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Itinerary Planner

Plan your visit to Dorset using the '+ Itinerary Planner' button. Add to Excursion

Select items throughout the site to build an itinerary of your choice.

Bournemouth Seafront & Pier

Bournemouth Seafront & Pier

Roger Holman

Beaches in Dorset

If spending a day on the beach building sandcastles, swimming in the sea and lazing around with your family in the hot summer sun sounds like your idea of a fantastic holiday, Dorset is home to some of the best beaches in south England.

With sandy beaches aplenty, you can while away the hours and soak up the sunshine in the most stunning surroundings. Look at our superb video footage of the beautiful Dorset coastline and see just some of the breathtaking scenery you can enjoy. 

With so many fantastic family friendly beaches you'll have trouble deciding which one to visit first! We'll leave the deciding up to you.

 **Cliff Falls - Take Care!**
Recent heavy rainfall has made the cliffs along the Dorset coast far more unstable than normal. When visiting one of our beaches, please keep away from the base of the cliffs and take heed of any warning signs - they are there for your safety. Please visit our Beach Safety page for more information.

Please download our new Guide to West Dorset beaches and coastal activities.

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Number of items: 32

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  1. Swanage Spa Beach Huts

    Add Swanage Spa Beach Huts to your Itinerary

    Swanage Spa Beach Huts

    Type

    Beach

    Swanage

    Beach huts are let on a daily or weekly basis. They are a popular feature and are provided with a table, four chairs and an electricity power point enabling you to have some comforts whilst gazing out to sea. Hire a beach hut, and your trips to the beach are made easier without having to take all...

  2. Charmouth Beach

    Add Charmouth Beach to your Itinerary

    Charmouth Beach

    Type

    Beach

    Lyme Regis

    This beach is slightly shelving and is made up of pebbles and sand.

    Charmouth is famous, along with Lyme Regis, for its fossils, especially in winter months due to the rough seas. Charmouth is located 2 miles from Lyme Regis and 6 miles from Bridport.

    At the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre...

  3. Highcliffe Castle

    Add Highcliffe Castle to your Itinerary

    Highcliffe Castle

    Type

    Viewpoint

    Highcliffe, CHRISTCHURCH

    Highcliffe Castle is a magnificent Grade 1 Listed 1830s mansion built by Lord Stuart de Rothesay and is situated just four miles east of Christchurch. The cliff-top grounds, with wonderful views of the Dorset coastline and the Isle of Wight, provide access to the beach and to the Christchurch...

  4. Sandworld Weymouth

    Add Sandworld Weymouth to your Itinerary

    Sandworld Weymouth

    Type

    Environmental Attraction

    Weymouth

    SANDWORLD is home to one of the best quality displays of sand sculpting talent IN THE WORLD. With the opportunity for visitors to try sand sculpting for themselves, visitors come to marvel at the scale and intricacy of the sculptures, which in 2013, are based on a theme of SCIENCE FICTION. From...

  5. Chesil Beach fishing

    Add Abbotsbury Beach - Chesil Bank and Fleet Lagoon Na to your Itinerary

    Abbotsbury Beach - Chesil Bank and Fleet Lagoon Na

    Type

    Beach

    Bridport

    A shelving beach made up of pebbles and shingle, popular with both local anglers and families for mackerel fishing. Close to the beach is the village of Abbotsbury, where there are three main attractions - Swannery, Sub Tropical Gardens and the Children's Farm. The village is approximately one mile...

  6. Hive Beach

    Add Burton Bradstock (Hive Beach) to your Itinerary

    Burton Bradstock (Hive Beach)

    Type

    Beach

    Bridport

    A shelving shingle beach, close to the village of Burton Bradstock.

    On a clear day, visitors can enjoy breath taking views round to Portland and right the way round to the East Devon Coast.

  7. Swanage Beach Bungalows

    Add Swanage Beach Bungalows to your Itinerary

    Swanage Beach Bungalows

    Type

    Beach

    Swanage

    Beach huts are let on a daily or weekly basis. They are a popular feature and are provided with a table, four chairs and an electricity power point enabling you to have some comforts whilst gazing out to sea. Hire a beach hut, and your trips to the beach are made easier without having to take all...

  8. Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre

    Add Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre to your Itinerary

    Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre

    Type

    Country Park/Nature Reserve

    Portland

    Managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust, the centre's exciting displays and programme of activities will help you make the most of your visit to Chesil Beach and Portland.

    The Centre has a shop, wildlife events and activities, a bridge across the Fleet Lagoon to the Chesil Beach plus amazing views of...

  9. Swanage Beach Huts Shore Road

    Add Swanage Beach Huts Shore Road to your Itinerary

    Swanage Beach Huts Shore Road

    Type

    Beach

    Swanage

    Beach huts are let on a daily or weekly basis. They are a popular feature and are provided with a table, four chairs and an electricity power point enabling you to have some comforts whilst gazing out to sea. Hire a beach hut, and your trips to the beach are made easier without having to take all...

  10. Shell Bay

    Add Studland Beach and Nature Reserve to your Itinerary

    Studland Beach and Nature Reserve

    Type

    Beach

    Studland

    Fine sandy beaches stretch continuously for 3 miles from South Haven Point to the chalk cliffs of Handfast Point and Old Harry Rocks and include Shell Bay. A designated section of naturist beach is at Knoll beach. The heathland behind the beach is a National Nature Reserve with many rare birds....