Beaches & Resorts

This is where the English come for their seaside breaks!  Whether you are after a quiet stroll along a secluded beach or a lively, busy resort, Dorset and The New Forest has an unrivalled range of outstanding beaches and buzzing resorts to choose from.  

Beaches

The Dorset coast is renowned for its clifftop walking, but is also well provided with beaches. Whether you are after the wilder shingle beaches of Charmouth, or the gentle sands of Studland, you will find something to suit you. All the beaches have parking close by.

The beaches at Lyme Regis and Charmouth, overshadowed by some of the tallest cliffs on the south coast, are renowned for their fossil treasures. Particularly in winter, the rough seas which have shaped the Jurassic coast sometimes uncover dramatic finds. (Care is needed as wet weather can make the cliffs unsafe - taking a guided fossil walk is the safest way.) Both towns have become well-known centres for fossil-hunters and the Charmouth Heritage Centre and Lyme Regis Museum both have full displays.

A little along the coast from Charmouth, Seatown is a quiet haven for walkers and those wanting some solitude, in the lea of Golden Cap, the highest cliff on the south coast. West Bay is a small fishing port, with a newly completed Jurassic Pier along which to view the spectacular coastline.

From Burton Bradstock eastwards until Portland, the long shingle beach of Chesil Beach, a natural phenomenon formed by sea currents, dominates the coastline. The strong tides make this entire stretch too unsafe for swimming or boating, but this is an excellent spot for fishing.

Ringstead is a protected shingle beach overlooking Weymouth Bay. Safe for swimiming, this is a popular beach for those wanting a quieter beach.

The beaches around Durdle Door and Man O' War Cove are safe for swimmers and very good for snorkelling, as is Lulworth Cove.

Studland is the picture book sandy beach, accessed from the car park though sand dunes and waving grasses onto a wide and safe sandy paradise, with good swimming and no strong currents.

For information on taking dogs on the beach, please contact the relevant Tourist Information Centre.

Resorts

Bournemouth offers the best of a traditional resort alongside a vibrant, bustling town centre. 10km of beautiful sandy beaches (recently voted the Best Beach in the UK by ENCAMS environmental agency), seafront dining, award-winning gardens, good shopping and top entertainment contribute to making Bournemouth well worth a visit. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum provides an eclectic mix of curios and art from around the world in a unique clifftop Italian style mansion.
www.bournemouth.co.uk

Christchurch is an ancient Saxon town overlooking a picturesque harbour, in the shadow of a magnificent 11th-century priory. Mudeford and Barton on Sea both offer a quiet sea-front location and the traditional English seaside sights of beachhuts and deckchairs.
www.christchurchtourism.info

Swanage is a smaller resort on the stunning Purbeck Coast, not far from the famous coastal rock formations Old Harry and his wives, and Durlston Country Park. The town itself was formed in Victorian times and today can be reached not only by car but also by steam train from Corfe Castle.
www.swanage.gov.uk

Weymouth is a popular seaside town 'founded' as a resort by George III, who is remembered today as a giant chalk figure on his horse carved into the hillside on the way out of Weymouth. Set in a scenic bay, Weymouth has 3km of sand and shingle beaches, an elegant Georgian seafront and an attractive harbour lined with restaurants and pubs.
www.weymouth.gov.uk