Sandbanks Beach

When asked where did I visit on a dreary morning in December having just arrived in the UK the natural answer would not normally be the beach. Sandbanks however has this esteemed high billing and never having been there I was keen to see what it was all about. As I’m sure you are aware Sanbanks is a peninsula between the sea and the “intracoastal” as our cousins across the pond would call it. In this case Poole Harbour.

I first had a drive all around and took in both “coasts” before parking up at the Beach Car Park. There was parking galore. Also road side. The beach is a gorgeous clean sand beach with an accompanying Pavilion harking from a bygone era and an array of typical British beach side amusements such as crazy golf and a good Beach Cafe. All modern facilities are provided. The beach looked very nice and is quite narrow. I imagine it must get truly packed in the summer and is a nice walk in the winter. However, as it’s all so build up and narrow I would not say it has the same sense of wonderment and freedom as West Wittering for example or Holkham.

The town is very sweet with some great shops and I particularly enjoyed the harbour side with its promenade, marina and grand Victorian presentation. I was glad I saw it and it must be fun to hop on the Ferry to explore Brownsea Island.

We went on Friday, it was a nightmare driving to Sandbanks but when we finally got parked and go on the beach we found room no problem. People were social distancing despite what the media said! The beach was lovely and sandy and really clean. We had a picnic and later my husband brought ice creams which were average prices. The sea was apparently lovely to swim in according to my son but a bit to cold for me to do my toes in. Lovely family day out but would recommend getting here early for a parking spot. The toilets were free and very basic, spelt a bit but then there were alot of people using them

We had the best family day out last week at Sandbanks. The parking cost out around £13 for 6 hours which we didn’t think was too bad considering the location - my mother can’t walk long distances and the car park is great (short walk to beach and amenities).

The beach was very clean considering so many people use it every day! We only found the odd bit of rubbish buried in the sand.

The cafe and toilets all close to car park/ beach and they had flat wood half way down the beach for those with wheelchairs or buggy’s.

The only downside was that the cafe did offer much for those with gluten intolerances so I would definitely pack a picnic and the drinks and ice creams I thought was very overpriced - but that’s business. Didn’t stop us from buying!

Also there was no where for us to purchase an umbrella or hire any beach equipment which I think would be a great idea!! It was our own fault we didn’t bring anything.

Overall we had a fab day and can’t wait to come back with our daughter.

As a family we have visited Sandbanks for over 30 years and for the last seven with our granddaughter. What beautiful place for a holiday . until this year.
Whether it is the result of staycations due to Covid or the Harry Redknapp documentary about Sandbanks but sadly we will not be returning again next year.
Unfortunately, it is now full off inconsiderate idiots, noisey, leaving rubbish everywhere, such a shame. Noisey groups shouting and hollering into the early hours !!!
Final straw yesterday, two families arrived on the beach with a sound system on a trolley as too big to carry and played what appeared to be an Ibiza club mix that you could hear all down the beach, cans of beer, bottles of prosecco and no one policing it. Not what we are used too in this, normally tranquil location.

I don't have a problem with people enjoying themselves but when you cannot have a conversation on the beach due to the volume of a sound system, sorry no more for me or my family.

It’s worth parking on the outskirts of sandbanks & walking 35mins to the beach. Parking cost 50p for the day in a lovely car park on a Sunday. All 3 main car parks were full by 10am. It was very busy but we walked in which everyone should think of doing as the locals must find the traffic very annoying.

We visited on a lovely sunny day with our dog. The whole beach is dog friendly out of season which is great when we visited. There are restrictions in the summer months, but there is still able beach space which is dog friendly during this period.

The beach is a lovely golden sand and when you have the sunny weather like we did it's just great chilling on the beach.

There is a cafe on the beach front, but we didn't find their food or service that good. Best just head to the road and use one of the cafes and restaurants there for better service and food.

There are toilets which are free and clean.

Parking- Plenty of it, but it does fill up during busy times and paying is not cheap. upto 6hr £13.20

The beach does have a bbq area which is great. What was not so great was there were families that just took over the whole area without sharing the space. Literally set up camp there for hours so no one else could use the bbq stands. very inconsiderate people around.

We were staying in nearby Poole so to avoid traffic and Queue for parking we took the number 60 bus from Poole Bus Depot, brought 2 Adult return tickets for around £8.60 , 20 minute ride drops you at the beach car park, buses run till around 22:00 so you have plenty of time.
There are no dogs allowed on one part of the beach but if you walk towards the peninsula there is a lovely beach when your dog is welcome all year.
Sand is lovely and the Sea is clear and warm when the suns out.
The area has food / drink outlets with toilets and showers
We found it very clean and well maintained
Will definitely visit when we go to Bournemouth
Must come in the top 5 family holiday beaches in the country

We used the Sightseeing Tour Bus from Bournemouth to get to Sandbanks. When we got off at Sandbanks we walked along the main road until we found an entry point to the Beach. We then walked along the beautiful White Sand towards the end of Sandbanks where the Brownsea Island Ferry is located. We then walked back along the beach viewing the very large and pricey millionaires properties which faced the beachfront, until we located Harry Rednapp's Old House. There are miles of beautiful white sand here. There were plenty of visitors here but there was plenty of room for all so social distancing was not a problem. This is a great place for those who love the beaches and water sports there are plenty of activities here to enjoy. My only criticism is there are not enough restaurants or bars along the beaches / beach fronts and definitely not enough toilet facilities - we could only find one toilet facility.

While visiting Poole area we decided to go to sandbanks for a hot drink at the cafe there which is very good they also serve a selection of hot meals & homemade cakes. There is plenty of seating in & outside. There is a very large pay & display car park. There are beach huts that you can hire, toilets & shower facilities all there along with a selection of other shops & even a cash machine. The beach itself is very large & long. It is overlooked by multi million pound properties & during the summer has lifeguards on duty.

Lovely golden sandy beach and clean. Reminds me been on holiday in the Med.
The facilities are very good with lots of eating places and clean toilets.
The only negative comment was that the car park is very expensive you need to pay about £4.40 for 2 hours stay.