Lucky for us, Hampshire has lots of different landscapes on offer including a stunning coastline – below are 8 coastal walks for the whole family to enjoy (in no particular order of preference!).
1. Hayling Island – Billy Trail
We always enjoy a visit to the Island which is to the southeast of Hampshire, just east of Portsmouth. It’s connected to the mainland by both road bridge and ferry. You can pop into marina side café called Salt Shack Cafe or farm cafe Northney Farm Tea Rooms and then head out on the famous hayling Billy Trail which is a disused railway line running along most of the west coast of the island.
📍🅿️ PO11 0LW – The car park is free but has limited spaces – opposite the applegreen garage
Here’s the lowdown:
✔️ Fully off-road track.
✔️ Nice and flat with amazing views on route.
✔️ Fantastic for families.
✔️ 5-mile round trip to the south of the island and back again.
✔️ Popular trail for walkers, cyclists and horse riders
This all-weather route makes for the perfect family walk in Hampshire any time of the year.
If you’re looking for a complete trip out on Hayling Island, head this way!
👉 Hayling Island has tons of One of our fave quiet walks and spots along the coast in Hampshire, we normally park at Chilling Car Park and walk the 20 minutes along pathways between farmland to get to a spectacular opening on the coast where you can sit and enjoy a picnic.
📍🅿️ PO14 4HH – Chilling Car Park
✔️ Easy to find car park.
✔️ Woodlands, farmlands and coastal landscapes.
✔️ Stunning cliffs
✔️ Views over the Isle of Wight
✔️ Clean picnic spot on the beach
For a complete post on this walk, head this way…
👉 For highly-rated accommodation around chilling, check these ones!
3. Lymington Marshes
This family walking route at Lymington Marshes is a brilliant circular walk with plenty en-route for kids to keep entertained and enjoy! Walk along the Quayside for river views followed by the coastal marshes of the Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve.
A 7k family walking route at Lymington marshes 
We took tried this walking route out from the free ‘new Forest walks’ app which has 27 routes on to enjoy. 
We grabbed coffee and pastries from the Saturday market and one of the many pasty shops on the high street and sat in the sunshine on the quayside. We also enjoyed a 50p ‘baby cone’ from our fave ice cream takeaway spot at the bottom of the cobbled st towards the quayside.
we took a leisurely pace with plenty of stops and it took us around 3 hours.
Start/finish: Lymington Town Railway Station, SO41 9AU or one of the many car parks around the centre, we parked in the one by marks and Spencer’s
Distance: Around 4 miles or 6-7k
Local facilities: Public toilets in Lymington, near St Barbe Museum. Train and bus transport to start of walk
📍🅿️ SO41 9AU – Lymington Town Railway Station
✔️ Beautiful nature reserve
✔️ Local facilities with public toilets in Lymington, near St Barbe Museum.
✔️ Accessible to non-drivers with train and bus transport.
✔️ Accessible walk on level ground
More info available here – https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/…/lymington-marshes/
👉 Take your time in and around Lymington by extending your stay at one of these highly-rated stays!
4. Ashlett Creek to Calshot – Spit Walk
This family-friendly walk has views of Southampton Water and the Solent, fascinating history on route, and a pebble beach to explore.
📍🅿️ SO45 1DF – Jubilee Hall Car Park
✔️ Landmark spotting with Spinnaker Tower and Royal Victoria Country Park
✔️ A lot to offer in just ~3 miles
✔️ Historical elements with the Tidal Mill, references to the Schneider Trophy, and disused industrial landscapes
✔️ Traditional beach huts for family photo ops
✔️ Wildlife to spot.
We even have a complete guide to this walk here, with loads more to discover!
👉 From bell tent glamping to luxury stays, these highly-rated stays will give you all the choice you need!
5. Southsea
Southsea is the place to go for a walk along a quintessential British seafront with great history too. It’s a bustling area, and, depending on the time of year you visit, there is a good chance an event will be taking place!
📍🅿️ PO4 9LD – Canoe Lake
✔️ Quintessential British seafront staple with Southsea Pier & Arcade
✔️ Waterfront heritage with Southsea Castle
✔️ Can be tied in with Portsmouth International Kite Festival for the extra ‘wow’ factor.
✔️ Can be tied in with Victorious Music Festival
Our very own trip to Southsea is available in more detail in this post.
👉 Stay overnight in Portmsouth at one of these highly-rated stays!
6. Eling
This 2-mile stroll around Eling combines industrial views with nature and for a fee you can visit the Tide Mill Experience. We stopped in the Café, and a ‘Wetland Wildlife Walk’ activity pack (fee) includes mini-challenges, wildlife spotting, etc. to make the walk more interesting.
📍🅿️ SO40 9HF – Eling Car Park
✔️ A tiny bridge contrasting the Southampton docks.
✔️ Facilities nearby with toilets at the car park.
✔️ The earliest known mill recorded in the Doomsday Book
✔️ Pirates-themed playground
✔️ All boardwalks are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs
More info on this walk in Eling is available in more detail in this post.
👉 Southampton has accommodation options for all budgets!
7. Milford on Sea – Keyhaven Nature Reserve
A stroll along the waterfront of Keyhaven is the perfect place to unwind. Keyhaven is a photogenic harbour spot full of fishing and sail boats,marine birdlife and the sea wall to follow. There is a history of salt production.
📍🅿️ SO41 0TP – Keyhaven car park
✔️ Hotspot for bird watching
✔️ ~4-mile round trip to Hurst Castle
✔️ Lively village to stop at after your walk
✔️ Amazing views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight
A fantastic spot for a coastal walk surrounded by nature located at the bottom of the New Forest – if you want a more detailed day out in the area, check out this post.
👉 Did you know that Milford on Sea even offers motor-boats as accommodation options?!
8. Emsworth
Emsworth is a picturesque fishing village nestling on the north end of Chichester Harbour. Small but with a lot to be discovered, take our work for it!
📍🅿️ PO10 7EG – South Street Car Park
✔️ Gorgeous fishing village with a strong maritime heritage
✔️ Oyster Trail
✔️ Great for wildlife spotting
✔️ Generous walks options including Town Walk, Boatyard Walk, Smugglers Walk, Foreshore Walk and Wildlife Walk.
If you want inspiration for a first trip to Emsworth, check out our family trip.
👉 Emsworth on-the-water Samphire Ark looks like a great place to stay – let us know if you try it!
