We do like to be beside the seaside

If there is a remote chance of sun over the Bank Holiday weekend, then you will not be alone in wanting to spend the day beside the sea.

Best For: Things To Do
BRIGHTON
Londoners have been enjoying the delights of Brighton since the Prince Regent (later King George IV) first visited in 1783. His memento, in the shape of the fantastic Royal Pavilion, is well worth visiting - and this summer there's a special Dragon Quest game for children aged 6-10, in which they're invited to help Prince George find (and tame) the dragons dotted around the building (01273 292820; www.royalpavilion.org. uk). Brighton Pier offers everything you'd expect, with its ice-cream stalls, helter-skelter and the electronic amusements of the Pleasure Dome. Along the prom there are stylish cafes, bars and restaurants and the shopping and food in The Lanes are excellent. The only drawback - the pebbly beach.

Best For: A Family Day Out
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
The most popular seaside destination for Londoners, Southend boasts the world's longest pleasure pier (1.33 miles), and if that sounds like a bit of a trek, there's a train to bring you back. The Adventure Island theme park (www.adventureisland.co.uk) has more than 40 rides and attractions for all heights and ages, and the Sealife Centre aquarium in Eastern Parade (www.sealifeadventure.co.uk) will keep everyone amused. On Sat 25 Aug, it's the Southend Barge Regatta near the pier, with 15 majestic Thames sailing barges racing by. The town has its own beach, and nearby Shoebury Common and East Beach, Shoeburyness, are both Blue Flag winners.

HASTINGS
Hastings is packed with family-friendly activities but still maintains Europe's largest beach launched fishing fleet. The crews stow their nets in tall, tarred wooden huts on the beach by the old town, and if you time it right you can eat the day's catch nearby. Leading away from the sand and shingle beach, the funicular cliff railway runs to the Norman Castle with the 1066 story (www.1066online. com). In the extensive St Clements Caves, there's the brilliant Smugglers Adventure, with its evocative labyrinth of dark, dank passages (www.smugglers adventure.co.uk). The Underwater World aquarium has a walkthrough glass tunnel giving you a fish's-eye view of a coral reef.

Best For: Beaches
BOURNEMOUTH
With seven magnifcent miles of sand, much of it Blue Flagged, and a land train connecting them up, Bournemouth is a beach-lover's paradise. Innovative ideas such as smoke-free beaches, free games for kids on the sand and lockers for bathers, set this resort apart from others. Equally delightful inland are the genteel parks and gardens. You can choose from the pier amusements, the oceanarium, where there's everything from piranhas to puffer fish (www.oceanarium.co.uk), and the 500ft-high Bournemouth Eye tethered hot-air balloon (www.bournemouth balloon.com). Beaches range from Alum Chine, with a big children's playground alongside, to quieter Southbourne, which boasts the AA rosette-winning Bistro On The Beach.

EASTBOURNE
Eastbourne has eight miles of glorious sand and shingle beaches, and five miles of promenade with a Thirties bandstand and an elegant Victorian pier. Framed by the South Downs and in the shadow of dramatic 530ft-high Beachy Head, this is one of the prettiest and cleanest resorts on the south coast. Between the Wish Tower and the pier, the beaches are patrolled by a team of lifeguards. On Sat 25 Aug, drop into the free fun day in Prince's Park for stalls, rides, a steam train and a Punch & Judy show
(11am-4pm).

WORTHING
Originally a fishing village, Worthing became a resort in the late 1700s, and its pier is one of the oldest in the country. With a quieter reputation than Brighton, it boasts sand, rather than shingle, along its five miles of coast. And it will be anything but quiet on Bank Holiday Monday (27 Aug), when the town celebrates its carnival, with a procession and fair.

Best For: Foodies
WHITSTABLE
Famed worldwide for its oysters, Whitstable has become a mecca for lovers of all kinds of seafood. The rule about waiting for an R in the month only applies to the native oysters, and the Scottish rock variety is available year-round. A walk on the shingle beach past the charming old port, watching the ships heading off down the Thames Estuary, will set you up for lunch. The Crab & Winkle is ideally sited above the big shed of the fish market on South Quay and has splendid sea views. The Whitstable Oyster Company's restaurant is on the beach and always busy.

Best For: History
PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA
Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, takes pride of place at Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, but there's also the Mary Rose, pride of Henry VIII's Navy, and HMS Warrior, Britain's first iron-hulled, armoured battleship. Young sailors will love Action Stations!, an interactive, hands-on mixture of physical challenges and simulators where visitors can try their hand at climbing walls, commanding a warship or buying a helicopter (www. historicdockyard.co.uk). For stupendous views go to the top of the Spinnaker Tower, at 170m it is the highest publicly accessible building in Britain. One thing you might just glimpse is the beach at Southsea, which despite being shingle and quite sloped, is very popular. The D-Day Museum there brings the port's key role in British history a bit closer to the present day.