Respect, Protect, Enjoy

The short version of how to behave around a protected harbour, a rare heath and beaches that thousands share.

Poole asks a bit more of visitors than the average seaside town, because what makes it special is also what makes it fragile.

Respect the wildlife

Poole Harbour is a RAMSAR wetland and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Birds roosting on the mudflats at high tide have nowhere else to go, and a walker or a paddleboard that pushes them off costs them energy they need. Keep your distance, and stay off the private islands.

The heath around the harbour is rarer than rainforest and carries ground-nesting birds from spring to late summer. Keep to paths, keep dogs under control, and never light a fire.

Protect the water

Do not anchor on seagrass. Do not swim in the channels or the harbour entrance, where the tide runs hard. Read the beach safety page and swim between the flags where lifeguards are on duty.

Enjoy it properly

Take your litter home, park considerately in residential streets near the beaches, and support the independent businesses that keep the place alive out of season.

See sustainability for the longer version.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What should you not do in Poole Harbour?

Do not disturb roosting or nesting birds, do not land on the private harbour islands, do not swim in the navigation channels or the entrance at Sandbanks, and do not anchor on seagrass beds, which are a protected habitat.

Are barbecues allowed on Poole beaches?

Restrictions apply and vary by beach and season. Fires and barbecues are prohibited on heathland year-round, where they pose a severe risk. Check the signage at the beach before lighting anything.

Do you have to keep dogs on leads in Poole?

In many places at certain times of year, yes, particularly on heathland during the ground-nesting season and on stretches of beach during the bathing season. Signs at each site give the current rules.

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 →