I went to Yellowave for the first time this weekend to play a Volleyball Beach tournie with…read morefriends. I was really impressed with the venue. Being a volleyball player myself and an addict I must say, this is a great place to train and play beach. The sand is perfect, there are around 6 courts available, and the staff clearly know their stuff! There' also a lovely cafe/bar to chill out and have snacks, a climbing wall for fitness and an area for children to play with the sand outside of the courts. The venue is also available for some other sports like beach soccer, beach rugby, frisbee, etc... And for volleyball addicts like me you can hire a court to train for as little as £18/hour. So get your training gear on and try it out this summer!

The Level is a funny old place. On the one hand, it's a great green space for lounging around with…read morefriends and a few beers in the summer. On the other hand, it is a roosting spot for some pretty dubious characters- I've seen a lot of quite open drug use happening just yards away from me, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you're just trying to have an innocent picnic! I'm generally a 'live and let live' kind of girl, but if you're a bit more sensitive... Although I guess it is technically a park, it feels a bit more like a green or a common, as it is essentially just a stretch of grass and a skate park. I just realized I'm still defining a park as somewhere that includes a children's play area. I'm 25! Oh dear. Despite my encounters with some dodgy goings on, I still enjoy a spot of sunbathing on the level, as it's really close to my house and lots of nice local pubs. And if you steer clear of the little wall lined with benches at the north perimeter, you'll be a-okay. There's plenty of space for Frisbee, football and all sorts of other summer games. In the Autumn the Level is visited by a funfair complete with waltzers, candy floss and groups of local youths.

the level puts everyone from all walks of life on a level playing field so to speak. You never know…read morewhat sorts of people you will get down here which can be good and bad. Think of it as an experience either way. People are always happy for you to get involved in their games and it is always good to spend sometime with people you have never met as you always learn something. At night however it can be a little bit strange so really use it during the day. Everything else has been covered by the guys before so read up on their review.

A beautifully serene environment, quiet, far spaced from the rest of town, but quite a trek out…read morefrom the main Pier. -Would recommend a quiet jog or a walk with the dogs or a friend -Picturesque and a great place to enjoy your own thoughts -Be prepared for a long walk - at least 30min from the Brighton Palace Pier

One of Brighton's less well known treasures is the undercliff walk that starts by the Marina and…read moregoes 5km past Ovingdean and Rottingdean to Saltdean. It's excellent for an afternoon stroll or a cycle ride, and you can access the main coast road from any of the above-mentioned places, if you want to catch one of the frequent buses back to town. The walk is actually a sea-wall, built originally in the 1930s to prevent to erosion of the chalk cliffs. It has been rebuilt and enhanced many time since then, most recently after a series of cliff falls a few years ago. Walking along it - especially on a bright, sunny day - is almost a surreal experience. After a few minutes, you leave behind the sprawl of the modern Brighton Marina with its shops and flats with their legoland architecture, and experience the contrast of the dazzling white chalk cliffs, 25m high, on the one side, with the changing shore on the other: now rockpools, now shingle, now great rocks. The white of the cliffs and the concrete on a sunny day really can be overpowering - sunglasses are essential. As well as the stunning geology - all manner of fossils have been found in the cliffs - it is the nesting site for several types of birds, and the rock pools have the usual array of shore life. There are regular access points (steps) to the sea every 100m or so. There are small beaches at each of Ovingdean, Rottingdean and Saltdean, with a small cafe (and toilets) at Ovingdean. The pubs and shops of Rottingdean are a few minutes' walk from the path. There are no life guard facilities at any of the beaches, so swimming or paddling is at your own risk (plenty of people do it). The attraction is that the beaches are much quieter than those in central Brighton. Access via ramps (for wheelchairs, prams etc) is available at the Marina (next to Asda car park), Rottingdean and Saltdean, but not Ovingdean, where there is a long flight of steps. The slopes at Rottingdean are quite steep. Users are also advised to take care during storms, when the sea crashes over the sea wall!

Shoreham beach is primarily a stony beach with a shelf that drops down into the sea at high tide…read more But the beauty of Shoreham beach is that at low tide, in this pebbled isle, there is, yes, a breath of sand! Enough to build a castle, or at least a waterworks, or you can bury your friend, or, or, or...I'm getting carried away. The discovery of sand this close to Brighton was certainly a surprise. There's a pleasant atmosphere here too, among the locals, who come down to walk dogs, take in the breeze and have a chat with the regular beachgoers. Houses are much closer to the sea than they are further along in Brighton, which I think makes for a friendlier atmosphere, as people nip out onto the beach at the slightest provocation. Having said that, there's a lot more empty space than in the centre of town, and it's well worth heading out here on a sunny day if you don't fancy the midtown crush of bodies. There are conservation projects out here as well, seeing as there's still something to conserve. There's a shingle vegetation project to conserve plant growth and educate the local kids about not pulling up plants and suchlike. There's also a beachcombing project, which looks fun, if a bit impenetrable from the beardlike point of view. Altogether it's worth a visit if you fancy a bit more wildness than Brighton can give you.

Preston Park is Brighton's largest and oldest planned city park. Funded by a bequest from a local…read morebookmaker, William Edmund Davies, the park opened on 8 November 1884. The park is located on the main A23 road from London to Brighton, a mile and half north of the city centre, and next to Preston Manor. The main park is over 60 acres in area and includes wide open spaces of parkland with trees, formal beds along the side of the A23 road, and at the south end is a formal rose garden. Next to this is the Rotunda Cafe, which is open Monday-Friday 9.15-16h and weekends 9.30-17h. Moving northwards are 4 bowling greens and 8 tennis courts, mutli-sports areas with basket ball courts, a 500m velodrome, a children's playground, 4 soccer pitches and 2 cricket pitches. In the centre of the park is the Chalet Cafe, open daily 10-17h. Despite the all organised sport provided for, many come here just to walk or for picnics, or for nothing in particular at all. Other items of interest include a clock tower and the Hansel and Gretel-like tiled house (sadly now with its windows protected with wire mesh). As well as general recreation, the park is the location for many events during the year. The largest is the event after the Brighton Pride parade, which finishes at the Park, regarded by many as the premier free Gay Pride event in the UK. It regularly attracts over 120,000. (It takes place on 2nd August in 2008). Other events are held during the year, including concerts and family days.

Very pretty park…read more I didn't see or step in any piles of dog shit. I believe I got talked into taking a BMF class here or I might have been laying around the lawns waiting for a friend to get done with a class. Either way, it's pretty and clean.

I've never played basketball here, and in fact I've never particularly liked Basketball, with all…read moreit's nigglyness and sweatyness, it just doesn't massively appeal to me. The basketball court which is located right on the seafront and between the two pier's, however makes me wish I'd grown up like Leo in the Basketball diaries, (minus the heroin addiction) playing basketball everyday and just hanging at the court. Come shine, usually this place is always in use with either one big game, or possibly two smaller games, being played with both hoops. Sometimes, especially in the summer it can get really busy, with people watching the current game, to wait their turn. Basically this place is a testament to how council money should be spent more often. It's in an amazing location, it's fun, it's free and it really does bring people from all over the world who love the game together. Now, I think they should build some 5 a-side footy pitches around their too.

Like the volleyball court, this is a good addition to the activities available on the seafront. The…read morehoops are rugged and the surface is more than adequate. Thankfully, this is also a good time to have a beach without sand. No chance of skidding around here from wayward grains. On a nice day, particularly in the summer expect this place to be very busy. It's a good/bad thing that the court is free and it kind of operates like leaving a coin on a pool table in a pub. Get your game then the next one comes in after. I'm not the biggest fan of basketball these days, but did used to play a fair bit back in my college years. having a good understanding of the rules, this means I can happily park up with a few cans of beer and watch some free live sport. You can get to see a decent game, with players having a high level of skill. Of course, it's a bit hit and miss of who will be playing at a given time, but certainly worth wandering down to if you want to get in a game or just watch some sport for free.