Things to do in Portsmouth
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HMS Victory
As resplendent as she is venerable, the dockyard's star attraction is HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar and the site of his infamous 'Kiss me Hardy...' dying words when victory over the French had been secured. This remarkable ship is topped by a forest of ropes and masts, and weighted by a swollen belly filled with cannon and paraphernalia for an 850-strong crew.
Clambering through its numerous decks is a stirring experience, though these days cannon fire is replaced with the dull thuds of visitors so in thrall that they forget the low overhead beams. There are excellent 40-minute tours.
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Lemon Sole
At Lemon Sole you get to pick your own piece of fish at a counter then choose how you want it cooked. Try the seafood chowder, devilled mackerel or stunning shellfish platters (£45 for two). It's all tucked away in a lemon-yellow interior with a whole wall full of wine bottles at the end.
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Mary Rose Museum
The remains of 16th-century warship and darling of Henry VIII, the Mary Rose, is the only such ship on display in the world - it's adjacent, and equally thrilling, to HMS Victory. This 700-tonne floating fortress sank off Portsmouth after a mysterious incident of 'human folly and bad luck' in 1545. In an astoundingly ambitious piece of marine archaeology, the ship was raised from its watery grave in 1982.
It now presents a ghostly image that could teach Hollywood a few tricks, its vast flank preserved in dim lighting, dripping and glistening in a constant mist of sea water.
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Mary Rose Museum
You can bear witness to the Herculean salvage operation that raised the 16th-century Mary Rose and see many of its recovered treasures at this fascinating museum, which is filled with fascinating facts and audiovisual insights. Every half an hour there's a 15-minute film about the raising of the ship, which is a must for all who didn't see coverage of the astonishing event in 1982. Purchasing a single-attraction ticket to this museum includes admission to the ship itself.
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Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower
If its things that go bang that float your boat, head straight to Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower, 1.5 miles from the ferry in the opposite direction. An old gunpowder magazine built in 1771 houses this museum of munitions and ordinance.
It's in Gosport, on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour, which is easily reached by ferry from The Hard, and taxis and buses wait on the other side to whisk you around.
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Royal Navy Submarine Museum
Features a bona-fide ex-service submarine – clambering aboard provides a revealing insight into the claustrophobic conditions. The museum is in Gosport, a 20-minute ferry ride west from the Hard.
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Southsea Castle
Next door to the D-Day Museum (9282 7261; www.ddaymuseum.co.uk; Clarence Esplanade) by the water is ugly grey Southsea Castle, built by Henry VIII, and by all accounts from where he would have watched his beloved Mary Rose sink. The castle was much altered in the early 19th century and there's now a lighthouse plonked on its top.
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The Point
Some 500m south of Gunwharf Quays, the Point (also known locally as Spice Island) is home to characterful cobbled streets dotted with salty sea-dog pubs; their water-side terraces are top spots to spend some time gazing at the Spinnaker Tower and the passing parade of ferries and navy ships. You can clatter up the steps of the Round Tower (originally built by Henry V) and stroll along the old fort walls to the Square Tower, which was built in 1494. Underneath, cavernous vaults frame Sally Ports, historic openings in the defences that give access to the sea and a strip of shingle beach.
To walk to the Point follow the chain link design set into the pavement from Gunwharf Qu…
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Spinnaker Tower
Soaring to 170m above Gunwharf Quays, the Spinnaker Tower is an unmistakable symbol of Portsmouth's new-found razzle-dazzle. Its two sweeping white arcs resemble a billowing sail from some angles, and a sharp skeletal ribcage from others.
As the UK's tallest publicly accessible structure, it offers truly extraordinary views over Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, the South Downs and even Chichester, 23 miles to the east. Observation Deck 1 has a hair-raising view through the glass floor, while the roofless Crow's Nest on Deck 3 allows you to feel the wind on your face.
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Royal Naval Museum
This huge museum has five galleries of naval history, ship models, battle dioramas, medals, paintings and much more. Audiovisual displays re-create the Battle of Trafalgar and one even lets you take command of a battleship - see if you can cure the scurvy and avoid mutiny. One gallery is entirely devoted to Lord Nelson.
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Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
This is Portsmouth's blockbuster attraction. Set in the heart of one of the country's most important naval ports, it comprises two stunning ships and a cluster of museums that pay homage to the historical might of the Royal Navy. The ticket price also includes a boat trip round the harbour; together it makes for a full day's outing. The last admission is 1½ hours before closing.
The Ships As resplendent as she is venerable, the dockyard's star sight is HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) and the site of his infamous dying words 'Kiss me, Hardy' when victory over the French had been secured. This remarkable ship is topped by a forest of rop…
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Cathedral of St Thomas of Canterbury
In Old Portsmouth, adjoining the Point, this airy structure retains fragments of its 12th- and 17th-century incarnations. But a striking modern makeover includes quirky statuettes by Peter Eugene Ball; look for Thomas Becket with a sword through his mitred head.
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HMS Warrior
Anywhere else the magnificent warship HMS Warrior built in 1860, would grab centre stage. This handsome fella was at the cutting edge of technology in its day, riding the transition from wood to iron and sail to steam. Visitors can wander freely around its four decks to imagine life in the Victorian navy.
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Action Stations!
Stumble into this warehouse-housed interactive experience and you'll soon be controlling a replica Merlin helicopter, commanding a warship, upping periscope or jumping aboard a jerky simulator. The whole setup is a thinly disguised recruitment drive for the modern navy, but a fun one nonetheless.
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Agora Restaurant
This familial little Turkish hookah bar is tucked into an old beamed building and serves up tasty Greek and Turkish food, washed down with Ouzo and Raki. It's a favourite place to take the kids, and there's a children's menu at the ready.
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Still & West
This relaxed salty-dogs pub on The Point has served many a sailor and smuggler in its day, and is still great for a drink on its waterside terrace, watching the passing yachts and ferries and looking back toward the Spinnaker Tower.
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Drift
This hip London-style bar languishes behind whirlpool frosted glass and pebble-dashed front, has a slick chrome and wood interior, and lounge showcasing DJs on the weekends. Be sure to visit the quirky ultracool bathrooms.
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Spinnaker Tower Bar
OK it's the most touristy café-bar in Portsmouth, but you'll find no better coffee-sipping and wine-supping vantage point to watch the boats slosh past than this glass-sided café below its namesake edifice.
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Blue Reef Aquarium
There's a cluster of attractions on Clarence Esplanade at the Southsea end of the waterfront. The unusually hands-on Blue Reef Aquarium has open-top tanks and huge underwater walkways and is a sure hit with kids.
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Sallyport Tea Rooms
Just as a traditional teashop should be: homely, civilised, filled with fussy collectibles and serving up loose-leaf speciality teas and other old-fashioned tearoom delights to the strains of 1940s jazz.
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Trafalgar Sail Exhibition
This small exhibition showcases HMS Victory's only remaining sail from the Battle of Trafalgar, riddled with holes made by Napoleonic cannon and a telling illustration of the battle's ferocity.
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Charles Dickens' Birthplace
You can poke your nose into Charles Dickens' Birthplace to see where the hard-hitting author drew his first breath in 1812 and to ponder the very couch upon which he breathed his last in 1870.
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Wanted Bar & Restaurant
This swish restaurant-bar boasts an inventive menu and a sleek minimalist vibe, featuring an illuminated wall of bottle bases and a light soundtrack of chill-out acoustics.
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Waterbus
Runs circular harbour tours on the water, dropping off passengers between attractions in the process. The whole circuit takes 60 minutes.
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Royal Marines Museum
Tells the story of the navy's elite force, complete with jungle-warfare displays, live snakes and scorpions.
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