Bournemouth is a seaside resort town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. Bournemouth is known for its popularity with pensioners and has many residential care homes due to its constant and warm weather (by English terms). However, it is still possible to find vibrant nightlife and youthful activities like watersports.
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Bournemouth's spa magic has been revitalised and history is repeating itself. A century ago the cream of Victorian society including royalty flocked to Bournemouth's pine forest landscape of luxurious villas. They were eager to sample the relaxing ambience of the town, breathe its healthy air, bathe in the pure seawater and unwind at leisure. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles Thomas Hardy generously described Bournemouth (alias Sandbourne) as "a Mediterranean lounging place on the English Channel". The aroma and perfume of the pine trees were considered health-giving and many a famous person came here to take advantage of it including J.R.R. Tolkien and D.H.
Bournemouth is small enough to walk around, but a local bus service operates frequently within the town centre. The station is a hike (10 or 15 minutes, uphill) from the centre, so consider transport. The main bus operator is the "blue" More buses, whose routes extend over the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. The main stops are at the rail station and the Square. Taxis are available. The Square is the name given to the open space where the Tourist Information office is, the main gardens are, the pier can be accessed, and the river Bourne empties (although it is not in fact particularly square).
Bournemouth is famous for its 7 miles (11 km) of golden sandy beaches and clean seas. The beach has retained the international Blue Flag award status since it was introduced in 1996 and in 2011 also secured 4 Blue Flag awards for Alum Chine beach, Durley Chine beach, Fisherman’s Walk beach and Southbourne beach. The Pier is almost in the middle of the beach and offers a small fair, boat trips, an arcade, a café/bar and some other shops. 1 Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Russell Cotes Rd, BH1 3AA (on the Eastcliff), ☏ +44 1202 451800, russellcotes@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. This museum and gallery has some wonderful collections of 19th-century art and Japanese artefacts.
1 Oceanarium Bournemouth, Pier Approach, BH2 5AA, ☏ +44 1202 311993. 10AM-6PM. 2 Pavilion Theatre, Westover Rd, BH1 2BU, ☏ +44 1202 451870. (updated Nov 2016) Chines. Explore a series of picturesque ravines in the cliff. Can be combined with a stroll along the seafront. (updated Dec 2017) 3 Bowl Central, 45-47 Westover Rd, BH1 2BZ, ☏ +44 1202 555552. A large arcade, slot machines, bowling and entertainment centre. (updated Dec 2017) BH2. An entertainment complex with many eateries, a cinema, escape rooms, minigolf, and axe throwing. (updated Dec 2017) Football: 4 AFC Bournemouth, King's Park Drive BH7 7AF (one mile east of centre off A338), ☏ +44 1202 726300.
Bournemouth has many different restaurants suiting different tastes and budgets. The Old Christchurch Road at the "top" of the main shopping area has a string of low to mid-range eateries alternating with your orientated bars and clubs. There is another crop of eateries in the West Cliff area (around the International Centre), and in the Triangle, and in Westbourne. The number of takeaways in Bournemouth has also increased over the years, offering a cheap alternative to a restaurant meal. In the city centre you find the usual chain restaurants like JD Wetherspoon, Taco Bell, Greggs (bakery) and Franco Manca. 1 Tapas Plus, 53 Bourne Ave.
At night the town comes alive with a vibrant bar and club scene. It is one of Britain's most popular clubbing locations, with many stag and hen parties held in Bournemouth. There are over 50 nightclub venues which are open every day of the week. On busy clubnights, roughly 40,000 people are out in Bournemouth. The Triangle area in Bournemouth (5 minutes walk up Commercial St from the main square) is where the gay community is concentrated with several gay-friendly clubs and pubs. Most night clubs are in and around town centre, with the exception of the O2 Academy in Boscombe. Old style pubs are at a premium in the centre with the emphasis more on trendy bars.
There is an absolutely incredible number of stag and hen parties passing through the centre during the summer, but they tend to be loud rather than dangerous. Drunken youths tend to congregate in Old Christchurch Rd late at night. It is advisable to travel in groups very late at night due to infrequent but present knife crime and aggressive panhandling.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Bournemouth typically sees ~23°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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