A tennis racket-shaped spit enclosing part of Poole Harbour, Sandbanks is blessed by one of the best beaches in the south of England. The wide tracts of very fine sand, which stretch for several miles towards Bournemouth, are lined by detached art deco villas, blocks of apartments and scores of beach huts. From the southern tip, which is laced with short rocky piers, there is a good view of an undeveloped beach and the green hills of the Isle of Purbeck. The north side of the spit, which is also lined with houses and apartment blocks, overlooks Brownsea Island, the last English sanctuary of the red squirrel, and hundreds of yachts spread out across the wide open spaces of Poole harbour. 8/10
