Jurassic Coast, Dorset

Dorset is in the South West of England on the English Channel coast and is famous for the amazing stretches of fine, sandy beaches and varied shorelines that yield up such treasures as the Jurassic Coast!

There are wide chalk downs here as well as low valleys and beautiful coves and islands. Ports at Portland, Poole and Weymouth as well as an international airport, make it easy to reach and there is a wide variety of accommodation to suit every budget.

There are many historic houses, theatres, art galleries, shopping towns, festivals and events and 185 million years of earth's history in the ninety five miles of coastline making up the Jurassic Coast - a great spot for fossil hunting and beach combing!

If you love walking, Dorset is for you. In fact, cyclists, hikers, climbers, holiday makers, travellers, students, kite flyers, peace seekers, windsurfers, anglers, golf enthusiasts and horse riders rate Dorset as one the United Kingdom's best holiday spots!


Why not check beaches nearby as we have 57 Dorset beaches, or have a look at our list of Dorset dog friendly beaches, or even our United Kingdom Blue Flag beach list.

Dorset Map

Dorset Coast Search Bar

Where would you like to go? Use our search bar to search across all our local listings, ideal for finding that nearest spot to visit:

{"bg":"","mt":"","mr":"","mb":"3","ml":"","pt":"","pr":"","pb":"","pl":"","border":"","rounded":"","rounded_size":"","shadow":""}

Want some ideas on where to visit?

Every favourite location must be visited for the first time. Want some ideas, why not check out the below small selection of coastal locations, including beaches, activities, things to see and do, places to stay and eat:

Cerne-Abbas-Giant

Cerne Abbas Giant

Cerne Abbas Giant is a huge outline sculpted into the chalk hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas representing a naked, club-wielding giant. The outline is 180ft tall making it Britain’s largest chalk hill figure and probably the most controversial. Managed by the National Trust, although parking is on the roadside and the nearest facilities are in the village Cerne Abbas. Read more…
Bandstand-beach

Bandstand Beach

Bandstand beach lies by the old bandstand pier and the beach starts to have less pebbles and gets busy as you get closer to the town. Lifeguards in the summer and full facilities of Weymouth town. Read more…
Durlstone-Head-Globe

Durlstone Head Globe

The Durlstone Head Globe is on the cliffs of Durlston Head and is often refered to as the “Large Globe” or the “Great Globe”. Erected 1891 the globe is constructed of Portland stone, weighs about 40 tonnes, is 3 metres (10 ft) in diameter and surrounded by a circle of cast iron railings. At the base is a tablet recording distances Read more…
West-Bay-West-beach

West Bay West Beach

West Bay beach is a wide sandy beach split by the harbour entrance. The high cliffs here were the location for the TV programme Broadchurch starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman. Parking, toilets and selection of shops and places to eat. Read more…
St-Catherines-Chapel

St Catherines Chapel

St Catherines Chapel is a small 14th-century chapel set high on a hilltop overlooking Abbotsbury Abbey. Built by the monks as a place of pilgrimage and retreat. Read more…
Mudeford-lifeboat-station-0098

Mudeford lifeboat station

The Mudeford Lifeboat station is located at Mudeford Quay and operates an inshore lifeboat. This is a very picturesque location at the entrance to Christchurch harbour. Visits are allowed during crew training, check schedule on display in boathouse notice board. Read more…
portland bill lighthouse 768x535

Portland Bill Lighthouse

Portland Bill and Chesil Beach are the graveyards of many vessels that failed to reach Weymouth or Portland Roads. The Portland Race is caused by the meeting of the tides between the Bill and the Shambles sandbank about 3 miles SE. Strong currents break the sea so fiercely that from the shore a continuous disturbance can be seen. Portland Bill Read more…
kimmeridge bay dorset 768x512

Kimmeridge Bay Beach

Kimmeridge Bay is part of the Jurassic Coast. This is not a sandy beach but a mixture of sand, pebbles, boulders and shale. Although not sandy it does offer swimming and excellent rock pools. Rocky limestone reefs make the area a key habitat and the bay is a designated Marine Nature Reserve and exhibitions of local marine wildlife at the Read more…
Wetherspoon-pubs

The Moon in the Square Pub

The Moon in the Square is a Wetherspoon pub in Bournemouth, Dorset. Our pub offers a range of real ales, craft beers and freshly ground Lavazza coffee. Breakfast is served until noon, with our full food menu available until 11 pm.     Read more…
Boscombe-Pier-0080-1

Boscombe Pier

Boscombe Pier is not a traditional seaside pier. During the 1950s the original pier showed signs of decay and it was redesigned and built in a modern way. A screen runs down the centre of the pier deck against which deckchairs can be placed. This is a positive indication that British seaside resorts can be successfully revamped and modernised. Wayne Read more…
Swanage-pier

Swanage pier

The original Swanage Pier was built between 1859 and 1860 for use primarily by the local stone quarrying industry, and included a tramway which ran the length of the pier and some way along the seafront. The old tracks can be seen to this day, inset into the seafront walkways. Read more…
Golden-Cap

Golden Cap

The great rocky shoulder of Golden Cap offers magnificent 360 degree views of the Jurassic coastline. On a clear day you can see across Lyme Bay to Dartmoor. Read more…
View all

Some more seaside locations in Dorset

Bournemouth Bridport Christchurch Crewkerne Dorchester Lyme Regis Poole Ringwood Shaftesbury Sherborne Swanage Wareham West Lulworth Weymouth Wimborne Minster