Jane's Midlife Journey

The Seaside Award winning Boscombe Beach is divided into Boscombe East and Boscombe West by Boscombe Pier. It’s the ideal choice if you like your beach days to be slightly more active, with a range of activities on offer. There is also a selection of dining options nearby.

The are also plenty of events held here over the summer, including the Pier to Pier Swim and various sports tournaments, such as UK Beach Fest, which offers a football tournament plus celebrity football match featuring a range of sports, soap and reality TV stars.

How to get to Boscombe Beach

Boscombe Beach is just east of Bournemouth; 1.5 miles away along the Prom or 2 miles by road along the A35.

By Bus

From Bournemouth, buses No 1a/ 1b/1c, m2 and X3 stop at Boscombe Gardens. From here, it is a 10 minute walk through the gardens to the beach. Note that it is all downhill. Ascending to the bus stop laden with beach paraphernalia can be a challenge. During the summer, the No 70 Breezer bus follows the coast, linking Boscombe with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This year, the bus no longer goes to Boscombe Beach. The nearest stop is Monkey Island, which is a 10 minute walk away. Bus No 33 also stops at Monkey Island.

Pokesdown Station is 1.3 miles away. Buses No 1a/1b/1c and m2 will take you from the station to Boscombe Gardens.

Access

Boscombe Beach is just down the road (literally – it’s quite a steep road) from the centre of Boscombe. It’s a pleasant stroll/cycle along the Prom from Bournemouth or Southbourne or you can take the Land Train from Bournemouth.

Parking

There is a beachside Pay & Display car park; Boscombe Undercliff Car Park running along the sea front towards Bournemouth. Fees are seasonal, costing between £2.40 and £3 for an hour. During July and August, daily charges apply with a flat fee of £18 for arrival before 2 pm, dropping slightly later in the day. Further details can be found here.

There is another Pay & Display; Overstrand Car Park just above the pier. Fees are between £2.50 and £3 for an hour (there is no daily flat rate in July/August). Details can be found here.

The road behind Overstrand Car Park; The Marina has paid roadside parking. Charges start from £2.60 for an hour (between November and mid March, parking is free). Further details here. A bit further uphill from the beach, it may be possible to find free roadside parking, but spaces tend to fill up quickly.

Beach

The beach at Boscombe consists of a wide expanse of sand bisected by the Victorian pier. To the east, there are bouldering rocks and sections cordoned off for volleyball and TRX exercise classes.

Food and Drink

There are several dining options on the Prom and the beach itself, plus plenty more on the way up the hill towards Boscombe.

The Neptune

There is a large Harvester restaurant, the Neptune, with indoor and outdoor seating, right opposite the pier.

This popular restaurant has a menu similar to other Harvesters (including the all-you-can eat salad bar, of course), only closer to the beach. It is particularly good for children as it provides activity packs to keep them entertained and offers a reasonably priced children’s menu.

Urban Reef

Urban Reef has an indoor section – a cosy place to eat and enjoy a sea view when it’s cold/windy. However, in summer, most of the action spills outside. There is also a wood fired pizza oven service called the Wood Oven. In summer, there is also a bar and additional seating on the beach at the Beach Bar.

Prom Diner

The Prom Diner is, not surprisingly, a diner on the Prom. It also has an ice cream kiosk. In summer, there is an additional area on the beach itself, called, wait for it… the Beach Diner. Here, you can order and a man will bring it across the road to you Abbey Road style. At least it reminds me of Abbey Road every time I cycle past and nearly knock him over, because in the previous six years I’ve lived here, nobody has ever used that crossing…

There is also a row of kiosk selling junk food, ice cream and beach tat at the end of Boscombe Pier.

Toilets

There are toilets just to the west of the pier and to the east in the Overstrand Complex and some more just along the promenade. One thing Boscombe Beach isn’t short of is toilets.

Other Facilities

• Beach Huts (including accessible beach huts) and Beach Pods
• Communal barbecues
• Showers
• Drinking Water

In addition, there are plenty of activities available if you prefer your beach time to be more active. There are some boulders for climbing on (very popular with selfie lovers), volleyball courts on the beach and table tennis tables above the pier near the entrance to Boscombe Chine Gardens (free to use – equipment can be loaned from the Beach Office).

Surfing and Paddle boarding

Sorted Surf School offers surfing and paddle boarding lessons plus wetsuit, surfboard, SUP and kayak hire.

Three Sixty Fitness

Three Sixty Fitness offers TRX and other exercise classes right on the beach.

Boscombe Pier

Boscombe Pier is a lovely place to take a stroll and admire the view across the bay to the Purbecks and the Isle of Wight. There is a fun musical instrument trail running the length of the pier, although it could do with a little TLC. Our favourite is a series of chimes which, if you hit in order, give a rendition of ‘Oh I do Like to be Beside the Seaside‘.

Lifeguards

There are two Lifeguard towers, one situated either side of the pier. They are manned from 10 am to 6 pm. Boscombe East is in operation from 5th April to 28th September and Boscombe West from 24th May to 7th September.

Boscombe Beach for Children

The golden sand, lifeguarded beach and proliferation of activities make Boscombe Beach particularly suitable for children. I have been bringing my children and grandchildren here for many years for a fun day out. With water sports, table tennis, volleyball and the musical instruments on the pier there is plenty to keep them entertained.

In addition, the water play area and crazy golf in nearby Boscombe Chine Garden all help to keep kids of all ages occupied.

The Neptune, Prom Diner and Urban Reef all offer a children’s menu.

Dogs

Dogs are not permitted on the beach between May and September. There are no dog friendly beach areas between Boscombe and Bournemouth.

• Updated: July 2025

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.