I have lived in Portsmouth or Southsea for much of my life. My parents moved here from London when I was four years old. My father was a Royal Marine and was stationed at Eastney Barracks. I spent 10 years elsewhere training and working as a nurse, but returned to Portsmouth in 1988, with my husband and we have now settled in the Southsea area. Portsmouth is situated on the south coast of England. It has a great maritime history and is regarded as the home of the Royal Navy. Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, are just two of the many visitor attractions in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard.

Portsmouth is a popular holiday destination, and away from the Historic Dockyard, there are many other great attractions for visitors to enjoy. The seaside area and it’s surrounding residential area is known as Southsea, which is why Portsmouth & Southsea are always linked together. Attractions along the seafront at Southsea include the D Day Museum, the Canoe Lake, Southsea Castle, and the Royal Marines Museum.

There are some excellent shopping areas in Portsmouth and Southsea too. In the main city centre along with all the usual high street stores, visitors will find the Cascades Shopping Centre which is well worth a visit. With a multitude of shops and eating places, it’s an ideal place to spend a day. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday there is also a street market in the city centre. One place every shopaholic will want to visit is Gunwharf Quays. Situated very close to Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, Gunwharf Quays boasts 95 designer outlets and over 30 bars and restaurants. You can take a boat trip around the docks, go bowling at the 26 lane Bowlplex, see the latest movie at the 14 screen cinema, or just plain shop till you drop! You are sure to pick up more than a few bargains. No visit to Gunwharf Quays would be complete without a trip up the Spinnaker Tower. From the top you can enjoy awe-inspiring views across Portsmouth, Southsea, the Isle of Wight and further afield.

We were lucky enough to visit the Spinnaker Tower earlier this year. It was a sunny day, so we had a clear view, as you can see from the video below.

DISCLAIMER: Some items listed on this blog, whether in print or of a graphic nature, may be affiliate links to other websites. These links may result in compensation to the publisher.