7 beaches near Oxford: Where to go for sun, sand, and surf

If you are traveling near Oxford or planning to stay in Oxford, you probably have a lot of things that you want to see and do during your trip. There are many things to do in town, but you might also want to check out the coastline during your trip. There are many family-friendly beaches near Oxford as well as great places to enjoy a walk along the coast or even swimming.

While you are looking for the perfect beach for your trip, you will also want to consider where you are going to put your luggage in storage while you have fun at the beach or the pier. Bounce is the ideal spot to store luggage in Oxford securely and conveniently. Having peace of mind that your bags will be safe and secure can make all the difference when it comes to planning a day of fun at these beaches.

Bournemouth Beach

In the summer, this lovely beach in Hampshire is very popular with locals as well as those who have come from out of town to make the most of its beauty. It can be crowded here in the summer, but thankfully this is one of the beaches that is pleasant to visit even in the colder part of the year. There are lots of things to enjoy when you visit this area, and the beach might just be one of the many things that you choose to do when you head to Hampshire.

Bournemouth Beach travel distance from Oxford

This is one of the closer beaches to get to by car, and you can arrive here in about two hours. If you head to Oxford Train Station to make your way to this beach town, you will need to plan for about three and a half hours of travel time.

Activity recommendations

The water temperature at this beach in the summer is about as warm as you get in the English Channel. This is a great beach to choose for swimming or to bring kids to for some fun. You can sunbathe here as well as walk along the sand. You can also enjoy bouldering near the sand or choose to take a bus tour of the nearby town.

Head here for opportunities to dine, shop, lay out on the sand, or have a great time with your family. If you head to this beach area in the winter, plan to grab a hot coffee or some tea and then wander along the water, taking in the sights and sounds of the bay.

Bognor Regis Beach

This is a traditional seaside resort that is close enough to Oxford to be simple to get to. Many people head here to the beach in the summer for a fantastic time. You can swim, rent boats, go shopping, or simply sit in the sand and enjoy the ambiance. If the beach is not where you want to spend most of the day, you can also head to a few nearby recreation areas.

Bognor Regis Beach travel distance from Oxford

You can get to this beach in an hour and a half by car. If you ride the train, it will take about three hours to arrive at this beautiful spot.

Activity recommendations

The promenade from Felpham to Aldwick is a great place for walks, or you could head over to Hotham Park to walk in the park, enjoy a mini train ride, or enjoy the little boating lake. The pier near the beach is a great place for shopping, playing some fun games, or getting fish and chips.

If you are thinking about spending more than a day at the beach, this is one of the best places to head to since it is located so close to the city. People of all ages can have fun in this charming beach area. This is one of the seaside resort locations near Oxford that many people enjoy going to each year to have fun.

Hill Head Beach

This beach is well known for its colorful beach huts and its soft sand. The parking is no longer free, but that is the only downside of choosing to head to this beach. The views over the Solent are lovely here as well, making this a good place to head for a walk along the coastline during any season.

Hill Head Beach travel distance from Oxford

This beach is an hour and a half away by car. If you take the train, you will need to plan for about four hours of travel time, involving multiple changes.

Activity recommendations

Enjoy walking along the coast here or rent a bike and pedal the distance to check out the views. There are nice areas to swim here during the warmer months of the year, and you could choose to sunbathe if you wish. This is a pebble beach, so it is not an ideal location to walk barefoot. You will need to plan to wear shoes when you navigate the beach area here.

Many people come here to go kite surfing, but recently, the town is increasing in popularity. Head to a pub for a snack or a drink, or choose to enjoy some sightseeing in the town after you are done at the beach.

Cotswold Water Park

There are more than 150 lakes in this park, offering a ton of different kinds of beach experiences for those who head here. Many people love to walk here, but there are many other activities to enjoy as well. From sailing to kayaking, there is no limit to the number of fun things that can be enjoyed at this huge park.

Cotswold Water Park travel distance from Oxford

This beach is about an hour from Oxford, depending on your destination within the park. You will need to plan about three hours to ride the train to get here.

Activity recommendations

This lake area is located near Cirencester, and it offers all kinds of fun adventures beyond time spent at the beach. You can come here for kayaking, boating, cycling, hiking, and more. There are many different lake areas to enjoy if you want to swim or go boating here. Each lake area offers different benefits, as well as dining and some shopping.

For those looking to make the most of a beach day, there is no better beach area to head to during your trip. You will get a lot of bang for your buck here, and since this beach area is so close to Oxford, it's hard to argue with heading here out of all the beaches on this list.

Cotswold Country Park and Beach

This is the home of the largest inland beach in England, and you can head here for pretty much any kind of beach experience that you can think of. You can swim, barbecue, enjoy playground time with kids, or hike here. This is a common place for locals to head for a day of fun in the sun with family and friends, and you can rent picnic spaces if you want to do the same thing.

Cotswold Country Park and Beach travel distance from Oxford

You will need an hour to drive here. If you decide to ride the train, you will need to budget for three hours of travel time.

Activity recommendations

Come here for everything from beach time to cooking outdoors and enjoying the beach cafe. There's crazy golf on offer here, as well as lots of great playground areas for kids if you and your family get tired of the beach.

You will need to pay a small fee to enter this park area, and parking is not free either. However, there is so much to do here that the cost of visiting is well worth it. When the weather is hot during the summer months, you might find that there are some crowds here, but the beach is so big that you should still have no trouble finding a spot to call your own.

Should you wish to ensure that you won't have to share with other people, you can always choose to rent one of the barbecue and picnic areas. Bring your own food and drinks and have a nice day in your own private beach space just by checking the dates and renting a spot for you and your fellow traveling companions.

The Quays

The Quays is a well-known lake area in Mychett, Surrey that offers a beach, lots of places to dine with a view of the water, and areas to enjoy water sports and more. You can easily spend a whole day here, and this area is lovely even in the winter. The dinner options here are a main attraction to come to this area as well, and if you love fine dining, you will have lots of great options around the lake area.

The Quays travel distance from Oxford

This beach space on a lake is about an hour from Oxford by car. You will need about two and a half to three hours to get here on the train and bus.

Activity recommendations

Consider renting a kayak, going boating, or coming here to lounge in the sun. You can walk along the lake here as well or pick a spot to sit in the sun and read a book. Many people head here to eat at one of the lovely restaurants that overlook the water and be served lamb, steak, and delicious cocktails.

This area is a little expensive, but there are a lot of activities to do here, and you could choose to spend a whole day here if you want to do so. This is a family-friendly area that has something to offer to everyone.

Oasis Beach Pool

While not a beach location, this is a great place to swim, play in a wave pool, or enjoy access to a bubble room and a kid's play area. This is a fantastic family-fun location where you can have a great day with everyone in your traveling group. There's even a small gym here that offers classes of various kinds.

Oasis Beach Pool travel distance from Oxford

This cool pool club is located an hour from Oxford. It takes about two and a half hours to get to this pool park on the bus.

Activity recommendations

Come here to have fun playing on the kiddy playground, swimming, or enjoying access to the whimsy of the bubble room. The slides here are really fun, and you can enjoy time in the water during any season. If you have come in the winter to Oxford and you are ready to enjoy swimming and other kinds of fun that can't be enjoyed when it's cold, the Oasis Beach Pool is the place for you.

This is an ideal option for those with kids to keep busy during their stay in Oxford, but adults can have a lot of fun playing here too. This is the kind of place that was created just for fun, and you will not regret choosing this cool activity area and pool to be part of your trip.

Conclusion

If you are traveling to Oxford on a budget, many of these beaches are completely free or very reasonably priced for an entire day's entertainment. If you have a couple of extra days to fill up, some of the best weekend trips from Oxford include beaches, which might be of interest when planning your vacation.

Oxford is a lovely place, and you will not regret taking advantage of all of the things that you can enjoy near this city. Most of these beaches near Oxford can be the perfect place for a weekend getaway if you feel like extending your time having fun in the sun. These lovely places near the water can offer family-friendly fun for you and everyone in your traveling group.