Best water parks in Bournemouth
Each year, millions flock to the golden sand beaches that line the southern shore around Bournemouth and Poole. With miles of Blue Flag award-winning beach, it’s easy to see why.
There are loads of other reasons to consider planning your holiday in Bournemouth too. Maybe you want to take in the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Maybe you want to take advantage of the world-class spa facilities. Or maybe you’ve heard that Bournemouth has some of the best water parks in all the UK? Maybe you’ve heard right!
So, to rescue you from the deep end, we’ve done all the hard work for you. We’ve done the due diligence and tested all the water parks to see which ones have the slippiest slides and the splashiest water. We’ve narrowed it down to the best water parks in Bournemouth and Poole for a great time, every time. Starting with the top pick, our Rockley Park Holiday Park.
1. Rockley Park Holiday Park
At the mouth of the Rock Lea River, you’ll find Rockley Park Holiday Park, which boasts a nature reserve and a range of fun activities to entertain the whole family.
Start your day by exploring the beach, lake, woodland, and Ham Common nature reserve. Once you have admired the abundance of local flora and fauna, it might be time to enjoy a bite to eat. A delicious lunch at the Harbourside restaurant might be just what you’ll need to keep the fun going.
The afternoon is an excellent time to enjoy the indoor and outdoor heated pools. But maybe you want to amplify the fun a bit. Time to take a ride on the outdoor flume or scale the climbing wall. Finish with a friendly game of crazy golf before dinner, and you’ve got yourself a perfect day!
2. Dorset Adventure Park
Dorset Adventure Park offers two unique settings for you to slip, slide, swim all day long. Suitable for people of all ages, even well-behaved dogs are welcome, but they have to stay on lead and out of the water.
The biggest draw to the Dorset Adventure Park is, of course, the water part! This isn’t your typical water park, though. It’s a wet and wild adventure, set on Woodland Lake and Castle Lake, with stunning views of Corfe Castle as your backdrop, this inflatable aqua park features different obstacles for you to conquer. Challenge your friends and family and then slide, swing, run, and jump your way across these challenging courses to victory…or failure, but either way, it’ll be a blast!
3. Splashdown Water Park
Considered to be the premier, all-action water park in the South, Splashdown Water Park really is the mecca of water parks. Let’s start with the 13 indoor and outdoor flume rides. You know they are serious about their rides as they have eight different routes to maximise the fun.
There absolutely is something at this park for everyone. For instance, adrenaline junkies will appreciate a flume like The Screamer that drops you 40m in under 5 seconds. For those seeking fewer thrills, The Mississippi Drifter allows friends to ride through several smaller slides and whirlpools together on a single tyre. And for those who enjoy the unexpected, Black Thunder sends you on a heart-pounding ride through a pitch-black spiral of darkness.
If you're looking for a more relaxing holiday vibe, you can head to the viewing terrace, where you can lay back on a lounger in the sun while you watch your friends and family enjoy the flumes. There are also two splash pads, Ricky’s Reef and Buccaneer Splash, for the under-seven crowd. Don’t worry, there are no actual Buccaneers in the Buccaneer Splash!
4. Lymington Sea Water Baths
While its name sounds like a relaxing spa, the Lymington Sea Water Baths are more like a sea-water party.
Fully staffed for safety, this 110m sea-water pool features 12m of inflatable obstacles for you to navigate across without falling. There are stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and water zorbs available to use. You can even challenge some to an aqua jousting duel. There's a warm splash pool and sand pit for the little ones to hang out in and a kiosk for snacks and beverages when you get hungry. This is an excellent spot for the whole family to get a whole day's worth of wet and wild summer fun.
5. Water Kingdom at Paultons Park
Last on the list, but certainly lost least of the best water parks in Poole and Bournemouth is the Water Kingdom at Paultons Park.
Boasting a massive 8500 square foot splash pad for kids that has over 40 ways for them to play, jump, and splash in the water this summer. From gigantic buckets dumping water to super soakers, water jets to fountains, Water Kingdom is a brilliant spot to bring young children to splash and swim during your holiday.