Clacton on Sea ... worthy touristy place?? (Clacton-on-Sea in General)

Member Name: Stephoohla

Product:	Clacton-on-Sea in General
Date:	10/08/09 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: When the weather is nice, Martello Beach is wonderful

Disadvantages: Rains a lot, miserable weather, plenty of chavs about

Clacton on Sea is a very touristy place, and despite having lived there my whole life, I find it difficult seeing the novelty in coming here.

Without fail, every weekend I have trouble getting about due to the absurd amount of traffic caused by tourists, particularly on the A12 (if I've been up and stayed with my boyfriend and decided to head back saturday during the day, it takes a good hour, when it should take 20 minutes!)

Clacton occasionally has good weather, but in all honesty, it's not very common. The sun comes out for ten minutes, and then goes back in.

So what is there to do in Clacton? Well there's plenty of holiday parks to stay in for one thing, Valley Farm Caravan Park, Highfields, there's a few big ones in towns within driving distance too, such as Jaywick and St. Osyth. These all have activities and swimming pools.

I suppose the main attraction is the beach and the pier. The beach is fairly clean, if you excuse the stray bits of litter that occasionally appear, but I believe in summer the council does employ lots of people to pick it up.

The beach at the Martello, which is a 10 minute walk from the pier, however, is fantastic. The sand is lovely, and its a much wider beach so you're not as packed in, and there's loads of water sports going on here, although I'm not sure whether you can rent things like that out anymore. But there's jet skis, wind surfers, boats, etc, all around this area which is a lovely sight, and the sea here is a lot nicer for some reason than around the pier!

The pier, it seems, is the place that most holiday makers want to go. I suppose for a one-off it is quite exciting, and its nice being able to walk to the very end and see the fisherman, but generally the rides are overpriced, and arcade machines are clogged up by local youngsters with nothing better to do, and it's often so packed at weekends that its difficult to move.

The leisure centre is quite popular with both locals and holiday makers, due to the large football playing field, hockey pitch, tennis and badminton courts, and a swimming pool. This is one area where everything is clean, tidy, and looks very professional. If you're coming here, you should definitely check it out, although it is quite expensive.

There's also a few other things, such as a golf course and some shops in the town centre, which are always cheap and cheerful.

The nightlife is Clacton is actually very popular, and I've had plenty of great nights out. There's two nightclubs, Fibbers and Vice Versa, a lovely Wetherspoons pub and restaurant called the Moon and Starfish which comes to life at night when it's filled with everyone getting merry, and the Geisha is quite popular to have a friendly dance at. Tom Peppers is also popular but often the music is fairly loud in here and it is difficult to talk to one another. There are also a few wine bars, which could be classed as a bit more sophisticated but I'm afraid they're also a bit more expensive.

There's plenty of fast food and restaurant places around, and the additional of a massive Tescos and Morrisons on opposite sides of the town.

There are LOADS of places to stay in Clacton, from seafront hotels to B&Bs just outside the town centre, but in easy walking distance of the main attractions. I've never stayed in them myself, but I suppose it's probably you get what you pay for, on the quality of the B&B/hotel. There's a travel lodge in Weeley which is a 10 minute drive, and they are always clean and fairly affordable, but then you lack on-site activities and a pool.

I think if you're looking for somewhere to stay, Clacton is okay for a one-off, but only if you make sure the weather IS nice. If the weather is dull, I'm afraid there is nothing to do in this town.

Summary: Maybe as a one-off, butI doubt you'll come back