Last updated: September 2026. Written by Richard & Sophie, local hosts on White Sand, Camber Sands.
Your kind of Christmas, by the sea. Some people want everyone round one table; some want three quiet days and a cold walk; most of us want the dog there too. Here is what you need to know to work out whether a Christmas by the sea at Camber, and which cottage, would suit yours.
Quick answer
- Where. Camber Sands, East Sussex. Rye is 3.8 miles by road from our White Sand cottages and 5.6 miles from the Coastguard Cottages at Jury’s Gap.
- Size. Our Christmas cottages in Camber Sands sleep from two to nine, let as whole houses at one price whatever the party size.
- Set up for a full house. Every cottage is equipped for the number it sleeps, so a cottage for six has a dining table and chairs for six.
- Warmth. Central heating in every cottage. Five have a real log burner and several more an electric or gas fire.
- Dogs. Welcome in almost every cottage, up to three per stay. The whole of Camber Sands is open to dogs from 1 October to 30 April, and the beach at Jury’s Gap has no dog restrictions at any time of year.
- Christmas stays. Three nights or more over Christmas and New Year, on set arrival days.
- Arriving. Check in from 3pm, let yourselves in, check out by 10am. Bedding, linen and towels are included.
Christmas and New Year stays
Over Christmas and New Year we take bookings of three nights or more, and arrivals fall on set days rather than any day of the week. The booking calendar on each cottage page shows exactly which days are open for your dates.
Book in good time if you want the cottage decorated. A tree and decorations go in for a Christmas booking, but they cannot go in speculatively, so a cottage booked at the last minute will not have one.
See what is open for your dates
Which Christmas cottage in Camber Sands works for you?
Our Christmas cottages in Camber Sands are let as whole houses at one price, so a smaller party is welcome in a larger cottage. These are the ones worth starting with.
| If you want | Start with | Sleeps | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|
| The whole family under one roof | The White House | 9, and it works best as six adults and three children | Central heating |
| A houseful of adults | Marine House or Rye Bay House | 8 adults | Central heating |
| Room to spread out over three floors | The Hide | 8 | Electric fire |
| A fire to sit round | Ocean Beach on White Sand, or Coastguards Beach House, Coastguards Lantern and Coastguards Lookout at Jury’s Gap | 4 to 5 | Log burner |
| Christmas for two | The Surf Shack | 2 | Log burner |
Two families, two front doors. Several of our cottages sit on the same street, so a larger party can take two and still spend the day together. Half Moon and The Beach House are both on Shearers Way, Dunes Walk and Seaglass are both on Skylark Lane, and Sands End and Sandbar are both on Whitesand Drive.
Parking. Most of our cottages have off-road parking, and two cars is the question we are asked most often at Christmas. The Rock and Marine House both have off-road parking for two. Elsewhere it varies, so check the cottage page or ask us before you book.
Cooking Christmas dinner and settling in
Self-catering means Christmas dinner on your terms: your menu, your timings, the dog under the table.
Every cottage is equipped for the number it sleeps, so the kitchen, the dining table and the chairs match the party the cottage takes.
The big shop. All the major supermarkets deliver to Camber, so you can have Christmas food waiting for you. Book the slot early, because Christmas week slots go long before the food does. If the slots look awkward, Jempson’s in Rye is a full-size supermarket about ten minutes’ drive away and an easy stop on the way in, and there is a Premier in the village for the things you forgot.
Keeping warm. Every cottage has central heating. The five with a log burner are listed above, and from October to March we leave a starter basket of logs and lighting equipment so the first evening is sorted. After that you are welcome to buy more: Salt’s Farm Shop on the A259 sells them, as do the petrol stations.
What is provided. Bedding, linen and towels are all included. Bring your own Christmas food, anything specialist you like to cook with, and the presents.
Christmas with a dog
Possibly the easiest member of the family to please.
Almost all of our Christmas cottages are dog-friendly, up to three dogs per stay, with a small flat charge added when you book. Most have an enclosed garden, though not all, so check the cottage page for yours. Enclosed means fenced or walled rather than guaranteed escape-proof, so if yours is a climber or a digger, ask us about the cottage you have in mind. The two that do not take dogs are Marine House and Seaglass.
From 1 October to 30 April dogs are welcome on the whole of Camber Sands, so at Christmas there are no zones to think about. The beach at Jury’s Gap, behind the Coastguard Cottages, has no dog restrictions at any time of year.
Dog-friendly cottages in Camber Sands · Are dogs allowed on Camber Sands?
What is open around Camber and Rye at Christmas?
Plan on cooking on Christmas Day itself unless you have a confirmed table somewhere. Pubs and restaurants change what they do from year to year, so check with them directly and book ahead for Christmas week. These are our favourite places to eat in Rye and Camber.
The beach needs nobody’s opening hours. From our White Sand cottages the dunes are under 0.3 miles from the door, and we have measured it. At the Coastguard Cottages at Jury’s Gap the beach is a short walk over the sea wall: sand and shingle, no dunes, and it goes completely at high water, so time your walk around the tide.
Beyond that, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is the one for big skies and birdwatching, and our guide to the best walks near Camber Sands and Rye has the routes. For somewhere stranger in winter light, here are five reasons to visit Dungeness. Rye itself is worth an afternoon for the cobbled streets and the independent shops, and we keep a separate page on what is on in Rye at Christmas.
Before you book
- What it costs. One price for the whole house, however many of you come, up to the number it sleeps. The total at checkout is the full amount, cleaning included, with no booking fees.
- Getting here. Assume you will want a car over Christmas week. There is a bus between Camber and Rye, but holiday timetables are cut back and some days have no service at all, so check the specific days before you rely on it.
- Dogs on the beach. The seasonal dog zones on Camber Sands run from 1 May to 30 September only. The council’s map is here: Rother District Council, Camber beach dog zones.
- If a fire matters. Check the cottage page or ask us before booking. Several cottages have an electric or gas fire rather than a log burner.
Christmas in Camber Sands FAQs
Can dogs go on Camber Sands at Christmas?
Yes. Dogs are welcome on the whole beach from 1 October to 30 April. The summer dog zones only apply from 1 May to 30 September, and the beach at Jury’s Gap has no restrictions at any time of year.
Is Camber Sands busy at Christmas?
Nothing like summer. Camber is a small, quiet village and the summer crowds are long gone. Christmas and New Year are among the busiest weeks of the winter, all the same, so it is worth booking early.
Will the cottage be decorated for Christmas?
A cottage booked for Christmas in good time will have a decorated tree. Decorations cannot go in on the chance of a booking, so a cottage taken at the last minute will not have one.
Can we get a supermarket delivery to the cottage?
Yes, all the major supermarkets deliver to Camber. Book the slot as early as you can, because Christmas week fills up well in advance.
How far is Rye from Camber Sands?
3.8 miles by road from White Sand, about eight minutes by car. From the Coastguard Cottages at Jury’s Gap it is 5.6 miles, about eleven minutes.
How many nights do we need to book over Christmas?
Three nights or more over Christmas and New Year, with set arrival days. The booking calendar on each cottage page shows what is possible for your dates.
Which cottages have a log burner?
Ocean Beach, Coastguards Beach House, Coastguards Lantern, Coastguards Lookout and The Surf Shack. Every cottage has central heating, and several others have an electric or gas fire.
Do you provide bedding and towels?
Yes. Bedding, linen and towels are included in every cottage.
However you do Christmas
If a Christmas break by the sea sounds like the right swap this year, have a look at what is open for your dates.
Bring the family. Bring the dog. Bring both.
We’ll provide the beach.
Richard, Sophie, Arthur & Dougal 🐾