England is known for its beautiful views and amusement opportunities. One of such beautiful locations is Portsmouth which is a port city in Hampshire. It is a hub for tourist attractions with numerous clean and tidy beaches, historical places, mesmerising views and much more. This city offers a little bit of everything to the tourists visiting in the holiday season.
Portsmouth Beaches
While planning a holiday and looking for outdoor places to spend the day, beaches are always the first option that comes to one’s mind. There are a variety of beaches in and around Portsmouth that offer wonderful opportunities for youngsters as well as adults to spend a perfect day by the sea.
South Sea Beach
For all those looking for a lively beach with lots of exciting activities to see and do, South sea beach is the best place to go. The clean beach and sea water refresh the tourists. It is not only about the water and the long pebble beach that attracts the tourists here but the Clarence Pier also serves as a major cause for the tourists pouring in. It is an amusement park that offers a range of rides for kids, youngsters, and even adults so that the entire family can enjoy together. It has always remained an exclusive destination for bathing as well as performing various leisure activities. Even today, its vibrant activities are capable of attracting a wide range of tourists. Behind the beach is a recreation area along with a lake known as the Canoe Lake which is also a famous destination in Portsmouth. The lake is full of marine wildlife as it gets the water from the South Sea, which is also very mesmerising and interesting for the children who hang pieces of string in the water for the creatures to take the bait. This is done to only have a glimpse of the creatures.
West Wittering Beach
The beaches in Portsmouth are of different variety. Just like South Sea Beach is a long pebble beach, West Wittering beach is a long and aesthetic stretch of white sands. The beautiful sand dunes encourage the kids as well as the adults to create sandcastles and enjoy their day to the fullest. West Wittering beach is one of those beaches that is known internationally and attracts tourists from all over the world. The area is so beautiful and clean that it is a blue flag holder which meets the standards of the Foundation for Environmental Education. This place is a perfect picnic spot for all those looking for a clean place with a spectacular view. Usually, at West Wittering Beach, visitors bring their own food and enjoy that while relaxing on the sand however, if that is not the case there is a café nearby as an alternative.
Hayling Island Beach
Other than the South Sea and the West Wittering beach, there are several beaches located all together in the Hayling Island Beach area. Out of all the beaches, three of them are the primary ones known as the Beach lands, West Beach and Eastoke Corner. The speciality of these beaches is that all of these are blue flag holders indicating that the beach meets the standards of the Foundation for Environmental education. Along with the blue flag, they are also Sea side award flag holders as well which assures that the beaches are clean and safe. Therefore, all those who visit this place will have no complaints regarding the cleanliness of the area and will be able to enjoy their day with friends and family. One of the specialities of the West beach is that it offers a variety of activities for the visitors other than a long stretch of sand and a clean picnic spot. Activities like sailing, wind surfing, and kite surfing are also open for the visitors on the island which brings in greater excitement for youngsters.
Ryde Beach
On the north east side of Isle of Wight is the Ryde Beach which is also one of the famous and attractive tourist attractions in Portsmouth. It offers a variety of services for the youngsters as well as adults. It caters to the needs of those who want to rest and enjoy the rays of the sun on the sand and also is a great place for those who want to spend the day actively with the water sports. On one hand, there are deck chairs and sun loungers available for people to relax and rest on a sunny day while on the other hand, water sports like kite surfing are offered for youngsters. It is a sea side award winner which offers lots of beautiful attractions and activities such as a play area for the kids, a boating lake to spend the time rowing with friends and family and also a bowling alley. A walk at the beach with feet soaked in sand and pleasant wind blowing in the face contributes to the perfect day.
Shanklin Beach
While Ryde beach is on the north east side, the beautiful Shanklin Beach is located on the south of Isle of Wight. This place is for all those looking for a clean and safe spot for swimming. Along with the water, the stretch of sand is equally significant for both adults and the kids. While the adults spend their time lying on the sand seeking a beautiful tanning spot, the kids play with the sand and test their digging power. The top of the cliff at the Shanklin Beach is capable of providing aesthetic views to the public that can be accessed with the help of a lift to reach the top.
These beaches in Portsmouth offer clean and safe beaches to the visitors with safe swimming, spectacular views, and various opportunities to experience the water sport activities that are available. These beautiful views and the tourist attractions nearby appeal the visitors of all ages throughout the year.
Places to visit near Portsmouth Beaches
Portsmouth Naval Station
Portsmouth is a naval base on England’s south coast. In the past, it has served as a base for the Royal Navy and today, the Portsmouth naval station is one of the most important naval stations of Great Britain. As a result of this history, there are many tourist attractions that are preserved in Portsmouth as evidence of this remarkable naval past. These attractions include Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory, Henry VIII’s Mary Rose and the Royal Navy’s first ever iron clad warship known as the HMS Warrior. These three historic ships are proof of the naval power that was possessed by Portsmouth. HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and Mary Rose are very old ships but they have been restored to their previous glory and preserved in museums. Tourists from all over the world arrive to spend time with these historical displays and also to explore the hundreds of artefacts that are found in them.
Spinnaker Tower
Other than the historic ships, there are many more places to visit too. There is a Spinnaker tower which is a beautiful destination and must be visited on a trip to Portsmouth. This destination provides aesthetic views of the natural harbor as well as the coast and other nearby tourist attractions such as the Isle of Wight. Along with the Spinnaker tower are the Round tower and the square tower which are also historically built at the entrance of the harbour. The rooftop of the round tower provides a spectacular view of the city and the harbour from the top.
Cathedral Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury
If you have a greater interest in the historic places then do not forget to visit the historic Cathedral Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury. It is now known as the Portsmouth Cathedral. It is one of the important places to visit in Portsmouth because of the mementos of HMS Victory and Mary Rose.
Portsmouth Climate
Since Portsmouth is located on the south coast of England, the climate of the area is mild oceanic. It receives more sunlight than all of the other British Isles. Winters are not very severe in Portsmouth because the area is densely populated also it is surrounded by water so the temperature does not fall below freezing. The snow is also very rare in winter. Moreover; the Portsmouth hill helps the city by protecting it from the cold winds. That is why the temperature remains controlled and the average minimum temperature is usually 5 degrees Celsius. Since the temperature is not very harsh in winters in Portsmouth, it can be visited between November and February to visit the beautiful tourist attractions in chilly weather.
On the other hand, in summers the temperature is usually high because of the excessive sunlight that this area receives. The highest temperature recorded in summer is approximately 35 degrees Celsius. The ideal time for all those visiting Portsmouth for the beaches is in between May and September as the temperature remains controlled. It is better to have a look at the weather forecast before planning a vacation to have the best time of your life.
