Things to do on and around Sandbanks

Travel writers have called this coveted, golden mile on the mouth of Poole Harbour “Britain’s answer to Palm Beach”. Less than two-and-a-half hours travel time from London, Sandbanks remains one of the UK’s most desirable postcodes.

But you don’t need to have walked the red carpet or own your own helicopter to enjoy this treasured seaside enclave. Toad Hall has an exciting list of Sandbanks holiday homes for you, friends and family to choose from, only a pebble’s throw from its award-winning beach.

To help you with your holiday planning, here’s a round up of the best things to do on and around Sandbanks.

Watersports

The gleaming waters off Sandbanks are ideal for all kinds of watersports, from high-octane jet-skiing to serene stand up paddle boarding, there’s an activity for everyone.

Adventure company Land & Wave run a variety of courses and activity days including paddle sports, bushcraft and coasteering. The team in Sandbanks run private, group and youth paddle boarding experiences.

Jetski specialists Sandbanks Jetski Company operate instructor-led Jetski safaris around the sparkling open waters of Poole Harbour and Sandbanks spit.

Ever dreamed of riding the sea breeze and skimming the ocean on a kiteboard? Easyriders can help. With expert tuition, you could be popping and railing Poole Harbour and Sandbanks bay, mastering this thrilling watersport. Easyriders are recognised by the British Kitesports Association.

Windsurfing also takes centre stage along Sandbanks shoreline. The sheltered harbour waters and testier off-shore winds at Hook Sands providing windsurf spots for all abilities including lumpy swells and inviting waves for all those looking for air time. Check out Poole Windsurfing if you’d like to add it to your Sandbanks holiday activity list.

Tour Poole Harbour in a family-sized canoe with the Big Canoe Company, part of the Brenscombe Outdoor Centre which runs outdoor adventure activities aimed at young people and families at locations up and down the Dorset coast. Everyone gets their hands on an oar during this excursion into the one of world’s vastest natural lagoon, exploring the gently lapping shores of its many inlets and islands while keeping a watchful eye out for its spectacular wildlife.

Brownsea Island

Encompassed by the sparkling waters of Poole Harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world, Brownsea Island is an internationally recognised nature reserve home to rare and endangered species, including our native red squirrel, and a host of water birds. The island supports a number of different habitats across its 550 acres and has various walking trails for all those keen to explore. Providing safe passage to the island is the Brownsea Island Ferry, running daily from Poole Quay (look for the yellow kiosks).

Oceanarium Aquarium

Home to a myriad of marine creatures, including sharks, sea turtles, penguins, otters and tropical fish, Bournemouth’s Oceanarium offers the whole family a wonderful day out, and is a particularly handy option on those rainy days. Get up close and personal with an African dwarf crocodile and watch in awe at the majestic twists and turns of a southern stingray. You’ll find this popular attraction on Bournemouth’s seafront.

Splashdown Waterpark

The thrills ‘n’ spills of Poole’s Splashdown Waterpark are sure to satisfy even the hardiest of dare devils and adrenaline junkies. Boasting some of the fastest slides in the UK, the park will have you whizzing down tubes and spinning on inflatable tyres with your pick from a selection of family-fun rides. If you’d rather relax away from the excited screams, head to the bubble beach and chill in the Jacuzzi at Captain’s Cove. You’ll find Splashdown at the Tower Park cinema and entertainments village just outside of Poole.

Branksome & Alum Chime

Follow the promenade from Sandbanks “east end” for a sunny coastal stroll to Branksome Chime, nestled into the coastal fringes of a wooded valley, passing ice cream parlours and pop-up cafes, with the white sands and gently shelving shores of Bournemouth Bay in the distance. The Branksome Chine clifftop path is accompanied by benches allowing you to enjoy regular intervals, before finding the easy, winding slope leading to Alum Chine and its tropical gardens. You might choose to venture all the way to the bright lights of Bournemouth pier. Regular buses to Sandbanks Beach call in at Bournemouth Square, which adjoins the town’s Lower Gardens, so you can save your legs for the return journey home.

Jurassic Coast Boat Tour

Explore the spellbinding Jurassic Coast on a round-trip cruise taking in all the local landmarks from Old Harry Rocks to Studland Bay and the Sandbanks Golden Mile. Anchors up from Poole, this popular excursion takes you all the way to Swanage Bay, perched on the Durlston National Nature Reserve. All you need to do is sit back, listen to the skipper’s tales and commentary, and marvel at the incredible views. These two hour tours are run by City Cruises.

Crazy Golf

It’s not every day you get to play a round of golf in a castle, through a volcano, and round a lighthouse, however, at Sandbanks you can do just that! We are of course talking about the crazy version, 18 tricky holes to test your mettle with the putting wedge. Sandbanks Crazy Golf has achieved legendary status among holidaymakers, all keen to beat their last scorecard and record best. Among the famous faces to have walked these tiny fairways are local resident and former Premier League football manager, Harry Redknapp, along with his son and former England international, Jamie. Sandbanks also has a tots play area, skate park and adventure playground.

Corfe Castle

Set in the beautiful Purbeck Hills, the ghostly ruin of Corfe Castle is one of Dorset’s most visited historical sites. More than 1,000 years old and encompassed by weaving paths where Knights of the Realm once galloped, this dramatic hilltop remnant is described as “one of Britain’s most iconic survivors of the English Civil War”. The ruins are steeped by arrow loops, “murder holes”, wrecked turrets and tumbled gantries. Despite its troubled past, Corfe Castle maintains a fairy-tale quality. The views here are stunning and stretch for miles past the neighbouring towns of Wareham and Swanage. Nearby pub, the Greyhound Inn, tucked into the castle’s foothills, is a popular haunt for hill walkers and their waggy-tailed companions.

Fossil Hunting

Snaking its way from East Devon’s Orcombe Point to Dorset’s gargantuan sea stacks famously known as Old Harry Rocks, the Jurassic Coast is a captivating walk through time. It comes as no surprise that this entire coastal corridor continues to reveal secrets from our prehistoric past, much to the delight of both seasoned archaeologists and amateur fossil hunters. Only half an hour road trip from Sandbanks, the rocky shores of Kimmeridge Bay are a constant source of ammonites and fossilised reptiles, particularly abundant along these shingles strands all the way to the crystal clear waters of Chapman’s Pool (just stay clued up with the tide times to avoid getting stuck). Fossils are often found washed up along the shoreline. A great starting point is Kimmeridge’s Museum of Jurassic Marine Life where you can learn all about the life and death of the Kimmeridgian Seas during the dynasty of dinosaurs 157 million years ago.

Durdle Door

Two of the region’s most iconic coastal landmarks can be found within a mile of each other. Sculpted by the ocean for more than 10,000 years, the Durdle Door is a gigantic limestone arch that towers over the soft sands and turquoise shores of Durdle Beach on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. It’s a stunning reminder of the ever-changing path mapped out by the prehistoric coastline, bays slowly merged as cliffs succumbed to the sea. A naturally formed cliff path can be tracked down to the beach where the full stature of the arch can be fully admired. Alternatively, you can climb down the steps at the neighbouring Man O’War beach.

Lulworth Cove

A mile east from the arch is Lulworth Cove, another prominent feature of the Lulworth Estate with unique geology and part of the Dorset peninsula’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cove was formed during the last Ice Age, swollen by freshwater rivers and melting ice. Two of the cove’s most notable characteristics are the folding rock face known as the ‘Lulworth Crumple’ and the breach in its spine known as the ‘Stair Hole’. Surrounded by magnificent coastal walks, these unrivalled beauty spots really do stop walkers in their tracks.

World-Class Beach Events

There are a number of exclusive beach events held annually on Sandbanks, the soft sands and tropical island vibe all adding to their appeal.

A mainstay on the Dorset social calendar, the annual Sandpolo championships combines a centuries-old equestrian sport with the height of food and fashion. Add a pitch-side bar, fine-dining hospitality marquee and street food village to the action on the sand paddock and you’ve got one of the world’s most unique sporting venues.

Inspired by the success of the sport at the London Olympics, The British Beach Handball Championships didn’t take much time choosing Sandbanks as the venue for this showcase event held at the height of summer. This high scoring, end-to-end spectacle, full of acrobatic dives and last gasp saves, is played in a festival atmosphere surrounded by food stalls, live music, popup bars and afterparties, all making for a lively weekend on Britain’s answer to Palm Beach.

If it’s a beach party you seek, Sandbanks’ one-day “boutique” beach festival SandFest is the hottest ticket in town, attracting global artists and DJs. More that 5,000 revellers will dance into the night under strobe lights.

Chart topping headliners, A-list DJs, leading tribute acts fill the four stages at the annual Poole Harbour Festival, a three-day event held at Baiter Park in late July. This family-friendly gathering is considered the biggest of its kind in the Poole and Bournemouth catchment, only a ten-minute drive from Sandbanks’ golden shores.

Shiver me timbers, me harties! Celebrating one of town’s favourite rogues, Harry Paye, with a day dedicated to raucous activities for youngsters jam-packed with music, games, rides and fancy dress, plus lots of fascinating history encapsulating the town’s plundering past. Harry was a notorious 14th century privateer and scourge to the authorities, his tales of dare and disorder entwined into the seascape around Old Harry Rocks – the famous sea stacks off Handfast Point that carry his name. Harry Paye Day is organised by local charity group and maritime history custodians Pirates of Poole.

Ready to start planning your holiday in Sandbanks? Take your pick from beautiful holiday homes on the Sandbanks Peninsula and exclusive self-catering properties in Poole and Bournemouth.