Holiday Parks in Bournemouth

Seven miles of soft golden sand run unbroken from Branksome Chine to Hengistbury Head, with beach huts in candy colours, a flat seafront path for bikes and buggies and the pier stretching out into the bay. That's the view waiting for you on caravan holidays in Bournemouth. Most Bournemouth holiday parks sit just outside the town, in Christchurch, on the edge of the New Forest or out in the Purbeck countryside, so you get a quiet caravan or lodge with the sea still a short drive away.

Six beaches in the area carry a Blue Flag award in 2026.

Below you'll find the holiday parks near Bournemouth you can book with us, their facilities and activities, days out with children, beach dog rules and the best months to visit.

Where are the best Bournemouth holiday parks?

There aren't any big parks in Bournemouth town centre itself, which is mostly hotels. Instead the caravan parks fan out in three directions. East, on the Dorset coast, Christchurch and Mudeford put you by Avon Beach, Friars Cliff and the harbour. North, the parks around St Leonards and Ringwood back onto pine woodland on the edge of the New Forest. West, beyond Poole Harbour, you're into the Dorset countryside around Wareham and Swanage, at the start of the Jurassic Coast.

Choose Christchurch for the sand, the forest edge for woodland walks and nature, and Purbeck for sea views and cliff paths. Every one is a self-catering caravan, lodge or cottage stay, so you can pack the car with whatever you like and come and go as you please.

Holiday parks in Bournemouth and nearby you can book with us

Drive times are from the centre of Bournemouth.

Hoburne Park Cottages

Christchurch - about 18 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 7 - hot tubs, pet friendly, pool

These luxury holiday cottages sit beside Hoburne Park in Christchurch, and guests can use the main park's facilities: a heated indoor pool, a fitness centre, tennis courts and an entertainment complex with food, drink and fun for all ages. It's just as good for doing nothing at all.

• Avon Beach and Friars Cliff, the quieter beaches locals prefer, are close by
• Mudeford Quay is the place for crab lines and fresh fish
• Rated 4.6 by guests

Sandhills Holiday Park

Christchurch - about 20 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 6 - outdoor pool

Only a promenade separates Sandhills Holiday Park from the beach, so don't forget the bucket and spade!

It's a smaller, more relaxed park set among the trees, with panoramic views over the English Channel, an outdoor swimming pool and a small bar. You won't find a loud entertainment programme here, just plenty of seaside peace and a location right by the sea. If you've been searching for cheap Bournemouth caravan parks near the beach, start with this one, and remember it doesn't take pets.

Forest Edge

St Leonards, Ringwood - about 18 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 8 - hot tubs, pet friendly

This 9-acre park sits by the A31, a handy location that means you're quickly into town or out into the New Forest. Better still, guests get free passes to the Oakdene Forest club a mile away, with a pool, bars, a health and fitness club and Go Active activities (some charges apply). On site there's Wi-Fi and a children's play park, and caravans include a 12ft-wide model with one double and two twin rooms.

Paultons Park, Peppa Pig World and Go Ape are all within 20 miles, which makes it a great base for family holidays in Bournemouth with younger children. Rated 4.3.

Wareham Forest Lodge Retreat

Holton Heath - about 21 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 8 - hot tubs, pet friendly

Picture floor-to-ceiling windows looking into the trees, a kitchen island for the morning coffee and a big stretch of decking with its own bubbling tub. This is a quiet, grown-up place, surrounded by woodland trails and cycle routes, with the Purbeck Hills and the coast close by. Guests rate it 4.6.

Reviewers like the bus stop to Poole and Swanage right outside the entrance and the pub restaurant five minutes' stroll away. Spend the evening out on the decking and enjoy the quiet.

Swanage Coastal Park

Swanage - about 30 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 6 - hot tubs, pet friendly

A mile from Swanage town centre, this peaceful park has beautiful views over a secluded corner of Dorset. Contemporary caravans come with decking and garden furniture. You're close to clifftop paths, sandy coves and the castle ruins at Corfe, and the Sandbanks Ferry turns the drive from Bournemouth into part of the day out. Rated 4.5.

Shorefield Country Park

Milford-on-Sea - about 30 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 12 - hot tubs, pet friendly, pool

Shorefield is the big all-rounder.

You get 100 acres of parkland, a heated indoor pool and outdoor pool with trained lifeguards, a sauna and steam room, a fitness centre, a bar and restaurant and a children's daytime activity programme, as well as forest dens and wildlife walks, and a friendly entertainment team. With family accommodation that sleeps up to 12, it's the one for a big family get-together.

Compare the parks

More choice? See every park where your holiday home has its own tub, or all our Dorset holiday parks.

Sharing a caravan or lodge with another family is one of the easiest ways to make a seaside break go further.

Bournemouth caravan parks near the beach

If being near the sea matters most, stay east.

At Sandhills you step straight off the promenade onto the sand, and Hoburne Park Cottages are a short walk from Avon Beach. Highcliffe, a little further along, has a Blue Flag this year.

Bournemouth's own award-winning beach is free, with summer lifeguards, cafés and toilets. Park at one of the chines (the wooded valleys that cut down to the sea, such as Alum Chine, Durley Chine and Boscombe) and you'll usually find a quieter patch than right by the pier. On hot August weekends the car parks fill early, so aim to arrive before 10am.

Blue Flag and dog-friendly beaches

The 2026 Blue Flag awards went to Sandbanks (its 39th year in a row), Shore Road, Canford Cliffs, Durley Chine, Fisherman's Walk and Highcliffe. From 1 May to 30 September dogs are not allowed on these award beaches, and they must be on a lead on the seafront paths and piers all year. These stretches stay dog friendly all year round:

• Alum Chine to Branksome Chine
• Middle Chine to Durley Chine
• East of Fisherman's Walk to Southbourne
• Hengistbury Head and Mudeford Sandbank
• The western end of Sandbanks, up to the chain ferry

From 1 October to 30 April, dogs can go on every beach. Five of our six parks above are pet friendly, and you'll find more on our dog friendly holiday parks page.

Things to do in Bournemouth with children

Many of the best family activities here are cheap or free, and the main attractions sit together in the town centre, so there's plenty to enjoy without long drives.

Bournemouth Pier, RockReef and PierZip

The pier is home to RockReef, an indoor adventure centre with Clip 'n Climb walls, the three-level Pier Cave and the HighLine aerial course. At the very end is PierZip, a 250 metre twin zip wire from the pier back to the shore, the first of its kind in the world. Check the age and weight limits first.

Oceanarium

Right beside the pier on West Beach, the Oceanarium is the go-to rainy day activity. It usually opens from 10am, and it's worth timing your visit around the animal feeding sessions.

Lower Gardens

These Victorian gardens follow the Bourne stream down to the pier, with deckchairs, play areas and an evening stroll on the way back from the sea. In recent winters they've hosted Christmas Tree Wonderland, with hundreds of lit trees, an Alpine Market and skating, from mid-November into early January.

Hengistbury Head and the land train

Climb the headland for views over Christchurch Harbour to the Isle of Wight, then catch the land train down to Mudeford Sandbank and its famous beach huts.

• Runs daily from 10am, Easter to October (weather permitting)
• Pay and display parking at Hengistbury Head
• Or take the little ferry across from Mudeford Quay

Brownsea Island

Take the boat from Poole Quay to this National Trust island in the harbour and look out for red squirrels in the woods. The 2026 season opened on 14 March, with the island open 10am to 5pm. It's a beautiful half day out, with nature trails and picnic spots.

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum

A Victorian villa on the East Cliff packed with paintings and curiosities. Open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays, 10am to 5pm.

Further afield in Dorset

Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood has forest play trails and Go Ape's treetop adventure, minutes from Forest Edge. Head west over the Sandbanks Ferry (cashless since April 2026, so bring a card) to explore Studland, Old Harry Rocks and the Jurassic Coast, or keep going to Lulworth Cove and Weymouth, about 50 minutes' drive. If you'd rather be based further along the coast, see our Weymouth holiday parks.

Holidays in Bournemouth in 2026: what's on

The Bournemouth 7s sports and music festival ran from 22 to 24 May, and Arts by the Sea filled the town with free street theatre and music on 25 and 26 September. The Bournemouth Air Festival is paused for 2026: BCP Council stopped it to protect public funds and is looking for a commercial partner to bring it back.

What to pack for your Bournemouth break

Bournemouth holiday park FAQs

Which holiday parks are closest to Bournemouth beach?

Sandhills Holiday Park in Christchurch is the closest of ours, with only a promenade between the park and the sand. Hoburne Park Cottages are a short walk from Avon Beach.

Are there holiday parks in Bournemouth town itself?

Not really. They're in Christchurch, around Ringwood and in Purbeck, all within about half an hour's drive.

Which parks near Bournemouth have a swimming pool?

Shorefield Country Park has an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, Hoburne Park Cottages guests can use the indoor pool on the main park, and Sandhills has an outdoor swimming pool. Forest Edge guests get free passes to the Oakdene Forest leisure club.

What accommodation can I book near Bournemouth?

Static caravans, lodges and holiday cottages. Shorefield has homes for up to 12, Wareham Forest Lodge Retreat has lodges for up to 8, and Hoburne Park Cottages sleep up to 7. Forest Edge and Shorefield both have Wi-Fi.

Can I take my dog on Bournemouth beach?

Yes, on every beach from 1 October to 30 April. In summer, use the year-round dog zones such as Hengistbury Head and Alum Chine to Branksome Chine.

Is the Bournemouth Air Festival on in 2026?

No. BCP Council paused it for 2026 and is looking for a commercial partner to run it in future.

When is the best time to visit Bournemouth?

June and September, with warm weather and fewer crowds than August.

There's more of the coast to discover on our South West England holiday parks page, and you can compare all the Bournemouth holiday parks and every other park we list at Book Holiday Park. Pack the windbreak and enjoy your Dorset seaside break.