Out of London- The White Cliffs of Dover

Part of the purpose of traveling to London is for the attractions. The sights and history of the city, what makes it what it is today. I've written about fun and cheap places to visit, but there's one unique category I have yet to touch on: the hidden gems. The diamonds among the gimmicky touristy attractions London has to offer; cliches such as the London Eye and Big Ben. While enjoyable, they are limited in what they offer you in experience, and I feel like they've been overdone. It's completely fine if you enjoy them nonetheless! But, there is so much more to London and its surrounding areas, and if there's anything I've learned so far, the world is so much bigger than we think.

I only heard of this place from a friend of mine, and decided to look into it. If it's any consolation, some of the London locals who have lived here for years had no idea this place existed. I've seen and done so much in London, that an out of town adventure has been long overdue. So last Saturday, I boarded the eastbound train to the small coastal town of Dover, with a population just shy over 30,000 people. From the train station, I took a taxi up the winding roads to the visitor's center, which had coffee and food, as well as a gift shop full of books. Then I started my trek to the cliffs, and to say I was in absolute awe of what I saw when I came over that first hill is an understatement:

Rolling green hills, a slightly cooler sea breeze blowing past me, and seagulls crying overhead. Something out of a storybook. It was truly stunning. To my right, across the waters was France, which is reachable by ferry boats that came and went from the harbor.

These cliffs are known for it's chalky white façade that was deposited overtime from white mud that was formed from algae skeletons known as coccoliths and created the sedimentary rock dating back between 100 and 66 million years ago. The cliffs are eroding as the years go by, but are expected to be around for the next couple thousand years.

There are gravel and dirt paths to guide you as you go, with several places to stop and take photos along the way. Some of it was a bit steep, but for the most part the ground was pretty level. In addition, there is a light house closer to the end of the hike, you have to pay to tour the inside, but entry into the cliffs is absolutely free! I will say this attraction should be done at your own risk, there are no barriers at the edge of the cliffs as you can see by the photos, and it's a looooooong way down. (350 feet above sea level!)

Photos don't do this geographical wonder justice. Tucked away at the edge of the United Kingdom, it was like a paradise of solitude and majestic views. I took my time here, about three hours or so, just walking along, and at one point sitting near the edge and absorbing the nature around me. It was nice to take a break; my phone had almost no service and it was quiet- pure bliss.

I encourage... no, I ask you, if you get the chance to see this place for yourself, do it. It is worth the trip out of London, and there's even some other places to visit in Dover, such as the Dover Castle, with its underground tunnels. I didn't get to see it myself, but it looked incredible! Stay tuned for more posts coming soon!

Cheers!

-Mikayla