Rye was one of the main Channel ports for more than 300 years, but in the 16^th century the harbour began to sill up and town is now 3km (2 miles) inland. It’s street plan virtually unchanged since medieval time. The main appeal of the town is simply to wander round and soak up the atmosphere of this ancient and charming town with its compact medieval center. All of these  make Rye ideal for walking along a maze of picturesque cobbled streets with well-preserved houses full of art galleries, antiques shops, tea rooms and arts and craft stores.

If you plan to visit Rye it is always better to know that:

-Mermaid Street is one of the prettiest streets in Britain and the main town’s street since 16^th century.

-The Mermaid Inn is Rye’s largest medieval building and it was the headquarters of notorious and bloodthirsty Hawkhurst Gang smugglers.

-St. Mary’s Church’s turret clock is claimed to be the oldest working clock in the country.

About 6 km (4 miles) southeast of Rye lies Camber Sands -3 km stretch of sandy beach which is a popular for swimming and kite- and windsurfing. Camber  is one of only two sandy beaches in Sussex.