For a quick and effortless bird’s-eye view of the seafront, take a spin on the Bournemouth Observation Wheel. Located right at Pier Approach, this 50-metre-tall wheel offers a relaxed 10-minute ride in enclosed, all-weather gondolas. Your three or four gentle rotations provide fantastic 360-degree panoramas, perfect for looking down the length of the historic pier and out across the sea. The wheel has lost its retro colour scheme after a full revamp in 2024, now looking sleek and modern. It’s a simple, classic way to see the bay from a new perspective.

Commonly known as the garrison church, this Neo-Byzantine-style building was designed and built by order of Russian Tsar Alexander III in the late 19th century. Located at the eastern end of the main pedestrian street Laisves aleja, it is one of the most impressive landmarks of the city, and a lot more than a Roman Catholic church: the catacombs underneath are home to the Museum for the Blind, where there is not much to see—but a lot to experience!

The “Grand House” of El Castell de Guadalest or “Casa Orduña” was built after the great earthquake of 1644, which devastated the region and demolished the buttress of the castle. It was built by the Orduñas, a family of Basque lineage. They came to the kingdom of Valencia with the Infante Fortuna de Navarra; they later went into the service of the Cardonas, admirals of Aragón. D. Sancho de Cardona received the title of Marques of Guadalest in 1543. As the family enjoyed the complete confidence of the marqueses, they were sent to Guadalest and served as guardians of the fortress and governors of the estate for almost three hundred years.