Sandbanks: the tiny peninsula dubbed Britain’s Palm Beach

Read on to find out more about the tiny Dorset peninsula where champagne buckets and spades meet.

Move over Miami and Monte Carlo: the world’s most expensive coastal addresses can be found on a tiny Dorset peninsula. Sandbanks is known as the millionaire’s playground for good reason: one exclusive street alone is the dearest stretch of coastal real estate in the world, with just 13 houses recently valued at £93 million. 

The good news is that its chief allure – the spectacular location – can be enjoyed by everyone. This spit of land jutting into the mouth of Poole Harbour has a magnificent backdrop, wherever you are.  On one side, the warm waters of the world’s second largest natural harbour; on the other, golden sand and glinting sea.

Poole Harbour

The harbour is a watersports paradise: learn to paddleboard or windsurf in the shallow water, or take a jetski or powerboat tour around the harbour and its islands. For a more sedate alternative, try a harbour cruise, where you can get a glimpse of these cheek-by-jowl mansions and private islands.  The biggest island in the harbour, Brownsea Island, is owned by the National Trust, so you can hop off and spot Sika deer and red squirrels on an idyllic woodland walk.

Sandbanks Beach

Sandbanks Beach is one of Britain’s best and most-awarded beaches. Its pristine sands look out onto the Isle of Purbeck and the spectacular chalk stacks known as Old Harry Rocks. On a clear day, you can even see the gleaming Needles and the Isle of Wight. Out in the bay, power boats and yachts score the horizon, punctuated in 2020 by the unusual sight of cruise ships. These ‘ghost’ ships were stalled by the coronavirus and became a tourist attraction themselves.

In July, the beach is home to music festival Sandfest, and also the British Beach Polo Championships – the biggest of its kind in the world.

In a place worth millions, it’s no surprise even the beach huts can fetch more than £100,000.  But you can hire one by the week from the council for a fraction of the price, without joining the ten-year waiting list to own one. No champagne bucket required, just a bucket and spade.