BEACH RIDE - West Wittering or Hayling Island

[Cassilda]

Advice please
Looking to take our horses to the beach next week, but where? Thinking of Hayling Island or West Wittering, but don't know which is best. Is there parking? Is a permit needed?
Anyone been to either of these and can advise? TIA

 

[Kezzabell2]

I've been to hayling island, it was brilliant, I've not been to wittering, so can't give a good comparison.

we parked in the main car park, next to the fun fair, was £10 with car and trailer!

check tide times, we went in June and had to be off by 10am, so we got there for 8ish to give us enough time! if we had got there earlier, we could have ridden much further but the tide was on its way in, so we left the beach about 9.40am

 

[arlosmum]

Hayling Island is my favourite place in the whole world. I spent most summers there as a child. Happy days! I've never been to West Wittering but I'm sure that it's nowhere near as good as Hayling!

 

[Shay]

I organize our annual PC beach ride at West Wittering. You can get off road parking with direct access onto the beach (PM me if you want the contact details). Because I have a group of kids and health & safety is what it is then I need that. Hayling Island only has road space so you have to load / unload onto the road.

You do have to have (or you are supposed to have) 3rd party insurance to ride on west wittering. Not sure how they check that though.

The beach is used by people flying kites and there are windsurfers who can get close. Don't know if that is an issue at Hayling? But I've organised rides at west wittering for 8 years or so and we've always enjoyed it. Only had a problem once - no one hurt but my nerves - and that wasn't to do with other beach users.