Poole

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

Surf, Rest + Play the Poole way! With a unique mixture of fascinating history, Britain's best beaches and a bustling quay and shopping scene, a visit to Poole is a must.

Poole's stunning natural harbour and striking peninsula is the largest in Europe. The superb environment is rivalled only by its spectacular summer events programme, top attractions and a great dining scene with contemporary fine dining restaurants and traditional quayside taverns.

Sandbanks beach is the winner of more European 'Blue Flags' than any other British resort - and its neighbouring Shore Road and Branksome Chine beaches provide a fantastic location for safe swimming, sunbathing and water sports.

Poole Old Town is an exciting mix of smugglers' passageways and elegant houses built by rich merchants in the 17th and 18th centuries, backing onto the Quayside with its mix of fishing boats, crab liners and luxury powerboats. Tour this area using the 'Poole Cockle Trail Guide', whilst the kids are kept amused with the 'Family Fun & Treasure Hunt' leaflets, available from Poole Welcome Centre (centrally located on Poole Quay) or downloadable from pooletourism.com

Poole Museum offers free entry and is fully accessible. Poole's rich history is revealed on four floors of galleries. Displays range from archaeology and art to pirates and pottery. You can also explore the town's history further using the new Poole Trail interactive panels dotted around the Old Town and Harbourside Park. Visit: www.pooletrail.com for further information.

Poole Quay provides a great base to just sit back and watch the visiting yachts in the marina, and the luxurious, globally renowned Sunseeker Motor Yachts being built just across the water. Enjoy the views beyond the marina and across Poole Harbour, tempting you to take one of the many harbour cruises available to take a closer look or to set sail for the National Trust's Brownsea Island with its peaceful wooded walks and wide variety of wildlife. Other boat trips that leave regularly from the quayside go further afield to Bournemouth, Swanage, Wareham, Old Harry Rocks and the Isle of Wight.

Poole Harbour - Europe's largest natural harbour - provides a stunning location for all types of water sports. The sheltered waters of the harbour are ideal for learning to sail, windsurf, wakeboard and kite surf.

Beyond the beautiful beaches, harbour and bustling quayside, Poole has even more attractions. For spectacular gardens Poole is hard to beat: home to the famous Compton Acres, which are reputed to be the finest gardens in Europe. Or visit Upton Country Park an early 19th Century residence built for a wealthy merchant: the formal garden, woodland and parkland are now open for the public to enjoy.

Poole Park, just a short walk from the town centre has plenty to keep the family amused including sailing with Rockley Watersports on Poole Park Lake, ice skating, soft play, Poole Park railway and Sevens Boatshed, a new restaurant in a stunning waterside location overlooking the lake.

Poole is home to RNLI Headquarters and Training College which opens its doors for daily 90-minute behind the scenes tours showing how the volunteer crews and lifeguards are trained (excluding Sundays).

If you are looking for high street shopping, head to the Dolphin Shopping Centre - Dorset's largest undercover shopping centre is home to over 100 of your favourite stores.

Poole is also home to the largest arts centre outside of London. Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts, offers something for everyone from theatre, music, dance, children's shows, films and exhibitions.

Additional must visit attractions in Poole include Greyhound racing at the Wave 105 Poole Stadium and Tower Park, the South Coast's premier entertainment destination, which includes a 10-screen cinema, bowling and Splashdown water park, along with a host of popular restaurants.

The long pedestrianised High Street is also worthy of a visit. The lower High Street has some interesting buildings, with independent retailers selling unique gifts, handmade cosmetics and delicious treats, combined with a varied dining scene. If you prefer to be driven, board the 'Route One' Bus Service every 15 mins and at just £1.20 for the day you can jump on and off the circular shopping route at your leisure, ending up on Poole's Quayside for a visit to the world famous Poole Pottery shop offering exclusive studio ranges, live demonstrations and 'paint-a-pot' area. Quayside retail destination hosts outlet shopping, spa and restaurants including Dermot O'Leary's Fishy Fishy, Banana Wharf and the delicious Deli on the Quay.

Treat yourself to some good old fashioned fun at the Enid Byton interactive attraction, Eileen Soper's Illustrated Worlds, next to Poole Pottery on Poole Quay.

The excitement doesn't stop when the sun goes down. In and around the Quay are a wonderful variety of top quality restaurants and a fine selection of pubs and bars. Don't miss out on local fish specialities, including Poole's globally renowned oysters.


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