Plan your visit to Sandbanks Beach in Poole with essential information on parking, facilities, accessibility, lifeguards, dog restrictions and things to do. This popular Blue Flag beach on the Sandbanks peninsula is ideal for families, swimmers and visitors looking for one of the best beaches in Poole. Discover everything you need to know before visiting Sandbanks Beach, including nearby amenities, seasonal facilities and practical tips for a day by the coast.
Sandbanks Beach is one of Poole’s most famous coastal destinations, known for its golden sand, clear waters and excellent visitor facilities. Located on the Sandbanks peninsula, it is a popular choice for family beach days, swimming, watersports and seaside walks, with cafés, toilets, children’s facilities and parking nearby. Whether you are visiting Poole for the day or exploring Dorset’s coastline, Sandbanks Beach is one of the standout places to enjoy the sea.
Address: Banks Road, Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset
Nearest main car park: Sandbanks Surface Car Park, BH13 7QQ
Admission: Free
Managed by: BCP Council
Nearest railway stations: Parkstone, Poole and Branksome
Sandbanks can also be reached by local bus services from Poole and the surrounding area. Parkstone railway station is approximately 2.6 miles away, while Poole station is around 2.9 miles from the beach.
Sandbanks Beach sits on the Sandbanks peninsula at the entrance to Poole Harbour and is widely regarded as one of the area's flagship beaches. BCP Council describes it as one of Britain's best beaches, with Sandbanks having received the prestigious Blue Flag award more times than any other UK resort.
Its broad stretch of soft sand and promenade make it particularly popular during the summer, while the location also provides easy access to walks around the peninsula and towards neighbouring Shore Road.
Sandbanks offers an extensive range of facilities for a beach of its size, including:
Visitors will also find a promenade running alongside much of the beach, making it easy to move between the different facilities.
Sandbanks is an RNLI lifeguarded beach. For the 2026 season, RNLI lifeguards are scheduled to patrol Sandbanks daily from 28 March until 27 September, between 10am and 6pm.
When lifeguards are operating, swimmers should use the designated swimming area between the red and yellow flags. The RNLI advises that the absence of flags means there is no lifeguard service operating at that time.
Sandbanks has several accessibility provisions. The beach can be reached via a ramp, and Mobi-Mat beach access matting is installed between May and September.
A beach-accessible wheelchair is also available from the Sandbanks Beach Office between May and September, from 9:30am until 4:30pm, on a first-come, first-served basis. BCP Council currently requires a refundable £50 cash deposit.
Accessible toilets are available close to the beach.
The main parking option is Sandbanks Surface Car Park, which is open 24 hours and has up to 532 spaces, including 11 disabled spaces, motorcycle parking and eight electric vehicle charging points.
Current parking charges from 15 March to 31 October are:
Parking is considerably cheaper between November and mid-March. During particularly busy summer days, the car park can fill, with BCP Council suggesting Beach Road Surface Car Park as an alternative.
Dogs are not permitted on the main Sandbanks Beach between 1 May and 30 September. During these dates, dogs must also be kept on leads on the promenade and surrounding paths.
There is, however, a designated year-round dog-friendly beach at the western end of Sandbanks promenade towards Haven Point, close to the chain ferry.
Free electric beach barbecues are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Disposable barbecues are permitted between 6pm and 10:30pm, subject to BCP Council's beach barbecue rules. Open fires are not allowed.
Sandbanks Beach is free to visit throughout the year. Summer weekends and school holidays can be extremely busy, so arriving earlier in the day or travelling by public transport can make visiting easier.
Camping and open fires are not permitted on the beach. Visitors planning to swim should also check local conditions and follow RNLI flag guidance while lifeguards are operating.
Spanish
Chinese (simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Norwegian
Polish
Romanian
Russian
