Things to do
Beaches
There are a multitude of beautiful beaches to visit during your stay – the nearest being Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs, Branksome Beach and Alum Chine – all with amenties.
If you would like to hire a beach hut at Branksome Beach call: 07980 928752 for prices and availability.
If you want to venture a little further you could get the Sandbanks Chain Ferry to Studland. The first ferry of the day leaves from the Sandbanks side at 07:00hrs and the last ferry runs at 23:10hrs from the Studland side. The ferry runs a continual service throughout the day, with a service running every 20 minutes from each embarkation point. For up to the minute information and prices, please visit the Sandbanks Ferry website.
Sports
There is lots on offer for the sports enthusiast – windsurfing, kitesurfing, paddle boarding & sailing, fishing, horse riding, golf…the list goes on. Hire/lessons: Easy Riders, Poole Harbour Watersports, Rockley Park.
Places to visit
- Brownsea Island (National Trust) also Brownsea Open Air Theatre in the summer evenings – take a picnic!
- Compton Acres
- Corfe Castle
- Hengistbury Head & the land train
- Kimmeridge (surfing)
- Lulworth
- Mudeford
- National Trust – Kingston Lacy
- Old Harry Rocks
- Poole Park (and Fitness Trail)
- Poole Quay
- Purbeck
- Sandbanks chain link Ferry to Studland
- Speedway – Poole Pirates
- Swanage
- Upton Country Park
Kids Entertainment
- Farmer Palmers
- Monkeyworld
- Paultons Park (& Peppa Pig World) – book ahead!
- The Ark, Poole Park – soft play & ice rink
- The Dolphin Swimming Pool (indoor)
- Tower Park – Splashdown water park, soft play, cinema, bowling, restaurants etc.
- Whitecliff Playground
Food – recommendations
- Branksome Beach café breakfast, lunch or dinner – watch the sunrise or sunset.
- Coast, Casual coffee shop – Whitecliff & within walking distance.
- Deli on the Quay Poole Quay – a great stop off for breakfast or lunch – walk from the apartment through Whitecliff park.
- Koh Noi Thai Tapas Lilliput.
- Little Red Roaster coffee shop, Ashley Cross
- The Ox, Ashley Cross
- Pig on the Beach, Studland – a real treat!
- Rick Stein, Sandbanks – great for a celebration and they offer a good value fixed price lunch during the week. Book ahead!
- South Deep Mitchell’s Boat Yard, Turks Lane – offering brunch, coffee and dinner (seafood) – walking distance – book ahead!
- The Cliff Canford Cliffs – busy and buzzy.
- The Guildhall Tavern Poole – seafood – book ahead!
- TJ’s Fish & Chips Lilliput
- Koh Noi Thai Tapas Lilliput.
- Beauty Treatments – Vanilla (Ashley Cross)
- Hair – Robin James (Poole Quay)
- Spa – Chewton Glen (New Forest)
- Pure Chill Yoga, Pilates, Mindfulness (Whitecliff)
- Poole & Bournemouth town centres
- Castlepoint Bournemouth
- Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) – concerts
- Bournemouth Pavillion
- Lighthouse (Poole) – theatre, comedy, music, dance & art
- Russell-Cotes Gallery Bournemouth.
- BLD Dream Machines – The South’s biggest weekly bike meet. It takes place on Poole Quay every Tuesday evening starting in April running through to the end of September.
- Summer Fireworks – throughout the season in Bournemouth and Poole.
- Catch the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg.
- International and European Flights from Bournemouth International Airport.
- Main line Train Stations at Poole and Bournemouth.
Ashley Cross, Penn Hill and Canford Cliffs also offer a plethora of other great restaurants & bars and are all within close proximity of the apartment.
Takeaways
Pampering
Shopping
Further afield – West Quay (Southampton) Gunwharf Quay (Portsmouth)
Entertainment & Culture
Events
Other events include Beach Polo (July) and Dorset Steamfair.
See also www.pooletourism.com for event listings and more information.