Best Things to Do in Poole

In the gorgeous county of Dorset, you will find the seaside town of Poole. This is a popular past for tourists, particularly during the summer months of the year when families have kids who need entertainment. If you are visiting this bustling town and want to make sure you are not stuck for pastimes, below you can find a complete guide of things to do in Poole.

TRAVEL TIP: Even though Poole is a fantastic area to visit, you need still to take safety measures to secure your belongings. You may discover more about the various possibilities for storing your luggage in Poole by visiting mindmybag.com.

Go to Monkey World

Monkeying around is something that you can do with the entire family and Monkey World is Poole is guaranteed to be a laugh a minute. This is not an ordinary zoo for monkeys, it is an ape rescue center. There are endangered primates from all over the world who have been rescued and are now living here. It is a 65-acre park and the monkeys are free to roam, as are visitors. Get up close and personal with these beautiful and intelligent animals. There are tours available regularly so you can learn more about the primates living here and some of what they have been through. There is also an adventure area for kids to play and multiple cafes where you can have a bite to eat and drink.

Explore Brownsea Island

Brownsea Island is located in Poole Harbour and it will give you the most amazing views over the Purbeck Hills. This is a natural landmark that is owned by the National Trust. Some of what you can expect to see at Brownsea Island includes cute wildlife including the rare red squirrels. There is woodland and even a lagoon here too, offering lots of nature for you to enjoy. You can even stay at their popular campsite and sleep under the stars during your time in the area. The Outdoor Centre is educational and allows you to learn more about the beautiful area. This is an ideal spot for the whole family to enjoy in Poole.

Visit Sandbanks Beach

This is a naturally beautiful beach with golden sand and an eye-catching shoreline. Sandbanks beach has got a covered blue flag for the last 30 years and this means the beach officially meets a very high standard. If you get bored of just laying on the beach, there are other activities that you can do here including crazy golf and a children’s play area. Barbeques are also permitted for a few hours in the evening.

Enjoy Compton Acres

These are privately owned gardens in Poole and some would say that they are the finest in Poole. There are a variety of gorgeous gardens in the neighborhood, each with its unique theme. You can choose from a variety of garden styles, including Japanese, Italian, and others. There is also a gift shop, a cafe, and ponds. Compton Acres is a popular area for picnics or just exploring with your friends and family.

Check out Poole Harbour

This is an absolutely beautiful harbour for you to watch the boats go by. Not many people know that Poole is home to Europe’s natural harbour so this is something that you will want to check out during your time here. There are a variety of beaches to enjoy along this spot and Poole harbour is a popular spot for water sports and other activities. This is a safe place to be and is ideal for the entire family to enjoy.

Go to The Dolphin Swimming Pool

If you are traveling with children, the Dolphin Swimming Pool is an ideal place to go. There are lots of different swimming pools, along with activities like highboard diving, water aerobics, and more. British weather can be unpredictable so if you are in Poole and it is not beach weather, you can still enjoy the water thanks to this indoor location.

Visit Poole Museum and Scaplens Court Museum

If you want to learn some stuff during your time in Poole, you can do that at Poole Museum. The little town has an interesting history and you are the kids can learn all about that in a fun way. The museum has four floors packed full of archaeology, social history, and art. Plus there are lots of activities to do and you can even have views over Poole harbour thanks to the terrace at the museum. The medieval Scaplens court museum is open during August and it’s super interesting to explore.

Take a City Cruise

City cruises Poole offers the most incredible cruises from Poole Harbour so why not enjoy the waves? The area is referred to as the jewel of England’s south coast so you are guaranteed to enjoy exploring that for yourself. Your guide will give you lots of interesting information about the area while you are on the boat and some of the things that you can expect to see along the Jurrasic coastline include a castle on Brownsea island and the stunning beaches of Sandbanks.

Enjoy a Poole Mystery Treasure Trail

This is a super fun activity for the whole family to enjoy but it is very popular so you would need to make sure to book tickets. You will be playing Sherlock Holmes on this mystery tour, you will have to solve the clues which you will find hidden in different landmarks and follow the trail to be successful. You will get to see the sights of Poole as you navigate through this mystery trail, which takes around one and a half hours to complete.

Visit the Whitecliff Play Area

This is the largest playground in Poole, and the children are guaranteed to love it. There is a 6-meter high activity tower, and 3 different slides of different lengths and sizes, It also includes monkey bars, ravine bridges, a rope ladder, fireman poles, and more. There is something for children of all ages at this park, including sandboxes for toddlers to enjoy.

Check out Prevail Skatehouse

This is a cool place to go if you fancy doing something different during your time in Poole. Pros and newbies can skate here and enjoy all the cool features that Prevail Skatehouse has to offer. There is a bunch of bespoke and professional equipment including a street section, smart bowls, a bank, and extensions. People young and old come here and there is even a cafe if you need a break from skating and want to have a bite to eat.

Explore Upton Country Park

Upton Country Park has over 100 acres of woodland to be explored, in addition to beautiful gardens and playgrounds for the kids to enjoy too. There is a nature trail that is mapped out, a refurbished wall garden, and even a water feature that children love playing with during the summer months. You can even take a segway tour of this park if you want to! One thing is for sure, you are going to enormously enjoy this park and all it has to offer.

Enjoy Sandbanks Crazy Golf

Who doesn’t love crazy golf? It’s a fun activity for the whole family and this is a cool course to complete. It features 18 challenging holes but it is also super fun. There are a bunch of different obstacles and some surprises along the way as the game unfolds so make sure to give it a go for yourself because it earns its place on this list of things to do in Poole.

Go to Poole Quay

Poole Quay is a gorgeous place to allow you to explore Poole Harbour and the dainty little town. The fish and chips in Poole are said to be out of this world and this is the perfect location to give them a try for yourself.

Visit Adventure Wonderland

Adventure Wonderland is a family theme park that you can go to during your time in Poole. There are a wide variety of rides and attractions that you can enjoy. Some of these include log flumes, battle boats, a runaway train, a ghost ride, teacups, crazy golf, hedge mazes, and much more. There are also resident characters including Alice and the Mad hatter who regularly meet fans throughout the park, which always proves a big hit with kids. There are lots of places to enjoy refreshments throughout Adventure Wonderland too.

Get Wet at Splashdown

It’s another theme park but this time, it is very much water-based. There is something for everyone at Splash Down from those who are a little more nervous around water to those who love it. There is a vertical drop slide that is definitely for the more adventurous, and you can also enjoy a float downstream on a rubber ring. One thing is for sure, this is guaranteed to be a day out that you and your family will always remember.

Go to Farmer Palmers Farm Park

This farm park is a super fun place to hang out and somewhere that you need to go during your time in Poole. Interacting with adorable animals in a personal setting is possible. A “summer corn maze” is also available, and it draws a lot of visitors every year. A restaurant is available, and there are daily animal activities to participate in.

Enjoy a Poole Trail

Poole trail is an amazing way to explore Poole and its history. You will learn a ton of interesting information including about the pirate smugglers of years gone by and more. Multimedia is used to make this trail fun as you discover different objects in the area and learn about specific sites, the natural environment, and more. We could all use a little education from time to time and if you like that kind of thing, give the Poole trail a try.

Have a day trip to Guernsey

Guernsey is not far away from Poole at all and there are many places where you can book a day trip to the nearby town. Guernsey is well known for its fudge and there are a bunch of other things that can be enjoyed there also.

Corfe Castle

It is possible to reach the old Corfe Castle, currently a part of the Hartland Moore National Nature Reserve, in a little over 10 miles by going around the harbour from Poole.

The Normans constructed the timber motte and bailey fortress to guard a passage through the Purbeck Hills, which run from Wareham in the west to Swanage in the east.

Corfe Castle was refortified with stone over the next half millennium, and for three years during the English Civil War, Royalist Mary Bankes repelled Parliamentarian assaults from the castle.

Stone from the slighted castle was utilized to build the picturesque village below.

Travelers can take a heritage steam railway through the Purbeck Hills from the model hamlet to Swanage.

Boat Trip

Anyone who visits Poole in the summer will be tempted to rent a boat and cruise around the world’s second-largest natural harbour. The Purbeck Hills and the five major islands in the bay can be seen on the hour-long cruises that leave from Poole Quay.

A property owned by the National Trust The largest is Brownsea Island, which is forested and Moorish, and home to a population of endangered red squirrels. The magnificent Old Harry Rocks can be seen from the water on a cruise to the upscale resort of Swanage.

Shell Bay

In just a few minutes, you may ride the ferry from Sandbanks to Shell Bay, which is located across Poole Harbour from the point where the harbour meets the sea.

This beach has the same fine golden sand as Sandbanks, but instead of expensive residences, there are only dunes and heathland behind it.

From the bay’s northern edge, you can see Poole Harbour to the west, and if you go around to the east side, you can see the coast to Bournemouth.

Shell Bay is joined to the National Trust’s Studland Bay, which stretches for miles to the south and finishes on a nude beach.

The entire journey offers a stunning view of the Old Harry Rocks.

Watersports

Poole Harbour is renowned as one of the top ports in the UK for a wide range of water sports with good reason. The route’s 110 miles prove this point with its abundance of unique experiences.

Although the harbor is typically tranquil, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and sailing are all popular activities thanks to the reliable breezes in the wider, shallower sections, especially in the vicinity of Sandbanks.

Motorized water sports are restricted to the Wareham Channel, while the harbor’s more protected portions are ideal for paddlesports like kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.

There are many different watersports companies on the eastern side of the harbor at Lilliput. Jetski Safaris, for instance, provides port and Jurassic Coast guided tours tailored toward novices.

Arne Nature Reserve

The Arne RSPB reserve may be found on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula, which views out over Poole Harbour. This protected area is a haven for numerous plant species, including heather, gorse, ferns, and forest. The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife, including ospreys, woodpeckers, and sika deer.

Birdwatchers can stake out several “hideouts” and peek through their scopes in the hopes of spotting some of the area’s more evasive inhabitants. Even if you aren’t a keen birdwatcher, this is a beautiful location to go for a stroll (or “twitcher”). Most notably, the stunning Harbour panoramas.

Guided E-Bike Tour

When you want to see more of the area but walking just isn’t cutting it, a guided e-bike tour is a fantastic alternative. These electric bikes are as easy to ride as a standard bicycle, but they get you where you need to go with less effort on your part and more distance covered. If you’d rather venture off on your own, you can always rent a motorcycle and see where the road takes you. The greatest way to see all the magnificent sights along the coast and inland is on a sustainable e-bike.

As you can see, there are a bunch of fun things to do in Poole. No matter how long you are there and what you are into, you should be able to make a jam-packed itinerary with the different activities and landmarks that have been mentioned.