{"id":25798,"title":"The Best Walk in Portsmouth","description":"When you think of Portsmouth you might think of shopping, Southsea beach or the Spinnaker Tower, but you might not be thinking of walking routes. You probably didn\u2019t realise that Portsmouth is an island that can be circumnavigated in a day. We are here to talk you through the route and the sights to look out for along the way","content":"

When you think of Portsmouth you might think of shopping, Southsea beach or the Spinnaker Tower, but you might not be thinking of walking routes. You probably didn\u2019t realise that Portsmouth is an island that can be circumnavigated in a day. We are here to talk you through the route and the sights to look out for along the way.<\/p>

\"4dltxywglqdmkimho5jr7jj1uxbxnbb2bxj2mertsfjohq8r.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Starting at Gunwharf Quays where there is plenty of parking and facilities, we recommend you complete the walk in the clockwise direction. This will mean you walk through the most urban areas first before spending the majority of the walk with the water on your lefthand side. It also means that if you time it right you will be walking towards a beautiful sunset once you hit the beachfront. Due to the Naval bases and port the first section of your walk will be along the streets until you hit the shore by Whale Island, with views across to Tipner. From here you head towards the Mountbatten centre and this is where the walk starts to get scenic.<\/p>

\"0oglqvx1ue5sk4txpntmv0q56tjhpxxpgkpmbmudpyeuel1v.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"The path now heads alongside Alexandra Park with views over the water to the Jack Star Sculpture, designed as a bird roost for wading birds at high tide. This is a great area if you are interested in seabirds as a variety of species can be spotted here including Oystercatchers, Cormorants, Redshanks and Godwits, to name a few. Continuing along this route you will pass the Hilsea Lines Cafe which overlooks the SouthCoast Wakepark. This is a great spot to take a break and watch some water sports. Even on a fresh winters day there were plenty of people having a go at wakeboarding making for some interesting people watching!
\"tgjsaibfoktcvgdydhaolpwxzru0xsykjhq018uup1mcam9d.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&v=2\"<\/u><\/a>From here you head through Hilsea Lines park, a really enjoyable part of the walk. Here there are lakes and trees to admire as you complete the Northern side of Portsmouth Island. As you head towards the North-East corner the views start to open up over Farlington Marshes and Langstone Harbour, trust me they are stunning!<\/p>

As you continue walking the East side of Portsmouth the views are stunning over the harbour to Hayling Island and on a clear day you can see the South Downs in the background. Langstone Harbour is another fantastic area for bird watching. At the time of walking this route there were some footpath closures which meant we had to walk alongside the main road. Whilst this was busy there was a pavement and it didn\u2019t last for long before you were back on the harbour side footpath. \"8xxrakhs99xchsrtkt8wxzlmdo7jbfoqxdtyipgwsbxyby0u.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&v=2\"<\/u><\/a>If you complete this walk in the colder months you will get the chance to see some of the over-wintering birds that visit the Solent area, such as the dark-bellied brent goose. We took our time along this part identifying the birdlife and admiring the stunning views.\"rwzicmv4tgmvqvafkyw4xvjjrr6yb1l2qbl5rhuswhualkmc.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"By this point our stomachs were rumbling and we were happy to see a pub on route. We stopped for a roast at the Thatched House. This turned out to be an excellent choice as there was a large garden where we could soak up the winter sunshine and look out over the harbour whilst we refuelled.<\/p>

\"dasujzgecchymg5meoirkk5lenk4rbpgzp8ujv3el2bwke7x.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Feeling pleasantly refreshed and warm we continued on through Eastney and out to the Esplanade, where you can choose to walk on the promenade or the beach if you really want that seaside feeling. Along the promenade you will find a range of places to stop for coffee or food depending on how you have timed your walk. \"3shb3moh3uqfnsnqox863dyjhkn1bpgmqag4sq2i3spuo0tc.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Southsea sea front provides lots to look at and you could stop your walk to spend time at the Pier, Model Village, Pitch and Put, The Japanese Gardens, The Canoe Lake or just to relax on the beach. Don\u2019t forget to visit the Treadgold Fish Sculpture and feed it any of your empty plastic bottles! Due to our walk being in winter, the sun was setting for most of our walk along the seafront, providing a stunning backdrop to this section of the walk.\"70rz1yfhskrhkmbqw783814yap5kclfclixga6jijtvtmkrc.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Sipping hot chocolates we made our way along the sea front, pausing to admire Southsea Castle as we passed. Due to upgrades on sea defences the walk heads inland slightly through Governor\u2019s Green before bringing you out in Old Portsmouth. This was my favourite part of the walk as you head along cobbled streets and up to the Hot Walls. \"soyftu5acdbr0yz7qq0o3aoumcwkpv1ijos60w2itq0rwb8n.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"This is a very scenic and historical part of the city so take your time here and soak up the atmosphere. You will also be rewarded with some brilliant views of the Spinnaker tower in this area. Due to the twilight seeping in the tower was lit up, casting some stunning reflections into the harbour.\"cipugreshaymn6xfoqjggblwcayyhf8vtpgcenmln50unukr.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Following the path round will bring you through the docks and back to Gunwharf Quay. This is another lovely area to wander around, with some interesting sculptures to look at. \"vjbamg89ndbc28h3sanb25jasvpwkv5jtvhtuz3ftuso5oop.jpg.jpg?w=1140&z=1.3000000000000003&fx=0.4892799129930219&fy=0.5768563551049221&v=2\"Of course if your in the mood you could indulge in a spot of shopping here or depending on how you have timed your walk reward yourself with some drinks and dinner. There are plenty of options to choose from, just remember to book if you are visiting on a peak day! Have a look at our route below to get an idea of where we walked. \"gmggzfculsa3werr8bwjcbp6ln0dp96m01ozmk0fjyzfjeyq.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&v=2\"We loved this walk as it showed us a different side of Portsmouth and had some fabulous views along the way. The walk is flat and for the most part on pavement so it is really accessible, although you need to bear in mind it is on the slightly long side, clocking in at 24.6km (on Strava). In our opinion this is a fantastic way to spend the day here and you get the added bonus of bragging rights to walking around a whole island!<\/p>","urlTitle":"best-walk-in-portsmouth","url":"\/blog\/best-walk-in-portsmouth\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/best-walk-in-portsmouth\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/beach-rat-designs.teemill.com\/blog\/best-walk-in-portsmouth\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1679071311,"updatedAt":1690714305,"publishedAt":1690714305,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":250980,"name":"Beach Rat Designs"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5zb7kpvrbcblwaioltpd8pddqvvmzvdczucupsmwszi3degj.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5zb7kpvrbcblwaioltpd8pddqvvmzvdczucupsmwszi3degj.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5zb7kpvrbcblwaioltpd8pddqvvmzvdczucupsmwszi3degj.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":23143,"title":"ABOUT US","url":"\/blog\/about-beach-rat-designs\/","urlTitle":"about-beach-rat-designs","division":250980,"description":"Find out all about how our journey started and what is important to us at Beach Rat Designs!","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/hydx7mbq6gszzrh978dzppg4tnqn12vumzzfx2oiaoh84vcu.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/hydx7mbq6gszzrh978dzppg4tnqn12vumzzfx2oiaoh84vcu.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":23822,"title":"Meet our first Beach Rat ambassador!","url":"\/blog\/meet-our-first-ambassador\/","urlTitle":"meet-our-first-ambassador","division":250980,"description":"We are very excited to introduce our first brand ambassador, especially since she was so vital to our creation by inspiring our company name, the original Beach Rat: Anaya Evans. 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