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All you need to know
The vibrant seaside village of Southbourne, sitting side by side with the seaside town of Bournemouth, has award winning beaches and is a fantastic spot to enjoy a relaxed holiday on the east Dorset coast.
The vibrant seaside village of Southbourne is full of life and with award winning sandy beaches with views across the bay to Bournemouth, Sandbanks, Studland and Old Harry Rocks, it’s a fantastic spot to stay. The village has a bustling high street filled with small independently owned shops and an array of bars, cafes, restaurants and pubs. A 10 minute walk from the high street leads you towards the pretty clifftops with accessible walking paths leading right down to the beach via the slopes.
Once on the beach you can cycle and walk along the flat promenade going east to Hengistbury Head and west towards Sandbanks. During the busy months of July and August cycling is not permitted along the promenades between 10am – 6pm however an evening cycle during the warmer months will surely recharge the batteries after a long day exploring this wonderful part of Dorset.
Southbourne Beach is one of Bournemouth’s treasures with its Blue flag award winning beach. From 1st May to 30 September dogs are not allowed on Southbourne beach however they are permitted at nearby Hengistbury Head and East of Fisherman’s Walk beach to Southbourne all year round. Dogs are welcome on leads on the promenades all year round.
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This dramatic headland situated to the south of Christchurch Harbour is a great place for a day out walking or cycling for all the family. It is an outstanding site for wildlife and archaeology and offers beautiful beaches and views, as well as a visitor centre and several cafés. Access is easy for all ages and abilities, there is a land train linking it to Mudeford Spit and ferries to Christchurch.
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Beautiful, take the ferry from Christchurch, very enjoyable
September 2023
Very peaceful, beautiful surroundings, we look forward to visiting again when we are next on holiday in the New Forest.
May 2023
Really enjoyed the walk here...had lovely weather...brilliant for taking children & dogs for a run
October 2020
Come face to face with moving dinosaurs and other prehistoric thrills over 18 holes of action packed adventure golf at Might Claws, part of Playgolf Bournemouth. If you survive you’ll deserve a tasty bite to eat or a hot drink at The Kitchen Club.
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Based on Bournemouth Beach, 500m from Boscombe Pier, Surf Steps offers Surf and SUP tuition for all ages either in groups or private lessons. All instructors are accredited professional instructors and make the lessons great fun, safe and exciting. Wetsuits and equipment available to hire.
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Queen's Park Golf Course is set in a beautiful location where the fairways meander freely through many acres of lovely heathers, colourful gorse and all in a wonderful pine woodland setting. It is a very mature and challenging golf course which attracts golfers from a wide area to enjoy the unique character and challenging golf that the course has to offer.
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Become immersed in the grandeur of what is one of the last truly Victorian houses to be built in England and today houses the Russell cotes Gallery with a multitude to stunning artwork to view. Outside visitors can wander round the beautiful gardens complete with the original Japenese garden, fish ponds and fountains.
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This small contemporary fine dining restaurant prides itself in using the best of British ingredients to produce innovative tasting menus along with tempting a la carte options.
Restaurant Roots 141 Belle Vue Road, Bournemouth BH6 3ED
One of a small local chain of modern Italian restaurants specialising in wood fired Neopolitan pizzas . Add some fresh antipasti, salad or a mouth watering dessert to your order for a truly authentic Italian experience, all created with super fresh high quality ingredients. Some interesting Italian wines and aperitifs to choose from too. Kids menu available.
Baffi Pizza 61 Southbourne Grove, Bournemouth BH6 3QU (T: 01202 421177)
Stylish modern restaurant with wood fired oven and simple yet exciting menu based heavily on home cured charcuterie and high quality local ingredients. Tapas, an extensive cocktail list and excellent wines and cheese all add to the appeal.
The Larder House, 4 Southbourne Grove, Bournemouth BH6 3QZ (T: 01202 424687)
A popular local chain of authentically French cheese and wine bars offering over 200 wines and 300 artisan cheeses. Passionate about their craft, here you can explore the carefully curated wine list with a wine flight, enjoy one of their regular wine tasting events or simply pop in with friends or family for some excellent wine, cheese and charcuterie as well as other mouth-wateringly good nibbles.
Renoufs Cheese & Wine Bar 201 Seabourne Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth BH5 2HJ (T: 07473 074733)
Pizza’s, breakfasts, coffee and cake by day transforming into lively cocktail lounge and club by night. Sleek décor, great food, an extensive drinks list and regular live music nights make this a popular destination.
Soho 7 Church St, Christchurch BH23 1BW (T: 01202 496140)
Southbourne Beach is a Blue flag award winning beach with wide, clean, part sand and part shingle beach to the east of Boscombe Pier. With views stretching right across to the Isle of Wight on a clear day and Old Harry Rocks/Swanage to the west.
The beach is popular all year round and during the summer months you can find kiosks serving ice creams and drinks dotted along the promenade.
Other facilities include toilets, baby changing facilities, lost children centres, RNLI lifeguard stations and pubs. There are many beach huts along Southbourne Beach and they are available to rent all year round from the local beach office.
Dogs are not permitted on Southbourne beach from 1st May – 30th September however they are permitted on the promenades all year round when on a lead.
Parking can be found on the clifftop, accessed via slopes leading right to and from the beach.
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Southbourne Beach is a Blue flag award winning beach with wide, clean, part sand and part shingle beach to the east of Boscombe Pier. With views stretching right across to the Isle of Wight on a clear day and Old Harry Rocks/Swanage to the west.
The beach is popular all year round and during the summer months you can find kiosks serving ice creams and drinks dotted along the promenade.
Other facilities include toilets, baby changing facilities, lost children centres, RNLI lifeguard stations and pubs. There are many beach huts along Southbourne Beach and they are available to rent all year round from the local beach office.
Dogs are not permitted on Southbourne beach from 1st May – 30th September however they are permitted on the promenades all year round when on a lead.
Wonderful sandy, dog friendly beach with spectacular, far fetching views. The addition of Sobo serving fantastic coffee is great.
October 2023
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Boscombe is a popular family beach with plenty of sand, and a small pier with extensive facilities including a children’s play area, several seafront shops and cafés, crazy golf, plenty of parking and a safe traffic free area perfect for cycling and scooters.
Lovely beach, we enjoyed our walk and we look forward to visiting again when we are next on holiday in the New Forest.
May 2023
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This is one of the most scenic of New Forest beaches. Lined with some of the most picturesque and expensive beach huts in the country! There’s no parking next to the beach, as it’s a traffic-free zone, but there’s pay and display parking at Hengistbury Head from where you can catch a little train to the sandbank, and Mudeford Quay which runs a small ferry (5 mins) over to the sandbank. Can also be reached on foot and by bicycle.
This is a holiday must. A short ferry out to amazing beach makes for a great day out.
September 2022
As usual, stunning. 4 ferries but sadly the Land train not running although according to their web site they were. Always visit when in the area
September 2020
Beautiful place, our favourite beach in south of England. It feels like an island, when you go over on the ferry and at times (off-season!) on sunny days it can feel like a little piece of Heaven, it's so peaceful and beautiful- bit of a sense of New England. There's a super little 'restaurant', the Beach Hut, which does great breakfasts, meals all day and some evenings. Also takeaway eg pizzas, you can eat on the beach. Very simple surroundings, with a sheltered veranda that can be uncovered in fine weather, and amazing views. Quite pricey and often very busy (and you are best to ring and check opening times and book since often weather and ferry-dependant) but the quality of the food and those stunning views make it more than worthwhile!
March 2018
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A family friendly beach close to Mudeford and Christchurch Harbour with plenty to do for all. For those with disabilities or small children there is a beach level carpark, and to keep everyone safe there is a designated bathing area and a seperate area allocated for watersports, all overseen by lifeguards in the summer months. This pretty sand and shingle beach is backed by trees and countryside and if you fancy some fresh local seafood or simply a coffee, ice cream or a cold drink, the beach is home to the excellent Noisy Lobster, serving breakfast, lunch and supper all year round.
Nice beach with good facilities
April 2023
Beautiful beach, lots of sand for youngsters- definitely been high on our favourites list, for more than 30 years and still is now the 'children' are nearly 30! - well worth the drive from New Forest. The Noisy Lobster is great and now has an 'outdoor upstairs' too. The Beach Cafe, half-way along, is excellent too- used to do very good carrot cake! The connecting beach towards Steamer Point is dog-friendly all year which is a bonus. Walking to the quay end, you can catch the ferry to Hengistbury Head which is beautiful beach too and often quieter (top favourite!) Even this last week (JULY 2021) the 'kids' wanted to crab-fish from Mudeford Quay!!
August 2021