Sandbanks, Poole | The Poole Guide

Sandbanks is a spit of sand about half a mile long, with the open bay on one side and Poole Harbour on the other. It is the most famous address in Dorset and the most crowded beach in Poole.

The beaches

Wide, clean sand, lifeguards in season, full facilities and Blue Flag status over many years. The bay side is the swimming beach; the harbour side is calmer and favoured by watersports. See beaches.

The chain ferry

The ferry crosses the harbour entrance to Studland in four minutes, taking cars, bikes and walkers. It is the fast route into the Isle of Purbeck and a small pleasure in itself.

The water

The harbour side of the peninsula is one of the better places in Britain to learn to sail, windsurf or paddleboard. See watersports. The entrance channel is not a place to swim.

Parking

Pay-and-display, and full by mid-morning in summer. The bus from town is often faster door to door. See car parking.

Staying

Hotels here carry the view premium. Canford Cliffs next door is slightly easier on both parking and price.

Sandbanks your questions answered

Why is Sandbanks so expensive?

It is a small sand peninsula with sea on one side and harbour on the other, almost no room to build, and a mild climate. That scarcity has made it among the highest-value residential land in the UK and, by some measures, in the world.

Is Sandbanks beach free?

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

How long is the Sandbanks chain ferry?

The crossing to Studland takes about four minutes. It carries cars, bicycles and foot passengers, and saves a long road detour round the harbour through Wareham.

Can you swim at Sandbanks?

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

Sandbanks