3 Best Sights in Bournemouth, The South

With seven miles of clean sandy beaches tucked beneath its cliffs, Bournemouth is said to enjoy some of the country's warmest sea temperatures. You can descend to the seafront either by taking the zigzag paths through the public gardens near Bournemouth Pier (where there's a family-friendly amusement arcade) or by taking the three outdoor elevators from the cliffs. A handy Beach Check live map website tells you how crowded different areas are at any given time. If you're not tempted to swim, you can stroll along the nearby promenade. Windsurfing, sailing, and other water sports are also big here. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (from £1.90 an hour, varies seasonally); water sports. Best for: walking.

Perched on East Cliff, this lavish late-Victorian villa overflows with sculpture, paintings, and artifacts, including cases of butterflies and an exquisite suit of Japanese armor—just a few of the treasures collected from around the world by the Russell-Cotes, a widely traveled Victorian couple. The house, a combination of Italian Renaissance and Scottish Baronial, with added Moorish-, Japanese-, and French-themed rooms, was designed to showcase the collection. There's also a small landscaped garden and café. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions as well, such as ones devoted to the legacy of the Pre-Raphaelites or to the role of fans in Victorian society.

This parish church is easily recognizable by its 200-foot-high tower and spire. Lewis Tregonwell, founder and developer of Bournemouth, is buried in the churchyard. Here, too, is the burial place of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein and wife of the great Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, whose heart is buried with her in the elaborate Shelley family vault, as is the author's mother, the feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft.