Heathrow Airport 1 hr 35
Westcliff Beach (8 min)
Modest, classic beach for swimming & walks at low tide, with a nearby casino & ice cream parlor. Prittlewell Priory (11 min) Adventure Island (7 min)
Free-admission fun park with more than 40 rides and attractions from rollercoasters to ghost trains. The Historic Dockyard Chatham (1 hr 2)
Historic Royal Navy warships and shipbuilding heritage in an 18th-century dockyard museum. Sealife Adventure (9 min)
Sea life aquarium with sharks in walk-through tunnel tank, plus rays, turtles and insect displays. Hadleigh Castle (18 min)
Ruined 1200s castle, refortified by Edward III in the Hundred Years War, affording marsh views. Old Leigh Studios Gallery (8 min) Thames Estuary (1 hr 4)
1 of the country's largest, this landmark estuary features shipping routes & various lighthouses. Two Tree Island (10 min)
Grassy island nature reserve with walking paths & designated birdwatching areas. The Kursaal (8 min)
Known for its Edwardian architecture, this landmark complex features a bowling alley & casino. Bell Wharf Beach (9 min) Southend Central Museum & Planetarium (8 min)
Exhibitions of local natural history and archaeological treasures including a haul of Saxon gold. RHS Garden Hyde Hall (31 min)
Site run by horticulture charity, including bird hide and Dry Garden with bold architectural plants. Southend Pier and Railway (11 min)
Seasonal museum on the pier with 19th- & early-20th-century train cars, slot machines & costumes. Chalkwell Beach (12 min)
Pebble & sand beach with a large granite obelisk from the 1800s & a promenade with snack kiosks. | 
