Shore Road Beach is a Blue Flag beach in Poole. It is popular with locals due to its sheltered position which makes it ideal for swimming. For non locals who wish to splurge, Sandbanks Hotel is right next to the beach and offers accommodation, waterfront dining and a watersports academy.
How to get to Shore Road Beach
Shore Road Beach is the penultimate beach along the bay and marks the end of the prom. It is around 3 miles south-west of Bournemouth, accessible via the prom on foot/bike/land train. By car, it is a 4 mile drive along W Cliff Road/The Avenue/Haven Road. The No 50 Breezer Bus, which runs between Bournemouth and Swanage, stops at Shore Road.
Access
Shore Road runs right down to the beach and has a (small) car park. Alternatively, the beach can be accessed via the prom or Flaghead Chine.
Parking
Shore Road Car Park is close to the beach. Parking costs are seasonal, ranging from £1.50 for an hour in winter to £2.80 in summer. It only has 72 spaces, so fills up quickly in summer. Further details can be found here. Paid roadside parking is available nearby on Banks Road and free roadside parking is available slightly further away at the top of Flaghead Chine.
Beach
A long expanse of golden sand.
Food and Drink
Jazz Cafe
Jazz Cafe is on the prom. It serves burgers, sandwiches, sharing platters etc. and also has a breakfast menu. It is licensed and during the summer, offers live music on Friday evenings and Sunday lunch times.
Pizza on the Beach
Pizza on the Beach is located on the terrace of the Sandbanks Hotel. The open kitchen has a pizza oven and offers takeaway pizza for non residents. There are two more restaurants inside the hotel: Seaview Restaurant (breakfast) and Amalfi Beach (Italian), but these are for hotel guests only.
There is also an ice cream kiosk on the prom. To be honest, the restaurants here are a bit pricey. If I go to Shore Road, I tend to pop round the corner to Tesco Express and pick up some sandwiches and a bottle of wine and picnic on one of the benches overlooking the beach.
Toilets
There is a toilet block on the prom near the Jazz Café.
Other Facilities
- Beach huts
- Drinking water
- Shower
- Hotel
- Watersports
Lifeguards
The Shore Road Beach lifeguard tower is manned from 10 am until 6 pm between 15th July and 3rd September.
Shore Road Beach for Children
Shore Road Beach is a popular family beach. The gentle slope into the sea and (usually) gentle waves make it an ideal beach for children. It has fewer facilities than nearby Sandbanks, which means it can get less crowded. Shore Road is on a narrow spit at the mouth of Poole Harbour. Across the road from the beach, the shallow water on the edge of the harbour is popular with watersports enthusiasts. Lessons are available is sports like SUP, kayaking and windsurfing. The Watersports Academy offers tuition in all the above and has a kids’ club where children can try all three.
Dogs
Dogs are not permitted on Shore Road Beach between May and September.
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.
- Updated: December 2023
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