100 Things to do in (and around) Bournemouth 46 – Bournemouth Beach

Most people’s idea of a trip to Bournemouth is to visit Bournemouth Beach. The main access point is from the centre of town via Pier Approach. There are further access points via West Cliff Zigzag to the west and Toff Zigzag to the east. Bournemouth Beach is split, by the Pier into East (Cliff) and West (Cliff).

Pier Approach

Pier Approach; a plaza at the head of the Pier has several attractions; there are restaurants, Tourist Information, an Observation Wheel, mini golf and toilets.

Bars/Restaurants

Aruba

Restaurant/bar/club, Aruba has a short food menu and a long drinks menu. It offers plenty of entertainment, plus a popular bottomless brunch on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sunset Beach Club

Pop up restaurant Sunset Beach Club, linked with Aruba, is open from 15th April to 1st October. It offers food (mainly burgers and pizza), drinks (focusing on cocktails) and DJs.

Hot Rocks

Specialising in pizza downstairs with an upstairs restaurant, Hot Rocks is currently closed following a fire. I went here once – that was enough.

Prom Cafe

The Prom Cafe is yet another place on Bournemouth seafront to buy burgers.

Bournemouth Pier

The Focal Point of Bournemouth Beach is the Victorian Bournemouth Pier; a tourist attraction in its own right, with amusements, a restaurant and Rock Reef (climbing, slides and zipwire).

Bournemouth West Beach

Also known as West Cliff Beach, this popular beach stretches for 1.5 miles from west of Bournemouth Pier to Durley Chine Beach. It’s a busy beach with many bars, restaurants, amusements and shops.

Bars/Restaurants

West Beach

West Beach offers a menu focused on seafood (with a vegan fish & chips option) a refreshing change from the burger rich menus of other establishments. In addition, it has some interesting art work on its exterior.

W Beach

W Beach is West Beach’s summer pop up. It offers a bar menu focusing on drinks, plus a few food options – mainly pizza.

Other Facilities

Also on West Beach are the Oceanarium, Happyland Amusements, an ice cream kiosk and toilets.

Bournemouth East Beach

Also known as East Cliff Beach, this popular beach stretches for 1.5 miles just east of Bournemouth Pier to Boscombe Pier. It’s a busy beach with many bars, restaurants, amusements, shops and access points.

Bars/Restaurants

Harry Ramsdens

Iconic Fish & Chips Restaurant Harry Ramsden’s is based on the prom, close to the pier. It has a dine in restaurant and take away. Seating 420, the restaurant boasts being one of the largest Fish & Chip restaurants in the world. Be prepared to queue during peak time. And if you opt for takeaway, watch out for seagulls!

Bayside Restaurant

Bayside Restaurant is a beachside pop up restaurant, only open for the month of August, situated in, and I quote; “an astonishing tent that offers a breezy experience.” With high prices and an unadventurous vegetarian menu, I think I shall give this one a miss, astonishing tent or not…

El Murrino

An Italian themed pop up restaurant on the beach.

Other Facilities

Other facilities available are an ice cream kiosk toilets, bike hire, beach barbecues, exercise equipment and Who Dares Gyms beachside gym.

Lifeguards

There are lifeguard towers along Bournemouth Beach, which operate between 10 am and 6 pm during peak times, as follows:.

Bournemouth West – 9th April to 25th September

Bournemouth East – 9th April to 25th September

East Cliff Beach – there is an additional station at East Cliff from 9th July to 4th September

Coloured Beach Huts

The iconic image of a trip to Bournemouth seafront is the row of coloured beach huts. Nicknamed ‘Sunrise to Sundown’, they feature 75 beach huts coloured in a palette developed by paint manufacturer Crown.

Cliff Lifts

There are Victorian Cliff Lifts at both East Cliff and West Cliff. These funicular railways, linking the beach to the many hotels etc on the cliff top were built in 1908. The lift at East Cliff closed in 2016 after a landslide and is yet to reopen. The West Cliff Lift is still in operation. It runs daily from 9th April until 31st October, between 10 am and 5 pm. A ticket costs £1.85. There is a weekly (£11.50) and seasonal (£37) option.

Land Train

The Land Train operates between Bournemouth and Alum Chine and between Bournemouth and Boscombe. Trains run from 9th April until 31st October, between 10 am and 5 pm. A single ticket costs £3.50, or an unlimited ticket costs £6.50.

Land Train Garage

Nestled under the cliffs you can see the Land Train Garage, which has been given a facelift this year thanks to Paint Shop Studio with this seaside quote.

Refill Revolution

New for 2022 are a series of water refill stations along the seafront. The Refill revolution initiative aims to reduce the amount of single use plastic in the environment.