Sandbanks beach starts on the mile-long peninsula crossing Poole Harbour, stretching for over five kilometres down to Bournemouth. Fabulously soft, golden sand, rocks and shallows make for a wonderful beach day out. It is so narrow at one section that you can see the waves lapping along the edge of both of its sides from the road.

At the height of Summer the water is busy with windsurfers, kite surfers, jet skis, power boats and ships. Water sport equipment, bikes, surf kit are all available for hire. rightbeach thinks Daddy is going to have a great day out! By the car park there is a great adventure playground set on sand. There’s also zorbing and crazy golf ensuring there’s something entertaining to do for all age ranges.

For fans of a hefty stroll, it is possible to walk from Sandbanks beach through Bournemouth to Boscombe along a concrete promenade which, outside July and August, is open to cyclists.

There is a chain ferry over to Studland, and a regular boat service (from the same dock) takes you to Poole Quay, Wareham River and the National Trust Brownsea Island. rightbeach hears that this is home to the red squirrel! In the Summer there is also an open-air Shakespearean theatre on the island. On the ride over you get a perfect view into the luxurious waterside homes that make Sandbanks, by area, the fourth most expensive place to own property in the world!

There are some great sights to be seen when actually on the beach. Of course, our national pastime of ‘people watching’ is an ever popular activity but at Sandbanks you can add ‘watching people wipeout on the water’ to your itinerary. There are also stunning views over to Studland beach (the other side of Poole Harbour mouth) and Old Harry Rocks.

rightbeach recommends Sandbanks beach for families of all ages, especially if Daddy has a penchant for windsurfing! Get there early to ensure you are able to park and head down to the beach to mark your spot with an “X”.

Beach blurb

• Tide and weather »
• Lifeguards: RNLI Lifeguard service May 1st – September 26th
• Water quality: recommended
• Dogs: dogs are restricted to the area running from the extreme western end of Sandbanks Promenade to Haven Point.

See Sandbanks beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

• Head ‘beach right’ from the main car park to a less crowded part of the beach. There is plenty to do here: rock pooling, crabbing and watching the chain ferry (dogs are allowed on this part of the beach).
• If the traffic backs right up around the Peninsula this could be due to two reasons – 1. The car park could be full – in which case queueing is not permitted. 2. The queue for the chain ferry can be very long. It is possible to park in Canford Cliffs and walk down. There is also some limited street parking on the Peninsula itself, but get there early!
• The Ice Cream Boat! Flat bottomed boats pull right up to the shore to sell their wares, in an innovative attempt to go where no van has gone before. Although, rightbeach warns: save your pocket money as this novel delivery comes at a price!

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		The beach is beautiful, fine sand with rock pools, shallow sandy pools and a gentle slope for good paddling. The beach is cleaned daily throughout the year.
Crowded (1=deserted)		During the summer this beach is very very busy. Head ‘beach right’ for less people (more dogs)
Surf		More known for windsurfing than surfboarding, but still, good surf.
Sand		Soft, golden sand.
Parking		500 spaces (not enough) adjacent to beach- also on road parking- Charges £4 for 4 hours or £8 for 8 hours
Toilets		Toilets (with disabled access), showers, baby changing in car park.
Food		The Sandbanks Beach Cafe comes highly recommended to rightbeach (if a little expensive) Their cakes seem to be a hot topic (a subject dear to Mummy rightbeach‘s heart). Ice Cream Boat!!
Shopping		Several kiosks and shops selling all the usual beach goodies such as inflatables, buckets and spades etc. Forbes Food Hall Spa on Haven Road is the nearest supermarket or head into Poole for Sainsbury’s.

Review by Grainne L