Beach · Sandbanks

Sandbanks Beach

Poole's best-known beach: wide clean sand on the peninsula guarding the harbour mouth, with lifeguards through the season.

Sandbanks is the beach everyone means when they say they are going to the beach in Poole.

The sand

Wide, clean and gently shelving, with Blue Flag status in many years and RNLI lifeguards through the season. Full facilities and beach huts behind it.

The harbour mouth

The peninsula ends at the entrance to Poole Harbour, where the chain ferry crosses to Studland. Do not swim there: the tidal flow through that narrow gap is serious. See beach safety.

Getting there

Buses from the town centre, or drive and arrive early: car parks fill by mid-morning on hot days. See car parking.

Highlights

  • Blue Flag status in many years
  • RNLI lifeguards in season
  • Wide, gently shelving sand
  • Full facilities and beach huts
  • Chain ferry to Studland alongside
  • Car parks fill by mid-morning in summer
Common questions

Sandbanks Beach good to know

Is Sandbanks beach free?

The beach is free. Parking is pay-and-display and fills by mid-morning on hot days, which is the main cost of a visit.

Does Sandbanks beach have lifeguards?

RNLI lifeguards patrol through the season, typically late spring to early autumn. Swim between the red and yellow flags.

Can you take dogs on Sandbanks beach?

Dog restrictions apply on the main bathing beach through the season, roughly May to September. Check the signs at the beach entrance for current boundaries.

Is it safe to swim at Sandbanks?

On the bay-side beach, yes, where it is patrolled in season and the sand shelves gently. Do not swim in the harbour entrance beside it: the tide runs hard through that gap and the chain ferry crosses constantly.

Planning your visit?

Where to stay in Poole

Sandbanks hotels, harbourside flats a street back from the Quay and the quieter beds out at Hamworthy and Broadstone, with the areas each one suits.

Where to stay →