Bournemouth Beach

Seven miles of golden sand beach with Blue Flag status stretching from Boscombe to Alum Chine. The beach features Victorian beach huts, modern facilities, and consistently excellent water quality. It's consistently rated among England's best beaches with comprehensive amenities including toilets, cafes, and water sports facilities. It sits in Bournemouth's Town Centre & The Square, close to the other main sights. It ranks among Bournemouth's most visited sights, and for good reason - most itineraries include it on day one. Entry is free and half day to full day gives you a thorough visit.

Priority: High - do not skip Time needed: Half day to full day Best for: one of england's finest sandy beaches with Skip if: You're looking for a quiet, secluded beach experience or visiting during stormy weather Cost: Free

You walk across soft golden sand that stretches as far as you can see, with colourful beach huts dotting the promenade above. The water is typically calm and clean, perfect for swimming, while the promenade bustles with cyclists, joggers, and families heading to and from the various beach cafes.

Accessibility: Beach wheelchairs available for loan, accessible toilets and cafes along promenade, but cliff paths are steep

One of England's finest sandy beaches with excellent facilities and Blue Flag water quality standards. That puts it near the top of any Bournemouth visit, and it deserves the spot. Combine it with Bournemouth Pier and Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum - they are close enough to walk between and together make the strongest half-day in Bournemouth. Mornings are quieter if you want to take your time. Free entry makes the decision easy - walk in, see if it holds your attention, and leave when you have had enough.

Skip if: You're looking for a quiet, secluded beach experience or visiting during stormy weather

• Beach huts can be rented for the day from approximately £15-30.
• The zig-zag path from the cliff top to beach level has 200+ steps.
• Parking fills up quickly in summer - arrive before 10am or use park and ride.

Insider tip: The beach huts at Boscombe have a more artistic, bohemian vibe compared to the traditional striped ones near the pier

Best shots from the cliff paths looking down, or sunrise/sunset from the pier. Beach huts make colourful foregrounds