Dorset’s premier tourist destination has a lot more to offer than simple pier amusements and sand in your sandwiches. The seaside city is bursting with photogenic alleyways, colourful beach huts galore and has aesthetic cafes by the dozen. Grab your best outfits, hit the streets and candidly capture the coast with the most. Here’s five places you’ll love if you’re an Instagrammer in Bournemouth.
A hipster haven, you’re guaranteed to find some aesthetics hidden in the quirky coffee shops of Bournemouth’s Triangle. Just shy of the bustling high street, the vibrant home of the city’s cultural and artistic scene is an Instagrammer’s paradise. Turn your world upside down at the unusual pink house in the middle of the area and kickstart your engine with a coffee at FLIRT. Come here to get your vegan fix at Mad Cucumber and hang out in the evenings with an eclectic crowd at Smokin’ Aces and Canvas nightclub. Your camera roll will be full of Insta-worthy pics in no time at all.
Dating all the way back to the Victorian era, Bournemouth’s gardens have been delighting visitors for as long as the town can remember. Split into a series of three stretches of grass, start your photoshoot in the Lower Gardens close to Pier Approach and snap some shots against the backdrop of pretty floral bedding displays, quirky mini golf courses and the central kiosk. Make your way up to the Central and Upper Gardens which end in the neighbouring Poole. The perfectly manicured spaces are a welcome contrast to the beach promenades and will add a splash of colour to your killer content.
Forget Coachella, head to Bournemouth to get the ultimate festivals snaps this summer. A hotspot for festival activity all year round with everything from amazing air-shows to rugby with a difference, this seaside city is anything but sleepy. Kicking off the season with Bournemouth Bay Run, the coastal town covers all bases with Bourne Free, the annual Pride festival, Bournemouth Air Festival and Bournemouth’s Arts by the Sea to name but a few. Book your tickets to the anticipated Bournemouth 7s in May. Nicknamed the Sporting Glastonbury, the festival attracts over 30,000 sports teams and partiers alike. Renowned for being the world’s largest sports and music event, you’ll want to get your trainers on, gather your players and party like there’s no tomorrow.
You can’t fail to notice the lengthy line of rainbow coloured huts that sit on almost every inch of the seven mile sand stretch. Providing the ultimate beach aesthetic, the shed-like structures are literally painted in every colour that you could ever imagine. Start at Pier Approach and head along the promenade towards Boscombe where you’ll encounter a selection of huts that resemble the colour strip you pick your wall paint from. Coming in all shapes and sizes, the beach huts are used by locals to store anything and everything from deck chairs to kettles and add a welcome pop of colour to the seafront. Already one of the most Instagrammable spots for stunning sea views, Bournemouth’s beaches undoubtedly make the list of the best places to take photos in the city.
No Instagram travel diary is complete without a mouth-watering selection of foodie shots that’ll make your tummy grumble just by looking at them. Fortunately, the culinary scene on the Dorset coast doesn’t disappoint. For a more unique experience, visit Pause Cat Café and indulge in vegan brownies with some furry friends. The cat café is home to twelve rescue cats and is run on a volunteer basis. If it’s fine dining you’re after look no further than NEO next to the Hermitage hotel. Part of the Oceana Collection, NEO is a smart affair serving lobster and carefully crafted cocktails against the serene backdrop of stellar sunsets and sea views. Another one that’ll treat your taste buds, Arbor restaurant prides itself on inventive dishes derived from fresh, local produce. Head to Boscombe and eat at Urban Reef for more photogenic food, desert that’s almost too pretty to eat and unrivalled views over the horizon. Whatever it is that takes your fancy, you’ll find it among the winding city streets, along the never ending promenades or hidden inside the stylish hotels popping up quicker than you can say cheese!
Heading to Bournemouth soon? Tag us in your photos of the most Instagrammable places in Bournemouth using the hashtag #ryanairstories for the chance to be featured on our social media channels.
Flights to Bournemouth
- Lucy Norris
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