Bournemouth Beach 101 – Everything You Need to Know

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Bournemouth Beach Postcode: BH2 5AA

Bournemouth beach hut — Bournemouth Beach

Bournemouth beach is constantly, year on year voted THE BEST BEACH IN THE UK. It’s also in the Top Ten for the Best Beach in Europe. With miles of golden sand and stunning views to enjoy it’s not difficult for anyone to see why.

Plus, there are lots of great things to do nearby in the town when you want a break from the beach.

There are seven miles of beach in Bournemouth, so there’s plenty of space for everyone who wants to get away from it all and enjoy some sea air. The blue flag award-winning sandy beaches have been attracting visitors for years and they’re a big part of what makes Bournemouth such a popular destination.

If you’re planning a trip to Bournemouth, here’s everything you need to know about visiting the beach.

Bournemouth beach is a long, sandy beach, with an iconic pier of its own. It’s a very popular spot in the summer, and it’s also the venue for many events including Bournemouth Air Festival and Arts by the Sea Festival.

beaches beach — Mudeford Beach near Bournemouth Beach

Bournemouth is a long sandy beach

Bournemouth is seven miles of golden sand, 19 miles if you then include Boscombe, Southbourne, Sandbanks, Mudeford, etc beaches. This means that there’s plenty of space to find your own spot on the beach. Facilities are numerous, and you’ll find everything from surf schools to cafes here.

There are several different beaches in Bournemouth – Alum Chine, Branksome beach, Boscombe beach, Durley Chine and Southbourne beach. They are all linked by a promenade that stretches for 7 miles along the seafront.

Bournemouth beach has won many awards for its cleanliness and facilities. It has been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag for its high standards of cleanliness and facilities. The beach is wide and flat so it is perfect for swimming, walking, sunbathing or playing games on the sand.

Hengistbury Head Beach near Bournemouth Beach

Bournemouth Pier is beautifully lit up at night and makes an impressive sight when viewed from the shoreline. From the pier, you can see along the coastline to Old Harry Rocks in one direction and Sandbanks in the other direction. You can even see as far as the Isle of Wight on a clear day.

Bournemouth Beach is perfect for families as there are plenty of activities to do and plenty of space to play games or fly a kite. There are also amusements on the pier and on the promenade near the Pier Approach end of Bournemouth beach.

Bournemouth beach has a range of water sports activities available including sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, surfing, bodyboarding, wakeboarding, water skiing and jet skiing.

In summer you will find great lifeguards on duty and lots of places to play volleyball and other beach sports.

In winter, you can walk along the promenade with stunning views over the sea or along the shoreline. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink with views such as the restaurant/cafe on Bournemouth Pier.

Bournemouth is known as a resort town, so if you’re looking for party time, nightlife and entertainment, this is definitely the place to come. There is something for everyone here and for all ages.

If you’re looking for something a bit more low key, you might want to explore the quieter beaches at Sandbanks or Hengistbury Head which are both near Bournemouth.

What part of Bournemouth Beach is best?

There are so many separate beaches along Bournemouth beach. And ALL of them are award-winning. With so many beaches in the area, it is difficult to choose. But it also means that there is a perfect beach for everyone.

You might want to go to a different beach than Bournemouth if you wanted to get away from the crowds. Bournemouth beach gets extremely busy in the summer and it hits capacity before lunchtime.

Southbourne beach is popular with families as well as Alum Chine beach in Westbourne.

If you wanted to venture a bit further you have the Stunning beaches of Christchurch such as Highcliffe Beach and Mudeford beach. Christchurch also has the famous Jurassic beach at Hengistbury Head.

Take a look at our guide on the TOP 10 Quiet Beaches near Bournemouth.

Why is Bournemouth Beach so popular?

Bournemouth is one of the most popular resorts in the UK – and with good reason. The town has a picture-postcard beach, an impressive cultural scene and a host of attractions for all ages to enjoy.

7 miles of golden sand. Clean sea and lifeguards on watch. This beach has been nicknamed the UK’s Miami. Although there aren’t as many palm trees around as in Miami. Bournemouth really is the best beach in the UK.

Every year it tops the list of the best beach in England. Its multi-award-winning. Bournemouth town has something for everyone and has phenomenal nightlife and food.

The winner of the Blue Flag Award for its cleanliness and quality of seawater.

quite beaches near bournemouth — Sandbanks Beach Near Bournemouth Beach

The beach itself is perfect for families and people of all ages, safe swimming areas and water sports galore. Bournemouth is also home to some great restaurants, pubs and bars as well as incredible shopping opportunities.

Surrounded by many other award-winning beaches and the stunning New Forest. It’s not difficult to see why Bournemouth Beach is so popular.

How many Beaches are in Bournemouth?

Bournemouth has Bournemouth beach and many surrounding beaches which belong to consecutive towns. Visitors to Bournemouth usually class all these separate beaches as ‘Bournemouth Beach’. But the locals here see each beach as their own.

There are 5 award-winning blue flag beaches in Bournemouth and others nearby in Boscombe, Christchurch and Poole. Sandbanks etc being the most well known of them for the ‘Millionaires Row’ of houses and its celebrity residents.

Go here to read more on beaches near Bournemouth.

Bournemouth Beach Parking

Parking gets taken up very quickly in the summer months. Because of this and because it gets so busy the council prefers everyone to take part in the Park and Ride scheme.

The Park and Ride start from Kings Park in Bournemouth where it is free to park and buses run into Bournemouth and to Bournemouth beach every 30 minutes.

There are car parks surrounding Bournemouth Pier. One is next to the Royal Bath Hotel and another one is opposite across the road. There are further car parks dotted through Bournemouth town centre not too far away from the beach.

Here is a map of the car parks at Bournemouth beach.

Where are the toilets on Bournemouth beach?

It is said that there is a toilet every 200 meters on all of the Bournemouth beaches. You can pretty much guarantee that wherever you are there will be a toilet not too far away.

For a complete list of the toilets plus a map please go to our Bournemouth Beach Toilets page.

Are Dogs Allowed on Bournemouth Beach?

Dogs are allowed on some areas of Bournemouth beach all year round. In some areas, they are only allowed on the beach during the winter months.

For a complete list of the beaches which allow dogs. Please go to our Dog Friendly Beaches in Bournemouth page.

Bournemouth Beach Huts

There are hundreds of Bournemouth Beach Huts. And if you count the beach huts on the other adjoining beaches such as Mudeford Beach with the most expensive beach huts in the world then we are talking thousands of beach huts for hire.

Bournemouth council hires out many of their beach huts every year. They are extremely popular and they get booked up fast. There are 250 beach huts they rent out yearly.

To find out more and links to booking a beach hut go to our Beach Huts in Bournemouth page.

Bournemouth Beach Lodges

Unfortunately, nobody is allowed to sleep overnight in the beach huts, but that is where the Bournemouth Lodges come into the equation.

Bournemouth lodges are like having your own little house on the beach. With your own barbeque on your balcony a full equipt kitchen, wifi, TV and with sofa. These lodges have everything you would need.

The Bournemouth Beach Lodges are available for hire all year round and people come and stay in them even in Winter. Including Christmas. There are some beach lodges that even allow up to 2 dogs to stay with you. Meaning the whole family can come to the beach.

To find out more about the lodges please go to our Bournemouth Beach Lodges page.

Bournemouth Beach App

Bournemouth council has created the Bournemouth Beach App so it’s easy to check how busy the beach is before you come. Bournemouth beach hits capacity very quickly in the summer and its usually full by lunchtime.

To save you travelling to the beach you can check the Beach App to see how the situation is before going. To download the Beach App please go to this link.

Bournemouth Beach Attractions

There are lots of attractions on Bournemouth beach. There are also many famous events which take place on Bournemouth beach too. To see more about the events go to the Events section of our website.

Bournemouth beach has the excellent shopping facilities of Bournemouth town centre just a short walk away through Bournemouth gardens.

Bournemouth Pier on Bournemouth beach has the first Pier to Beach zip wire and is not only great fun but the best way to see the views of Bournemouth. The wire is a dual wire meaning you won’t need to go down alone, you can take someone else with you.

Youll fly over the sea all the way down from the Pier to the beach below. For more information on the Pier Zip Wire please go to our Bournemouth Pier Zip Wire page.

There are many watersports to get involved in on Bournemouth beach as well as beach volleyball. There is pretty much something going on every single day of the week.

If you are looking for indoor attractions for a rainy day then please go to our page on Bournemouth indoor attractions.

Can you camp on Bournemouth Beach?

Unfortunately no, it is prohibited to camp on Bournemouth beach or any of the surrounding areas. You can be prosecuted if you are caught camping there night or day.

There are many local camping sites available though. You can go here to see the best one on our Campsites in Bournemouth page.

Are Barbeques allowed on Bournemouth Beach?

Barbeques are allowed on Bournemouth beach after 6 pm. If you want to have a barbeque with more than 30 people you need to get a permit from the council.