Next 7 days (9 to 15 Nov) · Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
This area takes in Bournemouth, Poole and its harbour, Sandbanks and Highcliffe. Listings include Brownsea Island, Highcliffe Castle, Compton Acres and Poole Museum, with boat trips and wildlife cruises across Poole Harbour. Events include exhibitions, concerts and guided walks on Brownsea Island.
Open all year
A 64 mile long distance walking route that follows the River Stour from its source at Stourhead down to Christchurch Harbour, where it meets the sea. In Dorset it passes through Sturminster Newton, Wimborne Minster, Ferndown, Bournemouth and Christchurch, and is signposted with a kingfisher logo.
Open all year
A Blue Flag sandy beach with wide views along the coast, a car park right beside it, a beach shop and a popular restaurant. RNLI lifeguards are on duty from late May to early September, 10am to 6pm. The beach can be reached by ramp, and a beach wheelchair is available from the beach office from May to September. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A hands-on aviation museum with many interactive exhibits, where you can sit in most of the aircraft cockpits and see the English Electric Lightning and the Westland Wessex helicopter up close. It suits families, children and young people, and the shop of aviation gifts and memorabilia can be visited without entering the museum. It's open daily all year except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with last admission 40 minutes before closing.
Open all year
A clifftop Local Nature Reserve of broadleaf woodland, grassland, ponds and sea cliffs between Highcliffe Castle and Friar's Cliff, and a stopping-off point for migrating birds and insects. Look out for nuthatches, woodpeckers, white admiral butterflies and fungi, or rest on the clifftop benches with views to the Isle of Wight and Hengistbury Head. Most paths are flat, and an unmanned information centre has an interactive display for children.
Open all year
A tropical aquarium on Bournemouth's seafront, home to thousands of creatures. Walk through the underwater tunnel with sharks and Carrie the loggerhead turtle, then see a crocodile, otters, jellyfish, clownfish and a colony of Humboldt penguins on the outdoor Penguin Beach. There are daily talks and feeding experiences, an outdoor terrace and a play area, and the indoor displays make it a good choice whatever the weather.
Open all year
A chain ferry crossing between Sandbanks and the Isle of Purbeck in around four minutes, offering coastal views along the way. It provides a quick link to nearby National Trust sites such as Studland Bay and Corfe Castle, running seven days a week with no need to pre-book. Foot passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists and cars can all travel, with foot passengers going free from Studland to Sandbanks.
Open all year
A Blue Flag sandy beach in Mudeford, just east of Mudeford Quay, where Christchurch Bay begins and stretches towards Highcliffe. There's a café, a shop, the Noisy Lobster seafood restaurant and beach huts, plus showers, toilets and watersports hire and lessons in front of the car park. There is level access from Avon Beach car park to the promenade and beach. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
Coastal Cruises Poole Ltd runs boat trips along the Jurassic Coast, to Swanage and around Poole Harbour. A uniformed crew provides commentary on the coastline and landmarks, and refreshments including a bar are available on board. Evening cruises and private charters can also be arranged, and dogs are welcome on all trips for a small charge.
Open all year
The Saltwater Sauna's flagship on Boscombe beach: an indoor communal sauna for 35 people overlooking the sea, open all year. Ninety-minute sessions range from open social sessions and silent ones to guided rituals led by certified sauna masters, with upbeat music on Friday and Saturday evenings. Between rounds there are hot and cold showers, a cold bucket shower, sea dips and a lounge with herbal tea. Overstrand car park is a four-minute walk.
Open all year
TheGallery at the Arts University Bournemouth is a contemporary art and design space open to the public, showing sculpture, film, photography, drawing and fine art. Exhibitions include work by contemporary artists and designers from around the world, alongside pieces on loan from major galleries and museums. Admission to exhibitions and supporting events is free.
Open all year
Year-round boat trips across Poole Harbour to spot local birdlife, run in partnership with Greenslade Pleasure Boats. Wetland birds gather in large numbers over winter, breeding species such as Peregrine and Sandwich Tern appear in summer, and passage migrants pass through in spring and autumn.
Open all year
RockReef is an all-year, all-weather activity attraction at the end of Bournemouth Pier, with 28 themed climbing walls, a balance-testing Stairway to Heaven and an aerial HighLine obstacle course. Visitors can also try the Pier Cave, a Vertical Slide, and the PierZip, a pier-to-shore zip wire landing on the beach below. There is a cafe with sea views inside.
Open all year
Two wood-fired saunas, Big for up to eight and Small for up to six, beside the dunes on Sandbanks Beach. Between rounds of heat you can take a cold beach shower or wade in from the soft sand, which shelves gently, with views to Old Harry Rocks. It's an off-grid site with a small changing space in each sauna, so bring only the essentials. Sessions last 65 minutes and guests must be 16 or over.
Open all year
Two identical electric saunas on the promenade at Avon Beach, next to the occasion huts near the Noisy Lobster, each taking up to seven people and looking across the water to the Isle of Wight. The shore is a gently sloping mix of sand and shingle, so swim shoes are recommended for a sea dip. Each sauna has a small changing room, and Avon Run Road car park is about two minutes' walk behind. Guests must be 16 or over.