There’s nothing quite like being on the south coast in the summer. Getting to explore in and around where I live is one of my favourite things to do, especially when you discover gems not far from your front door.

During the Poole Harbour Boat Show I was invited on a Poole harbour boat trip with City Cruises*.

I joined the Bournemouth bloggers for a tour of the harbour and stepped off Poole Quay directly onto our cute little red boat for an afternoon on the water.

We left the busy quay, full of people enjoying the boat show, and made our way out into the quiet harbour.

It was incredible seeing the quay, Brownsea Island and Sandbanks from a completely different perspective. I’ve been out a lot on boats in the Solent but never around this part of the coast line.

Having the fresh air on your face and being able to smell the salt in the air gives me such a sense of freedom and wonderful memories of sailing and rowing.

Some of the highlights included seeing the beautiful beaches of Sandbanks, the swanky homes that grace that bit of shoreline and the beautiful mini castle of Brownsea Island.

The enchanting features made the coast look magical and I found myself feeling very lucky to be living so close to such a beautiful place.

The captain relayed lots of facts about the local area and it really drew my attention to how little I know about the area in and around where I live.

Below deck we were treated to tea, coffee and gooey chocolate muffins which was a welcome boost as the temperature had dropped slightly and I had dressed for a hot summer day!

It was also great to speak to some more people in the Bournemouth Bloggers community. Emma, who runs this group has extended a warm welcome and it was great to get to speak to them a little bit more.

We had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and chat to other bloggers who attended the event as our trip around the harbour took about an hour and ten minutes.

I think this trip would be amazing as a date, a family trip or with friends. It’s a great thing to do in the local area, or as a visitor from further afield.

The harbour cruise also opened my eyes to all the things nearby that let you see a different side to an area you might think you’re already familiar with.

There’s also trips from Bournemouth and Swanage that are run by City Cruises and I’d quite like to try one of those next. It was a fantastic way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

*Gifted PR Experience – but, as always, all opinions are my own otherwise what’s the point?

A whopper of a thank you to City Cruises for letting me come aboard for the afternoon and to Bournemouth Bloggers for extending an invitation to me.