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 56 beaches in Dorset, or have a look at our list of Dorset dog friendly beaches, or even our United Kingdom Blue Flag beach list.
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:
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:
- 20th August 2020-23rd August 2020The Bournemouth Air Festival is 4 days of varied flying programme, entertainment, live music and evening fireworks.
- 5th September 2020-6th September 2020The Food Rocks festival was started by top chef Mark Hix with the main aim of promoting the produce of the local area around Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast. The festival welcomes top chefs, exhibitors, locals and visitors to Lyme Regis, the main stage showcase offers a mix of interactive cookery demonstrations, talks and tastings across the 2 days. The money raised goes to good causes split between the RNLI and the Fishermen’s Mission.
- 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.
- Greenhill beach is a mixture mainly pebble with some sand and the beach sits in the middle of Weymouth Bay. Much quieter than the stretches near Weymouth town centre but you still have the Esplanade along the back of the beach. Seasonal lifeguards.
- Highcliffe Castle beach is a sand and shingle beach backed by woods and Highcliffe Castle. Limited facilities: parking, toilets and cafe in the grounds of Highcliffe Castle. Note that the parking in the woods at Highcliffe Castle can fill up early in good weather. You can park on Highcliffe cliff-top and follow the Coastal Path to the Castle and then onto the beach.
- Alum Chine beach is a sandy beach popular with families and has a children’s play area and a paddling pool. The beach is not so busy as those closer to Bournemouth Pier and the town centre. Alum Chine Tropical Gardens are nearby. Facilities include toilets, car parking, disabled access, Cafe / Bar / Shop and lifeguards in summer months.
- Weymouth Pier is approached by a rather long pathway that runs around the edge of the ferry terminal. The pier itself is split into two, a commercial ferry terminal and public areas. Entertainment includes an amusement arcade situated in the rebuilt theatre. The pier is a popular location for sea fishing.
- Lulworth Cove is within the Natural World Heritage Coastline. It has a horse shoe beach which is a mix of sand and pebbles. The cove is surrounded by high cliffs (135m, 440ft) and this area of the coast has some of the most fascinating geology in Europe. The Cove is also probably one of England’s most remarkable natural sites and attracts lots of visitors. At the West Lulworth Heritage Centre you have a museum about Lulworth and its coast, the history of the village and souvenirs. Lulworth Cove is part of the Lulworth estate, which has been owned by the same family since the mid 1600s. The Steps at the east end of the beach lead to the Fossil Forest and Mupe Bay with a stunning walk along the cliff top – this footpath is within the MoD restricted area and is only open on weekends and the whole of August. The village of West Lulworth has parking, gift shops, pub, cafes and ice cream outlets. Heritage Centre gives good information about the area and its geology.
- Rockley Park beach is a small (150m) sandy beach within Poole Harbour that is also known as Rockley Sands and Rockley Point beach. The beach offers some good views into Poole harbour and over to the Purbecks. The beaches location means that at low tide swimming from the beach is not possible due to strong currents. Facilities include toilets, beach shop/kiosk, cafe/restuarant, watersports, boat storage and slipway.
- Knowlton Church is a ruined Norman church, built within a neolithic henge monument. The henge enclosing Knowlton Church is only one of three henges and associated earthworks. However, Church Henge is the best preserved. Nearby is Great Barrow, the largest round barrow in Dorset. Aerial photographs reveal a large number of ploughed-out barrows in the immediate vicinity.
- Shore Road beach is a large sandy beach that joins with the Sandbanks beach and is the part just before the beach hits the Peninsula. Facilities include cafe, toilets, lifeguards in the summer, parking and easy access to all the facilities at Sandbanks.
- 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.
- Maumbury Rings is a Neolithic henge within the town of Dorchester in Dorset, England. The rings are a large circular earthwork, 85 metres in diameter, with a single bank and an entrance to the north east.
- The Central beach at Swanage is a great family beach set within a Victorian town with a pier. Swanage is a nice traditional family seaside resort whilst the beach is a sandy beach and is part of a larger stretch of sand that lasts for approximately 2km. Facilities include pier, promenade, cafes/restaurants, shops, children’s play area, beach huts, seasonal lifeguards, toilets with disabled facilities, showers and car parking.
