Pinecliff Gardens

A carpet of rhododendrons and azaleas in May, Pinecliff Gardens is a proper woodland walk rather than a formal garden affair. You're moving through Dorset heathland here, which means spiky gorse, sandy paths, and the kind of quiet that makes you remember why you came to the coast in the first place.

The reserve sits just outside Poole, so it's an easy add-on to a holiday without being a major detour. Most people spend between 45 minutes and two hours depending on which trails they fancy. The flowering displays are genuinely worth planning around if you're visiting spring-time - the gardens can look almost garish with colour. Summer's pleasant but less showy. Winter's fine if you like bare trees and muddy boots.

This is walker territory, not pushchair-friendly stuff. Kids who are into spotting insects and birds will get hours out of it; those wanting benches and a cafe will be disappointed. The rhododendrons do draw crowds during peak bloom, so go early or midweek if you prefer space.

If you're based at Ulwell Holiday Park six miles away, this makes sense as a morning ramble before heading into Poole itself. It's not going to blow your mind - it's a local nature reserve doing what local nature reserves do - but it's a genuine breath of fresh air and the spring displays are proper lovely.