Days out in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole - the coast with the most!

Brownsea Island is unique, a world apart, a place that everyone needs to go to at least once in their life. Although just half a mile from Poole, Brownsea Island feels like another world.

When you step off the small ferry, you may feel as if you have journeyed a million miles. Best known for its red squirrels, Brownsea is set against the backdrop of the rolling Purbeck Hills and the stack-stump sentries of Old Harry Rocks.

The island is the south coast in miniature. Squeezed into such a small space you’ll find heaths that are easy on the eye, freshwater lakes and ponds, daffodils in spring, a lagoon, beaches, an abandoned village and reedbeds that gently waft to and fro in the lightest of breezes. It really does seem to have everything, even a rare stand of 80 elm trees, since Dutch elm disease has wiped out most of this species in England.

Look upwards into the pine trees and you are highly likely to see that bundle of fluff the red squirrel, for this is one of the very few places in southern England where they are to be found. The ultimate symbol of animal magnetism, they can be spotted all year.

Wander along the south shore shingle – though be careful - at high tide your feet may get wet! Along the sandy soils that back onto the beach you’ll encounter birdlife, bats, dragonflies, grasshoppers and scurrying spiders.

Brownsea feels untouched by the 21st century and this is thanks mainly to its former owner, Mary Bonham Christie, who was known as ‘the demon of Brownsea’. Her ‘reign’ lasted from 1927 to 1961 and her motto was “wildlife first, people second”. She banned hunting and fishing and went to considerable lengths to keep visitors from encroaching on the island.

Things are, needless to say, more accessible now and there is even an excellent café run by the National Trust

You can use Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole as bases to explore some of England’s most stirring coastal landscapes. 

Poole boasts Europe’s largest natural harbour, it’s home to a plethora of water sports but you’re also spoilt for walking and cycling options.

The sea stacks of Lulworth Cove and the gorgeous limestone arch of Durdle Door are among the most iconic coastal landmarks in the country.

It’s easy to explore Poole harbour and its adjacent, magnificent coast without a car. There are 10 miles of beach stretching from Haven Point to Hengistbury Head or you can take the ferry to Shell Bay and walk to Studland.

One of the finest walks is a circular hike of around 7km from Studland to Old Harry Rocks. The walk involves some gentle climbs but the pay-off is extraordinary: from chalk white cliffs that look as if they have just been polished to nature-sculptured sea stacks and far-ranging views towards Bournemouth, this is a walk you will never forget.

The Jurassic Coast is here too and one of the world’s best places for fossils and England’s first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

At Keates Quarry near Swanage you’ll find more than 100 fossilized tracks of brachiosaurs, allowing you – literally – to walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs.

Best of all, at the end of a day along the coast or by the sea, you can return to the towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch and enjoy a glass of wine, local ale and fresh seafood from any one of the many eateries, pubs and other outlets that draw heavily on their local resources. You’ll be spoilt for choice.

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Learn more about the South Coast on our regional overview, then find all of the best things to do on an interactive map.