Dorset located in the South West of England is made up of spectacular coastline and countryside. It is the perfect place to enjoy either a laid back holiday or a more adventurous trip depending on the type of holiday that suits you.
Looking for a different getaway from London? Make sure to check out Our Best Romantic Getaways from London
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Where is Durdle Door, Dorset and how to get there?
Wanting to head down to see the famous rock formation of Durdle Door? Thinking about heading down to check it out? Make sure that you spend some time down there checking out some of the other wonderful little towns that surround Durdle Door and make up the Jurassic Coast.
Durdle Door is located around a 3 hours drive from London. It is best to hire a car for this journey as most of the coastline if not connected via public transport. You can also head to some of the towns around the area by bus or train, bus and train tickets can be booked through Trainline. However this may be possible it wouldn’t be the best way to be able to get around and see the whole coastline.
If you are looking to take the train down to Dorset you may want to consider heading to Bournemouth and then looking into public transport options from here.
Day Trips to Durdle Door & Dorset
There are also several different options when it comes to day trips to Durdle Door. Most of the day trips run from Bournemouth to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, these are usually around 6 hours long. If you are looking for more of a water based trip you can enjoy a coastal cruise from Poole round-trip of the Jurassic Coast.
Want to enjoy longer by the seaside then you can join a group trip 4 Days from Bristol to Cornwall, Devon & Stonehenge
Towns to Visit in Dorset:
Bournemouth
We couldn’t have picked a crazier weekend to visit Bournemouth! Bournemouth can be reached by train from Waterloo station in 2 hours, this makes it a great place for those in London looking for some beach time to be able to access. We decided though to head down in a car, which was more like a van needed to fit all 6 of us in.
The particular weekend that we went down was in the middle of summer holidays and it was also a heat wave. This meant everyone wanted a bit of sunshine and beach. Bournemouth was absolutely rammed!
Bournemouth beach is complete with its own pier lined with resturants and pubs. It is your typical English seaside town which you either love or hate. The perks of Bournemouth is that it is a fairly central location within a close distance to Southampton, Poole and of course the Jurassic Coast. If you are looking for somewhere nice and quiet to stay I wouldn’t recommend Bournemouth however if you have a car and are looking for a base for your weekend this would be a perfect place for you.
Where to stay?
The Nici
Hilton Bournemouth
Lyme Regis
Located 3 hours and 30 minutes from London, Lyme Regis of West Dorset was our favourite place to visit over the weekend! If you are looking for a more quiet area to stay with quaint shops and beautiful coastline then this is the place for you.
We started the morning here with brunch at Town Mill Bakery and Cafe. The brunch was amazing and the coffee was perfect (and we are super picky with our coffee). After we spending hours wandering through the different winding streets browsing the boutiques we then settled at the beach for the rest of the day.
Lyme Regis’s main beach is made up of two parts one in which is partly sandy while the other is pebbles. We are still yet to get used to having a peddle beach being blessed with white sand our whole lives however there was something about the charm of Lyme Regis that meant we made the most of the beach and the amazing weather.
Along the sea front there is also a selection of different fish and chip shacks to choose from so that you’re able to spend your whole day by the sea without losing your spot.
I would absolutely recommend Lyme Regis to everyone it was such a beautiful place I only wish that we had more time to enjoy it!
Where to stay?
Lyme Townhouse
Kimmeridge Bay
Kimmeridge Bay a part of the Jurassic Coast, it is a small bay filled with many rock pools. It is here that you can be on the hunt for fossils that have formed in the bays clay. Fossil hunting is permitted however the use of hammers is not. I know when I was originally trying to convince the group to go here everyone was a bit unsure, how likely is it to be able to actually find a fossil. Once we reached the bay it was like we were children all over again. On the hunt for who could find the most interesting fossil.
What we didn’t realise about Kimmeridge Bay is that it is also a marine trail. When the tide is in on a calm day the conditions of this bay are meant to be great for all types of swimmers, however we didn’t realise and weren’t prepared. The Visitor Centre nearby also has an underwater map to follow and an identification guide of the wildlife that you might encounter.
Where to stay?
The Priory Hotel
YHA Swanage – Hostel
Durdle Door
So you probably came to this post mostly to find out about Durdle Door…so I’ll get right to the point!
Durdle Door is the areas most photographed landmark, however no one tells you about the walk to get there. From the parking Durdle Door is accessed by a steep incline to reach the viewpoint and then another set of steep steps before you are down onto the beach below. I would definitely recommend sensible shoes!
As we were there during a very busy weekend we decided not to visit the beach closest to Durdle Door however to swim at Man O War Bay, which due to the cloud cover was absolutely freezing!
I am glad that we came to visit this site however it is a very touristy location. I would recommend getting there early in the morning as the parking seems to fill up fast and so do the crowds trying to all get the perfect shot.
If you’d like to watch more on our weekend away our beautiful friend Casey has put together a video of the highlights.
Where to stay?
Lulworth Lodge
Castle Inn
If you’re looking for a detailed video of our time in Dorset check out our friends Caseys vlog from out time on the Jurassic Coast!
