I think we can all agree that once the sun comes out, the best place to be is at the beach, especially when you are studying in Bournemouth. The offer is just too tempting.
Last weekend I did exactly that. Three beach trips in three days. One of them was spent on the lovely stretch of beach just down from Bournemouth, exploring Sandbanks and a local garden centre, Compton Acres, which is just up the hill.
Let’s start with the beach ....
I walked from Flaghead Chine to the tip of Sandbanks where the Haven Hotel is and back again, taking roughly an hour. It really didn’t disappoint. The beach had a stunning view of Old Harry Rocks and Swanage, it was particularly clear and pretty. You could also watch the boats going up and down, the chain ferry crossing and the ferry to France/Guernsey leaving Poole. Not only this, but I saw people whizzing around on their jet skis and a number of paddleboarders having a gentle meander, and it’s safe to say I was slightly jealous.
Our walk was lovely though, plenty of space for everyone to enjoy themselves and we just followed the beach all the way along, so it’s super simple. I would definitely recommend a trip over this way as a change up from Bournemouth Beach, even just for a clearer view of Swanage and the hills. You could easily carry on the walk around to the other side too, which is towards the harbour area, with views of Brownsea Island to enjoy. I have been in this area before in the evening and it’s a particularly good spot for a view of the sun going down.
There is the Jazz Café just off the beachfront if you are looking for refreshments. Whilst I didn’t go in, I have seen it online and it does look very friendly and welcoming. We passed a few smaller, beachfront kiosks with ice creams too, but we were saving ourselves for a stop at Compton Acres.
At the weekend, we drove to the Canford Cliffs area and parked the car in some roadside parking spots. There were lots available, which made it easy for us to leave the car. It was also a good middle ground between the beach and the garden centre. However, if you can’t drive yourself there, there are lots of buses in the Bournemouth area going to Sandbanks, which is just within the bus pass limit, so you can catch the bus here too. The Purbeck Breezer 50 is the one I have taken before and it takes about 50 minutes, depending on schedule times. Another idea for an adventure is to walk along to the edge of Sandbanks as we did, then catch the chain ferry across as a foot passenger for a small fee and continue your walk on the other side along the Swanage beaches.
After our walk, we continued the afternoon by going to explore Compton Acres and having a sweet treat pit stop in their café. Compton Acres is an ornamental garden that you pay to enter and look around. Although we didn’t do this, we did look around the gift shop and plants that they have in the area before the gardens begin. They had lots of beautiful flowers in bloom and we admired all the colours. It was very peaceful to wander and explore. Before heading home, we stopped in their tearoom for an iced coffee and ice cream to keep the afternoon going.
Overall, I had a great time exploring this area of Dorset and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun side quest this summer that isn’t too far away!
