Bournemouth

For details of places to stay and things to do in Bournemouth, please try the links on the left.

LYING close to the border of the World Heritage Coast, Bournemouth is the ideal place for a traditional seaside holiday. The soft, golden sands and sheltered bathing waters are perfect for the traditional family favourites such as sandcastle building and paddling at the water's edge, but Bournemouth is much more than just a great beach resort.

A stroll though Bournemouth's parks and gardens will reveal beautiful flower beds which are a riot of colour throughout the spring and summer; don't miss the 'Flowers by Candlelight' on Wednesday evenings from late July to the end of August. Being so close to the town centre Bournemouth Central Gardens are the ideal spot for a picnic break whilst out shopping.

Bournemouth's cosmopolitan shopping centre has all the high street favourite shops as well as a number of exclusive boutiques and home accessory stores. Dotted with an excellent range of restaurants and cafes the town draws people from a wide area.

The out of town Castlepoint shopping centre brings together 40 top name stores and restaurants and has plenty of free parking. Boscombe is the place to go for antiques and bric-a-brac shops whereas Westbourne has a number of boutiques, interior design shops and a beautiful arcade, which was built in the 1880s. Parkstone also has a selection of small, interesting shops and lots of trendy brasseries and wine bars.

Visitors can get close to over 10,000 sea creatures at the Oceanarium, which is situated close to the Pier. The Littledown Centre has a gym and both a toddlers' pool and main pool, while the Russell Cotes Art Galley and Museum houses some fine art and artefacts in a beautiful Victorian villa.

As the sun sets Bournemouth lets its hair down in a big way. Entertainment from the world of show business can be enjoyed at the BIC or at the town's two theatres. Friday night fireworks during the summer always attract a crowd and the bars and clubs feature some excellent live music and top DJs.

There's something for everyone in Bournemouth, which is probably why so many of its visitors come back year after year.