Things to Do on Hayling Island — The Complete Local Guide
From West Beach and the Hayling Billy trail to watersports, golf, and the Beachlands funfair — a resident's guide to the best of Hayling Island.
Hayling Island is a nine-mile-long tidal island off the Hampshire coast, connected to the mainland at Havant by a single road bridge. Covering around ten square miles with a permanent population of roughly 37,000, it has a distinctly different pace of life from the mainland — quieter in winter, buzzing in summer. Here are the highlights.
West Beach
West Beach is the island's main attraction: a wide, sandy beach stretching along the western edge of the island and facing east into the Solent. The reliable south-westerly winds that funnel through the Solent have made this beach world-famous in watersports circles — particularly for kitesurfing and windsurfing.
This is also the beach where Peter Chilvers is widely credited with inventing the windsurfer in 1958, as a child growing up on the island. A blue plaque on the beach commemorates the achievement. Today, several watersports schools operate from West Beach offering lessons in kitesurfing, windsurfing, and paddleboarding.
Hayling Billy Coastal Path
The Hayling Billy Coastal Path follows the old Hayling Island branch railway line, closed in 1963. The former trackbed has been converted into a 4-mile traffic-free path for walkers and cyclists running from Havant to the coast, with excellent views across Langstone Harbour throughout.
The "Hayling Billy" was a small steam locomotive that ran on the branch line for almost a century. The path is one of the most scenic flat cycling routes in Hampshire.
Beachlands Funfair
Beachlands, on the eastern side of the island's seafront, is home to a traditional seaside funfair that has operated since the 1950s. It runs from Easter to the end of September and offers rides, amusements, and candy floss — the kind of old-fashioned British seaside experience that is increasingly rare.
Hayling Golf Club
The Hayling Golf Club links course, established in 1883, sits on the southern tip of the island overlooking the Solent. It is one of the finest traditional links courses on the south coast, offering views of the Isle of Wight across the water. Visiting golfers are welcome, and the clubhouse has panoramic views from its terrace.
Langstone Harbour and Birdwatching
The northern shore of the island faces Langstone Harbour — a Site of Special Scientific Interest and one of the most important estuaries for wading birds and wildfowl in southern England. In winter, thousands of Brent geese arrive from their Arctic breeding grounds, along with dunlin, redshank, curlew, and oystercatcher.
The RSPB Langstone Harbour reserve is free to access on foot from the north of the island. Northney is an excellent spot to watch the tide push birds onto the higher ground at dusk.
Eating and Drinking
Hayling has a good selection of pubs, cafes, and restaurants for its size. The Ferry Boat Inn at Hayling Ferry is one of the oldest pubs on the coast — there has been a pub here for centuries. The Royal Hotel at Northney has a waterside terrace. For fish and chips, several options on the seafront compete for the title of best on the island.