Just 2 hours south of London, this coastal area of the New Forest is full of pretty villages, good shopping, endless beaches that have yellow sand at mid to low tide, lines of colourful beach huts, good cafe’s and fabulous views of the Isle of Wight. Rarely busy, there are fewer tourists than many of Britain’s beach areas, and tacky tourist shops are rare!
Hurst Spit…is a wonderful walk, and there is a fantastic cafe at the end too!
For water lovers: you can paddle in the sea in most areas, and wild swim in some.
The sea water quality is generally very good. There is little surf here but paddle-boarding, kayaking and sailing are all wonderful.
Don’t miss the walking here. Hurst Spit, a mile long shingle spit out to the fort, is a wonderful walk, and there is a fantastic cafe at the end too. Run by locals with Natural England it’s well worth a visit. You can get here by boat too.
Read our full Insiders Guide here
