Dorset’s Best Beaches

With almost 100 miles of pristine, stunning coastline to enjoy and a history which stretches back to the earliest life on earth, Dorset’s coastline is a natural wonder which continues to delight, inspire and educate to this day.

Every single year we welcome thousands of guests to our Dorset cottages for holidays that will stay with them for a lifetime. Many of those guests arrive for the amazing landscape, whilst many more come for the delicious fresh food on offer. However, the majority arrive for one thing: Dorset’s legendary beaches.

Covering everything from fossil-laden stone beaches to soft, golden sands, there’s a Dorset beach for everyone. Here are some of our favourites:

• Lulworth Cove, Lulworth – Just east of Lyme Regis is one of Dorset’s best known and most beloved natural features – Lulworth Cove. A beautiful white pebble beach with crystal clear blue waters and a natural shape which offers total protection from tough sea conditions, making it ideal for families with less than confident swimmers.

• Weymouth Beach, Weymouth – A popular tourist spot, Weymouth Beach is a vast curving arc of golden sand that’s adjacent to the town centre. Boasting safe shallow waters and plenty to see and do along the beachfront, you’ll adore the activities on offer.

• Cobb Beach, Lyme Regis – The Cobb is one of the most famous man-made structures in Dorset, acting as the setting for Jane Austen’s Persuasion and its many television and film adaptations since. The beach that sits alongside it though is equally iconic, forming part of the picturesque harbour, the Cobb Beach is a stunning pebble beach with plenty to see and do.

• Durdle Door, Lulworth – One of the south coast’s most iconic rock formations, Durdle Door is a vast arch out into the ocean with a gorgeous shingle and sand beach alongside it. It’s the perfect spot for photographers and families, with excellent waters for swimming throughout most of the year.

• Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis – Trade in pebbles for soft, golden sands at Monmouth Beach. Also found in Lyme Regis, Monmouth Beach is a delightful spot for a walk with the dog, a picnic in the sunshine or just a little good, old-fashioned, sunbathing in one of England’s most historic holidaying locations. If you’re lucky, you might just find a fossil or two! To find out more about this stunning beach read, Your Guide to Monmouth Beach.

• Studland Beach, Studland – Gorgeous sandy beaches which run for a total of 4 miles might well be the headline, but Studland Beach backs on to a National Nature Reserve which boasts some of the rarest birds in the country and all six native British reptiles, making it a must-visit for any nature fan.

• Swanage Beach, Swanage – For a classic British beach experience, Swanage beach is tough to beat. Boasting warm soft sand, oodles of space and beautiful structures all along the beachside, it’s a great day out for the whole family. Spectacular chalk headlands are visible to either side too, making for some unmissable views.

Of course, that’s only the beginnings of what Dorset’s coastline has to offer. So, why not come and visit? The British coast has never been more beautiful than it is right now.