Bournemouth’s own seven miles of sand are hard to beat, but some of the best beaches in the country sit within an easy trip. Poole, Purbeck and the wider Jurassic Coast put several very different shorelines within reach, and a few of them are worth building a whole day around.
The essentials
- Sandbanks and Studland are the closest big-name beaches, split by a short chain ferry.
- Mudeford, just past Christchurch, has calm water and a famous run of beach huts.
- Durdle Door and the Purbeck coast offer dramatic scenery and a proper walk.
- Weymouth, further west, pairs a long sandy bay with a traditional resort front.
- The best spots get very busy in summer, so travel early and check transport.
Sandbanks and Studland
Sandbanks is the obvious first trip. The peninsula juts out at the mouth of Poole Harbour, with soft pale sand, calm water and views back across the bay. It is one of the easier beaches to reach from Bournemouth by bus or car, though parking near the sand is limited and prized on hot days. Our guide to Poole covers the harbour and the town behind it.
From the end of Sandbanks, a short chain ferry crosses the harbour mouth to Studland. This is a different world again: long, gently shelving sands backed by heath and dunes, with wide-open space that rarely feels crowded even when the car parks are full. It suits families and walkers, and the views towards Old Harry Rocks are a highlight.
Getting across on the ferry
The chain ferry runs frequently across the harbour entrance and takes only a few minutes, carrying both cars and foot passengers. In peak season the queues on the Sandbanks side can be long by mid-morning, so an early start pays off. If you are on foot or bike, you skip much of the wait.
Mudeford and Christchurch
Head east instead and you reach Mudeford, just beyond Christchurch. The sandy spit here shelters a stretch of calm water that is ideal for paddling and swimming, and the beach huts on the sandbank are some of the most sought-after in the country. You reach the spit on foot, by a small ferry or on the little land train in season, which is part of the fun. The town of Christchurch itself, with its priory and quays, makes an easy pairing.
Durdle Door and the Purbeck coast
For scenery rather than facilities, look west to the Jurassic Coast. Durdle Door, the great stone arch reaching into the sea, is the postcard image of the Dorset coast. Reaching it means a clifftop car park and a steep walk down, so wear proper shoes and take water. Nearby Lulworth Cove and the wider Purbeck coast reward anyone who likes a walk with their swim. These are trips best made by car, and worth timing for decent weather.
Weymouth
Further along again, Weymouth offers a long, flat, sheltered bay of golden sand backed by a traditional Georgian seafront. The gently shelving water and the resort atmosphere make it a strong choice for a family day, and there is plenty to do off the sand if the weather turns. It is the longest drive of these options, so treat it as a full day out.
Planning your trip
Almost all of these beaches get very busy on warm weekends, so the same advice applies everywhere: set off early, have a transport plan, and be ready to move on if a car park is full. For the beaches closer to home, and how they compare with these day trips, see our guide to Bournemouth’s best beaches, or browse all of the beaches in the guide before you decide where to go.