Poole has an unusual amount of accessible green space for a town of its size, much of it flat, free and right on the water.
Compton Acres
At Canford Cliffs, a sequence of themed gardens laid out above the harbour, Italian and Japanese among them, with a tea room and long views over the water. A paid attraction, and worth it for the setting as much as the planting.
Poole Park
Free, Victorian, and built around a saltwater lake fed from the harbour, with a miniature railway, play areas and paths that carry a steady stream of walkers and runners. It sits between the town centre and Parkstone.
Upton Country Park
Parkland, a Georgian house and a stretch of harbour shoreline on the north-west side of the water. Free, level, and good for a long walk with views across the harbour. See Upton.
Further out
The heath at Arne and the dunes at Studland are the wilder versions. See walking and trails.