Bournemouth Beach - Visitor Information & Facilities

Bournemouth Beach is often considered to be one of the best beaches in the UK especially when you take into account beach cleanliness, water quality, visitor facilities, attractions and good weather. The beach is situated in the middle of a 9.5 mile stretch of beautiful golden sands running from Hengistbury Head, 5.5 miles to the east, all the way to Sandbanks 4 miles to the west.

Great beaches and some of the best weather in the UK make Bournemouth a very popular destination attracting more than 6 million visitors per year. This means it can get quite crowded during the summer holidays especially at the weekends or when guaranteed sunshine is forecast.

The beaches close to the pier tend to be more popular with the younger crowd and with the large student population studying in the town. However just a short walk in either direction will soon bring you to a quieter stretch of sand. The nearby beaches at Durley Chine (11 minutes walk west), Middle Chine (14 minutes walk west) or Alum Chine (18 minutes walk west) are all Blue Flag award beaches and make excellent alternatives to Bournemouth’s busier beaches. This is where you’ll find the locals setting out their towels in the summer. If you don’t feel like walking then a couple of Seafront Land Trains run along the promenade starting from the pier. One runs east to Boscombe Pier and another runs west as far as Branksome Chine Beach stopping at all the intermediate beaches on the way.

Facilities at Bournemouth Beach are numerous as you would expect for a resort of this size. You’ll find plenty of seafront restaurants, cafes and ice-cream kiosks, as well as amusement arcades, toilets and beach shops. The landscaped area directly in front of the pier is known as the Pier Approach. You’ll find the Tourist Information Office here filled with friendly and knowledgeable staff (Google map). The office has plenty of maps and leaflets to help you make the most of your visit as well as guide books and souvenirs.

Bournemouth Tourism’s Official website can be found at https://www.bournemouth.co.uk

Bournemouth Pier

Opening times: 9am till 11pm, 7 days a week

There is a pier toll from Easter until 31 October. It’s free during the winter months.

Ticket type	Entrance fee
Adult day	£1.65
Child day	£1.35
Under 5’s	Free
Carer with disabled person	Free
Season pass for one person	£5.50

Info last updated 20 Feb

Bournemouth Parking

For information about car parks and car parking charges please see our webpage Bournemouth Car Parks

Nearby Bournemouth Visitor attractions

Visitor attractions close to the beach include the Big Wheel, the Oceanarium, the RockReef & Pier Zip , the Lower Gardens and the Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum.

Records show that Bournemouth experiences 32% less rain in August than the national average, 8-10% higher peak temperatures and 18-25% more sunshine over the summer month.