The second largest natural harbour in the world Poole Harbour is set amidst the beautiful Purbeck countryside and alongside the busy town of Poole.  The Harbour coastline of 60 miles surrounds 10,000 acres of water and mudland with picturesque islands.  Throughout its exceptionally long history, the commerce of the Port has flourished and provided the prosperity upon which the town of Poole was founded and developed.

Poole is often in the press whether it's on the recent ITV programme on Sandbanks (not a very accurate representation we assure you!) or in the property pages due to the high property prices and popularity of the area. Indeed Poole is often referred to as the St Tropez of the South! - Check the video out and decide for yourself!

This Quicktime Video is courtesy of Poole Tourism. A full copy of the new DVD can be purchased from Poole Welcome Centre. Please email info@pooletourism.com or call 01202 253253 for further details

This promotional video lasts 6 minutes and will stream across the net (removing the need for download).

(You will need Quicktime to view the video - get Quicktime - here)

Today, in addition to the busy roll-on/roll-off ferry and conventional cargo services, the Harbour accommodates a diverse range of other marine activities. This includes the headquarters of Sunseeker,  the RNLI headquarters and Training College, the fishing, leisure and boatyard industries, plus a host of recreational pursuits; together with the special wildlife which the Harbour has a considerable capacity to attract.

The sheltered waters of the harbour are ideally suited for most marine activities particularly powerboating and sailing (the principal sport) and therefore Poole has become one of the prime yachting and board sailing centres of the country. Commercial fishing and angling have always been part of the Harbour's history as a result of the warm shallows, which provide natural nurseries for flatfish and shellfish.  Other activities include water skiing, canoeing, rowing, wild fowling and harbour cruising, while many people find their enjoyment from the visual beauty of the harbour and its abundant wildlife.

Something like three quarters of a million holiday-makers and two and a half million day visitors are attracted to Poole and the Purbecks. Poole Harbour is undoubtedly one of the main attractions.


The natural beauty of the harbour is itself a major attraction. The harbour is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and has become a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under European legislation. Areas of the harbour are already designated under British legislation as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Heritage Coastline, Wetlands of International Importance and National and Local Nature Reserves. The harbour therefore gives great pleasure to everyone whether they are on a powerboating or watching the various breeds of birds. 

The beaches are stunning with 6 miles of golden sands from Studland to Bournemouth. Yearly they awarded the European Blue Flag with rolling sand dunes along the Southern and Western shores are ideally suited to swimming and bathing.

The bustling Quay at the Old Town of Poole is very much a working quay and is the starting point for sightseeing, angling trips and ferries to Brownsea Island and Bournemouth. The background to the quay is a conservation area with many listed buildings along the waterfront, most of which originally had commercial port functions, but which now house shops, restaurants, museums and other tourist attractions.